Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It turns out drying your dishes may really be harder for your machine than getting them clean. Dishes and glasses have lots of crevices that may collect dishwater making it more difficult for it to evaporate, and as your dishwasher cools down water droplets form out of the humid air.

Different machines also utilize a number of different means to get your plates dry. Some will use a heating element to warm the inside of the machine and help the water to evaporate, some heat up the water more nearing the final rinse, others employ a fan, and others have a mix of all three. There are therefore a number of explanations why your dishwasher could not be drying plates optimally and a number of things you can do to rectify 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 dishes are coming out wet you can hire a dishwasher repair service or first use this troubleshooting list to help you identify and rectify the problem.

Top Explanations Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Crockery and Cutlery

There is nothing more annoying than a home appliance that doesn’t work 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 few troubleshooting tips to help you figure out why.

Not all makes and models are built to the same spec and you will find that some appliances perform to a superior standard compared to others. However, if you notice a change in how well your machine is working one of these issues could be the cause.

Inspect the Placement of Your Dishes

It might be that there is no fault with the machine. Before assuming the dishwasher is faulty you should first check that you haven’t overfilled it or accidentally stacked items one inside the other. It’s also worth noting that plastic items don’t dry as well as metal, glass or ceramics.

Have a Look at 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 the rinse aid dispenser is faulty this can mean wet dishes at the end of the cycle.

Visually check the dispenser for cracks and ensure that it’s full.

Inspect The Heating Coil

Heat is essential for drying your dishes so a faulty heating element could be the explanation your appliance is not working as it should. If your crockery and cutlery don’t feel hot when they come out of the machine this can mean that the heating element is faulty.

To inspect the heating coil first unplug the appliance, then find the heating element, you may need the manual for this, and use a multimeter to check it’s working.

Inspect the Thermostat

The thermostat ensures your appliance doesn’t overheat, regulating the heat of the water and air during drying. Therefore, if it’s not working this can result in your machine not reaching a high enough temperature.

If the heating element appears to be in working order but your appliance isn’t getting hot, then the thermostat may be at fault. Again you can make sure using a multimeter.

Have a Look at The Fan and Vent

Many machines will utilize a drying fan and vent to suck moist air out of the appliance. If the fan isn’t operating as is should or the vent is blocked then the steam will remain in the dishwasher preventing the crockery and cutlery from drying.

You can utilize your manual to check if your appliance uses a fan and locate it. Don’t forget to ensure the machine is unplugged before trying to make repairs.

First visually inspect the fan and vent to see if there is anything lodged that could prevent it from functioning as it is supposed to. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Ways to Boost Drying Power

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

Don’t cram the dishwasher. Overloading 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 could be appealing to cram everything in 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 dishwasher tablets already have this but even if the brand you use says it does, adding a separate rinse aid to the dishwasher won’t hurt. Rinse aid works by breaking the bond between water molecules and your plates, 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 do this automatically, but many do not, thus, opening the door at the end of the program can help allow the water to evaporate thus stopping water condensing on the contents as the machine cools down.
Check if your machine uses a heat feature and use 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 before the top. This doesn’t affect how effective your dishwasher is, but it does prevent water from cups and glasses falling on dishes below.

If none of the above solves the problem it could be necessary to call in the professionals or even replace your dishwasher.