Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It may not be the primary function but getting your plates dry might in actual fact be more arduous for your dishwasher than cleaning them. Crockery and cutlery and glassware have lots of nooks and crannies that may pool water preventing it from drying out, plus as your dishwasher cools water condenses out of the steam.

Different machines also utilize a number of different methods to dry your dishes. Certain models will use a heating element to warm the air in the machine and assist with evaporation, some heat up the water further nearing the final rinse, certain models use a fan, and certain models make use of a combination of all of these. There are consequently a variety of explanations why your dishwasher may not be drying plates fully and a number of options 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 taking note whether the items that aren’t drying are predominantly plastic items.

If your dishwasher isn’t drying effectively you can hire a dishwasher repair service or first use this troubleshooting list to help you identify and rectify the issue.

Top Explanations Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Crockery and Cutlery

Few things are more frustrating than a home 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 cleaning or drying your dishes. If you open your dishwasher to discover wet plates there are a few troubleshooting tips to help you figure out the problem.

Not all dishwashers are built to the same spec and some dishwashers do a better job of drying your crockery and cutlery than others. But if if your dishwasher has always dried your dishes in the past one of these faults might be the cause.

Inspect the Placement of Your Plates

It might be that there is no fault with the appliance. Before assuming the machine is not working 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.

Have a Look at 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 stop your plates coming out properly dry.

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

Have a Look at The Heating Element

Without enough heat your plates will not dry so a faulty heating coil might be the explanation your dishwasher is not working as it should. If your crockery and cutlery don’t feel hot to touch at the end of the cycle this can indicate that the heating coil isn’t working as it should.

To check the heating element first unplug the appliance, then find the heating element, you might need the instruction manual to do this, then check for continuity using a multimeter.

Check the Thermostat

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

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

Have a Look at The Drying Fan and Vent

Many machines will employ a fan and vent to suck moist air from the dishwasher. If either of these elements are faulty then the steam will form droplets on the crockery and cutlery instead leaving them wet.

You can make use of your manual to check if your dishwasher has a fan and find its location. Again you need to make sure the machine is unplugged before attempting to make repairs.

You can look at the fan and vent to check if anything is blocking it that would stop it from working as it should. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Ways to Increase Drying Ability

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

Allow sufficient space between dishes. Overloading the machine limits the flow of air and water decreasing the effectiveness of your appliance when it comes to both washing and drying your dishes. It could be appealing to stuff everything in but your appliance will be more effective if you leave sufficient space so that dishes are not touching.
Employ rinse aid. Some detergents 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 helps reduce spotting and gives your glasses a streak-free shine but it also breaks the bond between water molecules and your dishes helping the water to run off them and therefore allowing them to dry faster.
Open your machine as soon as the program has finished. Some new machines do this automatically, but many do not, thus, opening the door when the program finishes can help allow the water to evaporate thus preventing water droplets forming as the machine cools down.
Find out if your dishwasher employs a heat feature and make sure it’s turned on. Setting a higher temperature will result in better drying times and it may be possible to choose which points in the program you increase the temperature.
Unload the bottom rack first. 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 you have checked all the above it may be time to phone an engineer or even buy a new dishwasher.