Discovering your dishwasher is broken is never going to be the best part of your day, particularly if you have to deal with the cost of phoning a professional plus staying home to let them in just to diagnose the fault.
Luckily it’s very feasible to diagnose and often fix plenty of machine issues alone without having to call for dishwasher repair, particularly if you have a multimeter.
You may realize you can resolve the problem quite easily by yourself, especially if you are quite handy, and if you can’t at worst you will be better placed to describe the problem when you do phone a repair person.
Before you start searching for a replacement dishwasher there are a number of common issues you should be able to troubleshoot fairly easily.
Safety Warning: Always make sure your dishwasher is unplugged before attempting repairs.
Before you begin investigating your machine for problems make sure that your machine hasn’t been accidentally switched off, as well as that there are no tripped switches in the circuit breaker.
This is also an opportune moment to check if the child lock hasn’t been activated and try resetting your dishwasher.
You will probably need the user guide to do this due to the fact that machines vary however the child lock tends to be fairly simple to activate inadvertently. Similarly, the dishwasher could have lights however will not start, in this case the answer could be as simple as resetting the program.
Once you have ruled out these issues you can start the real troubleshooting.
To test these electrical components you will need a multimeter, or VOM (volt-ohm-milliammeter) to measure the resistance as well as test the components are working as they should.
The initial thing to check is the door latches plus door latch switches. Your dishwasher is designed not to start if the door latches are broken for understandable reasons. You wouldn’t want to be able to accidentally start the dishwasher with the door ajar.
A broken switch will stop your dishwasher from starting and operating. You can test the switch with a multimeter. The switch is generally found under the front door panel or control panel.
Make sure you have disconnected power to the machine before taking off the door panel and testing for continuity to prevent yourself from getting an electric shock.
If you discover the latches or switches are not working you will need a replacement door latch assembly.
If your latch mechanism is operating as it should the next thing to test is the timer or electronic control.
This is the component that sends power to all the other components the machine requires to run including the pumps, as well as the valves.
If your dishwasher is controlled electronically rather than mechanically then it might need to be tested while live, in which case you should call an engineer.
The selector switch is the part of the dishwasher that chooses the cycle , it’s style and location will vary depending on the make and model of your machine. A faulty selector switch or even one that has not been fully engaged might cause the machine not to run.
You can usually see if the buttons are depressing fully, or you might have to disconnect the machine and access the control panel to check the connections for continuity with the help of a multimeter.
The motor relay is an alternative part that can result in your machine not running, so this could be the fault if you have checked the control panel and thus have ascertained that there is power going to the motor.
To check if this is the case you need to find the motor as well as locate the relay that should be mounted next to it. This can then be taken out as well as checked using a multimeter, if faulty you may have to replace it.
If you have tested the above issues and are still looking for the fault the next part to check would be the thermal fuse. This will only be found on some models and is there to stop the control board overheating.
If the fuse is blown it will need to be replaced in order to restore power to the control board.
The final part of the machine you could check that might prevent your machine from operating is the drive motor. This is the part of the machine that circulates the water to wash your dishes.
When you have tested the other components yet still aren’t getting anywhere this might be the culprit particularly if you noticed a loud humming coming from the machine.
You should be able to access the motor by taking off the lower access panel. Check it by using a multimeter then replace if not working.
Not everyone has a multimeter, or would know how to use one even if they do, in which case you will need to call a professional sooner rather than later.
If you do have a multimeter and can perform the above checks then you may well be able to sort out the problem without assistance. However if you are not sure it might be easier to contact an engineer.
Plus have a look at your insurance as well as your home cover as appliance repairs might be covered meaning the costs could not be as high as you think.
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