Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It may not be the primary function but getting your plates dry may actually be harder for your machine than getting them clean. Dishes and cups have multiple nooks and crannies that could trap water making it more difficult for it to evaporate, thus as your machine cools down water condenses from the humid air.

Different machines also make use of a variety of methods to dry your dishes. Some opt for a heating coil to warm the air in the dishwasher and assist the water to evaporate, some heat up the water further approaching the final rinse, others make use of a fan, and certain models make use of a mix of all of these. There are consequently a number of reasons why your dishwasher could not be drying dishes fully and a number of options to rectify the situation.

Plastic is more difficult to dry than other materials as it cools down more quickly hindering the drying process, so it’s worth taking note whether the drying issue is related to the material rather than the machine.

If dishes are coming out wet you can hire a dishwasher repair service or first make use of this troubleshooting list to figure out what the problem is and with any luck fix it.

Top Explanations Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Crockery and Cutlery

There is nothing more frustrating than a home appliance that isn’t working properly, regardless of whether its a tv, washing machine or dishwasher we expect them to do the job they were designed for. If you open your dishwasher to discover wet plates here are a few places you can look to help you figure out the problem.

Not all dishwashers are created equal and some dishwashers perform to a higher standard compared to others. But if if your dishwasher has always dried your crockery and cutlery in the past one of these issues could be the cause.

Inspect How Your Dishwasher Has Been Loaded

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the dishwasher. Before assuming the appliance is not working you should first check that you haven’t overloaded it or accidentally stacked items one inside the other. It’s also worth noting that plastic items don’t dry as well as metal, glass or ceramics.

Check The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Rinse aid plays a key role in drying your crockery and cutlery therefore, if you have run out of rinse aid or your rinse aid dispenser is faulty this can result in wet crockery and cutlery at the end of the cycle.

Visually check the dispenser for cracks and ensure that it’s full.

Have a Look at The Heating Element

Without enough heat your dishes will not dry so a broken heating element could be the reason your dishwasher is not drying plates. If your dishes don’t feel hot to touch when they come out of the machine this can mean that the heating element isn’t working as it should.

To inspect the heating coil you will need to disconnect the machine, locate the heating element, you might need the owners manual for this, then check for continuity using a multimeter.

Check the Thermostat

The thermostat ensures your dishwasher doesn’t get too hot, adjusting the temperature of the water and the drying part of the cycle. However, if it’s faulty this can mean your dishwasher doesn’t heat up at all.

If the heating element appears to be working as it should but your machine isn’t getting hot, then the thermostat may be the problem. Again you can check this with the help of a multimeter.

Inspect The Fan and Vent

Many machines will employ a fan and vent to suck moist air out of the machine. If either of these elements are faulty then the hot air will remain in the machine preventing the dishes from drying.

You can make use of your manual to find out if your dishwasher has a fan and locate it. Don’t forget to make sure the dishwasher is disconnected before trying to make repairs.

First visually inspect the fan and vent to check if there is anything lodged that would prevent it from operating correctly. If there is nothing obvious you can then test for continuity using a multimeter.

Tips to Boost Drying Power

There are a variety of methods you can use to improve your appliances drying ability and make sureyou need to get the drying up cloth out as infrequently as possible.

Don’t overfill the dishwasher. Overfilling the machine inhibits the flow of air and water making removing the dirt from and drying your dishes harder. Although it’s tempting to try and stuff everything in, you will get better results if you leave sufficient space so that plates are not touching.
Employ rinse aid. Some dishwasher tablets already have this but even so, adding a little extra to the appliance won’t hurt. Rinse aid helps reduce spotting and gives your glasses a streak-free shine but it also breaks the bond between water molecules and your crockery and cutlery helping the water to run off them and therefore allowing them to dry faster.
Open the door at the end of the cycle. Some new dishwashers have this as an automatic option, but many do not, thus, opening the dishwasher when the program completes allows warm air to evaporate and stop water condensing on the contents as the appliance cools down.
Have a look to see if your dishwasher has a heat feature and use it. Setting a higher temperature will lead to better drying times and you could be able to add more heat at different points in the cycle.
Think about how you empty your dishwasher. This is simply because cups and glasses that are upside down on the top shelf often have a concave bottom where water can pool. Emptying the bottom rack first stops you spilling this water onto the dishes below.

If none of the above solves the problem it may be time to phone the professionals or perhaps buy a new machine.