Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It turns out getting your crockery and cutlery dry might in actual fact be harder for your dishwasher than getting them clean. Crockery and cutlery and glasses have multiple nooks and crannies that could collect water making it more difficult for it to dry out, thus as your dishwasher cools water droplets form from the humid air.

Dishwashers also utilize a number of different means to dry your dishes. Some opt for a heating element to warm the air in the dishwasher and help with evaporation, some heat the water to a higher temperature nearing the final rinse, others make use of a fan, and certain models use a mix of all three. There are thus a variety of reasons why your dishwasher might not be drying plates fully and a variety of things you can do to rectify the situation.

Plastic is less likely to dry fully than other materials as it doesn’t retain heat in the same way which helps with the drying process, so it’s worth taking note whether the items that aren’t drying are predominantly plastic items.

If dishes are coming out wet you can enlist the help of a dishwasher repair service or first utilize this troubleshooting guide to help you identify and rectify the issue.

Top Reasons Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Crockery and Cutlery

Few things are more annoying than a home appliance that doesn’t work as it should, regardless of whether its a smartspeaker, air conditioner 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 troubleshooting tips to help you figure out why.

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

Inspect the Placement of Your Dishes

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the machine. 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. Also be aware that plastics 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 not working this can stop your dishes coming out properly dry.

Visually check the dispenser for cracks and check that there is rinse aid inside.

Check The Heating Element

Without enough heat your plates will not dry so a broken heating element might be the reason your dishwasher is not drying crockery and cutlery. If your crockery and cutlery aren’t hot at the end of the cycle this can mean that the heating coil is faulty.

To check the heating element first unplug the appliance, then locate the heating coil, you could need the owners manual for this, then use a multimeter to check it’s working.

Have a Look at the Thermostat

The thermostat prevents your machine overheating, determining the heat of the water and air during drying. However, if it’s faulty this can mean your appliance doesn’t heat up at all.

If you check the heating element and do not find an fault but your machine isn’t getting hot, then the thermostat could be the issue. Once again you can make sure with the help of a multimeter.

Check The Fan and Vent

Many appliances will make use of a fan and vent to remove the warm moist air out of the machine. If the fan isn’t operating as is should or the vent is blocked then the hot air will remain in the machine preventing the crockery and cutlery from drying.

You can utilize your manual to find out if your machine has a fan and locate it. Don’t forget to double check the machine is unplugged before trying to make repairs.

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

Ways to Increase Drying Capability

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

Allow ample space between crockery and cutlery. Overfilling the machine stops the circulation of air and water decreasing the effectiveness of your machine when it comes to both washing and drying your dishes. Although it’s tempting to try and cram everything in, you will get better results if you leave enough space so that plates are not touching.
Use rinse aid. Some dishwasher tablets include a rinse aid but even if the brand you use says it does, adding a little extra to the appliance won’t hurt. Rinse aid works by breaking the bond between water molecules and your crockery and cutlery, helping water run off quickly, speeding up drying time and giving a spot and streak free finish.
Open the door at the end of the program. Some newer models have this as an automatic function, but many do not, thus, opening the dishwasher at the end of the program allows warm air to evaporate thus stopping water droplets forming as the dishwasher cools down.
Check if your machine has a heat feature and make use of it. The higher the heat the better the drying and you may be able to choose which points in the program you increase the temperature.
Empty the lower level 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 you have checked all the above it could be time to call in an engineer or perhaps buy a new machine.