Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It may not be the primary function but getting your dishes dry may actually be more difficult for your dishwasher than cleaning them. Dishes and glassware have multiple crevices that may collect dishwater making it more difficult for it to evaporate, and as your dishwasher loses heat water droplets form from the steam.

Dishwashers also make use of a variety of different means to get your dishes dry. Some opt for a heating element to warm the air in the dishwasher and assist with evaporation, some heat the water more near the final rinse, others use a fan, and others employ a mix of all three. There are thus a variety of explanations why your dishwasher may 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 doesn’t retain heat in the same way which helps with the drying process, so it’s worth noting whether the items that aren’t drying are predominantly plastic items.

If your dishwasher doesn’t seem to be drying properly you can hire a dishwasher repair service or first employ this troubleshooting list to figure out what the issue is and with any luck fix it.

Top Reasons Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Dishes

Few things are more annoying than an appliance that doesn’t work as it should, regardless of whether its a smartphone, washing machine or dishwasher we expect them to do the job they were made for. If you open your dishwasher to discover wet plates here are a number of troubleshooting tips to help you figure out the issue.

Not all makes and models are built to the same spec and some appliances do a better job of drying your crockery and cutlery than others. However, if you notice a change in how well your dishwasher is working one of these faults may be the cause.

Inspect How Your Machine Has Been Loaded

It might be that there is no fault with the dishwasher. Before assuming the machine is broken you should first check that you haven’t overfilled it or accidentally stacked items one inside the other. Also be aware that plastic items are more difficult to dry than metal, glass or ceramics.

Check The Rinse Aid Dispenser

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

The best thing to do is inspect the rinse aid dispenser for cracks and check that there is rinse aid inside.

Have a Look at The Heating Coil

Without enough heat your crockery and cutlery will not dry so a faulty heating coil could be the reason your appliance is not drying dishes. If your plates aren’t hot when they come out of the machine this can mean that the heating element is broken.

To inspect the heating element first disconnect the dishwasher, then find the heating element, you could need the manual for this, and use a multimeter to check it’s working.

Check the Thermostat

The thermostat stops your dishwasher overheating, adjusting the heat of the water and air during drying. However, if it’s broken this can mean your dishwasher doesn’t heat up at all.

If the heating coil seems to be in working order but your machine isn’t getting hot, then the thermostat might be at fault. Again you can make sure using a multimeter.

Have a Look at The Fan and Vent

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

You can employ your instruction manual to check if your dishwasher uses a fan and find its location. Again you need to double check the dishwasher is disconnected before trying to make repairs.

First visually inspect the fan and vent to check if there is anything lodged that might prevent it from working correctly. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Ways to Increase Drying Capability

There are a variety of methods you can use to boost how well your appliance dries your dishes and make sureyou have to hand dry as little as possible.

Don’t overcrowd the machine. Overfilling the machine inhibits the flow of air and water decreasing the effectiveness of your machine when it comes to both washing and finishing your dishes. It may be appealing to stuff in as much as possible but your appliance will be more effective if you leave sufficient space so that water and air can circulate freely.
Make use of rinse aid. Some dishwasher tablets already have this but even if the brand you use says it does, adding a little extra to the dishwasher can only improve matters. Rinse aid helps reduce marks and gives your glassware in particular a streak-free shine but it also breaks the bond between water molecules and your dishes helping the water to run off them and therefore making them dry more quickly and evenly.
Open your machine as soon as the program has completed. Some new machines have this as an automatic function, but if yours doesn’t, opening the door at the end of the program can help allow the water to escape thus preventing water condensing on the contents as the dishwasher cools down.
Have a look to see if your machine employs a heat feature and utilize it. Setting a higher heat will lead to better drying times and you could be able to add more heat at different points in the program.
Empty the bottom rack first. This doesn’t affect how well your dishwasher works, but it prevent and water spilling that has collected in the concave bottoms of cups and glasses.

If none of the above solves the problem it may be a good idea to phone the professionals or perhaps buy a new dishwasher.