Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It may not be the primary function but getting your plates dry could actually be more difficult for your dishwasher than getting them clean. Dishes and cups have lots of nooks and crannies that can collect water making it more difficult for it to dry out, plus as your appliance cools water condenses out of the humid air.

Different machines also employ a number of different methods to dry your dishes. Some will have a heating coil to warm the air in the dishwasher and assist the water to evaporate, some heat the water further nearing the final rinse, certain models employ a fan, and certain models use a mix of all of these. There are consequently a variety of explanations why your dishwasher could not be drying crockery and cutlery fully and a variety of options to improve the situation.

Plastic items are 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 your dishwasher isn’t drying properly you can call a dishwasher repair service or first employ this troubleshooting list to help you identify and rectify the issue.

Top Reasons Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Crockery and Cutlery

Few things are more annoying than an appliance that doesn’t work 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 your dishwasher to discover wet plates here are a few places you can look to help you figure out the problem.

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

Have a Look at How Your Machine Has Been Loaded

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the dishwasher. Before assuming the machine is broken you should look at how it has been stacked, ensuring it isn’t too full. It’s also worth noting that plastic items are more difficult to dry than metal, glass or ceramics.

Inspect The Rinse Aid Dispenser

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

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

Check The Heating Coil

Heat is essential for drying your crockery and cutlery so a not working heating coil may be the reason your machine is not drying plates. If your crockery and cutlery don’t feel hot to touch when they come out of the machine this can indicate that the heating element isn’t working as it should.

To check the heating coil you will need to unplug the machine, find the heating coil, you might need the owners manual for this, then check for continuity using a multimeter.

Inspect the Thermostat

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

If you check the heating element and do not uncover an issue but there’s still no heat, then the thermostat may be the issue. Again you can test this with the help of a multimeter.

Check The Fan and Vent

Many dishwashers will use a fan and vent to suck moist air out of the dishwasher. If the fan isn’t operating as is should or the vent is blocked then the steam will condense on the dishes instead leaving them wet.

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

First visually inspect the fan and vent to ascertain if there is anything lodged that would stop it from working as it is supposed to. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Ideas to Boost Drying Capability

There are a variety of things you can do to improve your dishwashers effectiveness at drying and make sure you have to hand dry as infrequently as possible.

Allow sufficient space between plates. Overcrowding the dishwasher limits the flow of both water and air decreasing the effectiveness of your dishwasher when it comes to both cleaning and drying your dishes. It may be tempting to cram in as much as possible but you will get better results if you leave enough space so that water and air can circulate freely.
Make use of rinse aid. Some detergents include a rinse aid but even if the brand you use says it does, adding a little extra to the appliance can only improve matters. 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 new dishwashers do this automatically, but if yours doesn’t, opening the dishwasher at the end of the program allows warm air to escape thus stopping water droplets forming as the appliance cools down.
Have a look to see if your machine employs a heat feature and use it. The higher the temperature the better the drying and it could be possible to add more heat at different points in the program.
Unload the lower level before the top. This doesn’t affect how well your machine works, but it stop and water spilling that has collected in the concave bottoms of cups and glasses.

If this trouble shooting guide hasn’t worked it might be time to phone an engineer or even buy a new dishwasher.