Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It turns out drying your dishes might really be more difficult for your dishwasher than getting them clean. Dishes and cups have multiple crevices that may collect dishwater preventing it from evaporating, plus as your dishwasher cools water droplets form out of the steam.

Different machines also utilize a number of different approaches to get your crockery and cutlery dry. Some opt for a heating element to heat up the inside of the machine and assist the water to evaporate, some heat up the water further approaching the final rinse, certain models employ a fan, and others use a mix of all three. There are therefore a number of explanations why your dishwasher might not be drying crockery and cutlery optimally and a variety of things you can do to improve the situation.

Plastic is less likely to dry fully than other materials as it cools down more quickly hindering the drying process, so it’s worth taking note whether the items that aren’t drying are predominantly plastic items.

If your dishwasher isn’t drying effectively you can call a dishwasher repair service or first utilize this troubleshooting list to figure out what the issue is and with any luck fix it.

Top Reasons Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Crockery and Cutlery

Few things are more frustrating than a home appliance that isn’t working as it should, whether that’s a smartphone that really isn’t being that smart, a washing machine that’s churning out dirty clothes, or a dishwasher that is either not removing the dirt from or drying your plates. If you open the dishwasher to wet plates there are a number of places you can look to help you figure out the issue.

Not all makes and models are created equal and you will find that some makes and models perform to a higher standard compared to others. However, if you notice a change in how well your dishwasher is working one of these issues might be the problem.

Check the Placement of Your Crockery and Cutlery

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the dishwasher. Before assuming the dishwasher is faulty you should first check that you haven’t overloaded it or accidentally stacked items one inside the other. It’s also worth noting that plastics are more difficult to dry than metal, glass or ceramics.

Have a Look at The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Your machine needs rinse aid to properly dry your plates therefore, if you have run out of rinse aid or the rinse aid dispenser is not working this can result in wet plates at the end of the cycle.

The best thing to do is check the dispenser for damage and ensure that it’s full.

Inspect The Heating Coil

Without enough heat your dishes will not dry so a not working heating coil could be the reason your appliance is not working as it should. If your dishes aren’t hot to touch when they come out of the machine this can mean that the heating coil is faulty.

To inspect the heating element you will need to unplug the machine, locate the heating element, you may need the manual for this, then check for continuity using a multimeter.

Have a Look at the Thermostat

The thermostat prevents your appliance overheating, regulating the heat of the water and air during drying. Therefore, if it’s faulty this can result in your machine not reaching a high enough temperature.

If you check the heating element and do not uncover an issue but there’s still no heat, then the thermostat could be the issue. Once again you can make sure using a multimeter.

Inspect The Fan and Vent

Many machines will use a drying fan and vent to suck moist air out of the appliance. If the fan isn’t operating as is should or the vent is blocked then the water vapor will remain in the machine preventing the plates from drying.

You can employ your instruction manual to check if your machine uses a fan and find its location. Don’t forget to make sure the machine is unplugged before attempting to access the fan.

You can look at the fan and vent to see if there is anything lodged that might stop it from functioning correctly. If there is nothing obvious you can then test for continuity using a multimeter.

Tips to Increase Drying Capability

There are a variety of methods you can use to boost how well your appliance dries your dishes and prevent you needing to dry them by hand as little as possible.

Allow ample space between plates. Overloading the machine limits the flow of air and water making cleaning and drying your crockery and cutlery harder. Although it’s appealing to try and stuff everything in, your appliance will work better if you leave sufficient space so that water and air can circulate freely.
Make use of rinse aid. Some detergents include a rinse aid but even so, adding a little extra to the appliance won’t hurt. Rinse aid works by breaking the bond between water molecules and your dishes, helping water run off quickly, speeding up drying time and giving a spot and streak free finish.
Open your dishwasher as soon as the cycle has completed. Some new dishwashers do this automatically, but if yours doesn’t, opening the dishwasher when the cycle finishes can help allow the water to escape thus preventing water condensing on the plates as the machine cools down.
Find out if your dishwasher has a heat feature and make sure it’s turned on. Setting a higher heat will mean improved drying times and it might be possible to choose which points in the program you add more heat.
Empty the lower level first. This doesn’t affect how effective your dishwasher is, but it does stop water from cups and glasses falling on dishes below.

If this trouble shooting guide hasn’t worked it may be time to phone the professionals or even upgrade your dishwasher.