Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It may not be the primary function but drying your plates may actually be more difficult for your machine than cleaning them. Crockery and cutlery and glasses have multiple crevices that could pool dishwater stopping it from evaporating, and as your dishwasher loses heat water droplets form from the humid air.

Different machines also utilize a number of different approaches to dry your plates. Some opt for a heating element to warm the inside of the machine and assist with evaporation, some heat the water to a higher temperature approaching the end of the cycle, certain models make use of a fan, and some have a combination of all of these. There are consequently a number of explanations why your dishwasher could not be drying dishes fully and a variety of things you can do to improve the situation.

Plastic items are less likely to dry fully than glass or ceramics as it cools down more quickly hindering the drying process, so it’s worth noting whether the drying issue is related to the material rather than the machine.

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

Top Reasons Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Dishes

There is nothing more irritating than an appliance that isn’t working as it should, regardless of whether its a smartspeaker, tumble dryer or dishwasher we expect them to do the job they were made for. If you open your dishwasher to discover wet plates there are a number of troubleshooting tips to help you figure out the problem.

Not all dishwashers are created equal and you will find that some makes and models do a better job of drying your plates than others. However, if you notice a change in how effectively your dishwasher is working one of these faults may be the problem.

Have a Look at How Your Machine Has Been Loaded

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the machine. Before assuming the machine is faulty you should look at how it has been loaded, ensuring it isn’t overloaded. It’s also worth noting that plastics are more difficult to dry than metal, glass or ceramics.

Check The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Your dishwasher needs rinse aid to properly dry your dishes therefore, if you’ve forgotten to top up or your rinse aid dispenser is broken this can stop your dishes coming out properly dry.

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

Inspect The Heating Coil

Without enough heat your plates will not dry so a not working heating element could be the explanation your dishwasher is not drying crockery and cutlery. If your plates aren’t hot at the end of the cycle this can be a good indicator that the heating coil is broken.

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

Have a Look at the Thermostat

The thermostat stops your machine getting too hot, adjusting the temperature of the water and the drying part of the cycle. Therefore, if it’s not working this can mean your appliance doesn’t heat up at all.

If the heating coil seems to be in working order but there’s still no heat, then the thermostat might be at fault. Again you can make sure with the help of a multimeter.

Inspect The Fan and Vent

Many machines will employ a drying fan and vent to suck moist air from the appliance. If either of these elements are broken then the hot air will form droplets on the plates instead preventing them from drying.

You can utilize your manual to find out if your machine has a fan and find its location. Don’t forget to make sure the appliance is unplugged before trying to make repairs.

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

Ideas to Boost Drying Capability

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

Allow sufficient space between dishes. Overloading the machine limits the circulation of both water and air decreasing the effectiveness of your appliance when it comes to both washing and finishing your dishes. Although it’s appealing to try and cram everything in, your dishwasher will work better if you leave enough space so that water and air can circulate freely.
Make use of 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 dishwasher 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 plates helping the water to run off them and consequently allowing them to dry faster.
Open the door at the end of the cycle. Some newer models do this automatically, but if yours doesn’t, opening the dishwasher at the end of the program can help allow the water to escape thus preventing water condensing on the dishes as the dishwasher cools down.
Find out if your machine has a heat feature and utilize it. Setting a higher heat will lead to improved drying times and you could be able to add more heat at different points in the cycle.
Think about how you unload your machine. 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 plates below.

If none of the above solves the problem it could be time to phone an engineer or perhaps buy a new machine.