Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It turns out drying your crockery and cutlery may really be more difficult for your dishwasher than cleaning them. Plates and cups have multiple crevices that could pool dishwater preventing it from drying out, thus as your dishwasher cools water droplets form out of the humid air.

Different machines also employ a variety of methods to dry your crockery and cutlery. Certain models will have a heating coil to warm the inside of the dishwasher and help with evaporation, some heat the water more nearing the end of the cycle, some have a fan, and others make use of a mix of all of these. There are thus a number of explanations why your machine could not be drying crockery and cutlery fully and a variety of things you can do to improve the situation.

Plastic is less likely to dry fully than glass or ceramics as it doesn’t retain heat in the same way which helps with 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 enlist the help of a dishwasher repair service or first utilize this troubleshooting list to help you identify and rectify the problem.

Top Explanations Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Dishes

There is nothing more irritating than a home appliance that isn’t working properly, 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 cleaning or drying your crockery and cutlery. If you open the dishwasher to wet plates here are a few places you can look to help you figure out why.

Not all dishwashers are built to the same spec and you will find that some makes and models do a better job of drying your dishes than others. However, if if your dishwasher has always dried your plates in the past one of these faults might be the problem.

Check How Your Dishwasher Has Been Loaded

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the dishwasher. Before assuming the machine is broken you should first check that you haven’t overloaded it or accidentally stacked items one inside the other. Also be aware 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 thus, if you have run out of rinse aid or your rinse aid dispenser is broken this can stop your crockery and cutlery coming out properly dry.

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

Inspect The Heating Coil

Heat is essential for drying your crockery and cutlery so a broken heating element might be the reason your machine is not drying plates. If your dishes aren’t hot when they come out of the machine this can mean that the heating coil isn’t working as it should.

To inspect the heating element first disconnect the appliance, then find the heating coil, you could need the instruction manual for this, then check for continuity using a multimeter.

Have a Look at the Thermostat

The thermostat ensures your appliance doesn’t overheat, regulating the temperature of the water and the drying part of the cycle. However, if it’s broken this can result in your appliance not reaching a high enough temperature.

If the heating coil appears to be working as it should but there’s still no heat, then the thermostat may be at fault. Once again you can test this using a multimeter.

Have a Look at The Fan and Vent

Many dishwashers will utilize a drying fan and vent to remove the warm 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 form droplets on the plates instead preventing them from drying.

You can use your instruction manual to check if your dishwasher has a fan and locate it. Again you need to make sure the dishwasher is disconnected before trying to make repairs.

First look at the fan and vent to check if there is anything lodged that might stop it from functioning as it is supposed to. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Tips to Boost Drying Capability

There are a variety of things you can do to boost your dishwashers drying ability and ensure you have to hand dry as infrequently as possible.

Allow ample space between crockery and cutlery. Overfilling the dishwasher stops the flow of both water and air decreasing the effectiveness of your dishwasher when it comes to both cleaning and drying your dishes. Although it’s tempting to try and cram everything in, your dishwasher will be more effective if you leave sufficient space so that dishes are not touching.
Use rinse aid. Some detergents already have this but even if the brand you use says it does, adding a little extra to the dishwasher will do no harm. 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 therefore making them dry more quickly and evenly.
Open your dishwasher as soon as the cycle has ended. Some newer models have this as an automatic function, but many do not, thus, opening the machine at the end of the program can help allow the water to evaporate and prevent water droplets forming as the appliance cools down.
Check if your machine employs a heat feature and use it. The higher the heat the better the drying and you could be able to choose which points in the cycle you increase the temperature.
Unload the bottom rack before the top. 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 this trouble shooting guide hasn’t worked it could be a good idea to phone an engineer or perhaps replace your dishwasher.