Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It turns out getting your plates dry may really be harder for your machine than getting them clean. Plates and cups have multiple crevices that could pool water preventing it from evaporating, plus as your dishwasher loses heat water droplets form from the steam.

Dishwashers also utilize a number of means to dry your crockery and cutlery. Some opt for a heating coil to warm the inside of the dishwasher and assist with evaporation, some heat the water to a higher temperature near the final rinse, some employ a fan, and others use a mix of all of these. There are thus a variety of reasons why your machine may not be drying plates optimally and a number of options to rectify the situation.

Plastic items are more difficult to dry than other materials as it doesn’t retain heat in the same way which helps with the drying process, so it’s worth noting 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 employ this troubleshooting guide to figure out what the issue is and with any luck fix it.

Top Explanations Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Dishes

Few things are more frustrating than an appliance that doesn’t work as it should, regardless of whether its a smartphone, air conditioner or dishwasher we expect them to do the job they were made for. If you open the dishwasher to wet plates here are a few troubleshooting tips to help you figure out why.

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

Have a Look at How Your Dishwasher Has Been Loaded

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the machine. Before assuming the dishwasher is broken you should first check that you haven’t overloaded it or accidentally stacked items one inside the other. Also be aware that plastics are more difficult to dry than metal, glass or ceramics.

Check The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Your machine needs rinse aid to properly dry your dishes therefore, if you have run out of rinse aid or your rinse aid dispenser is faulty this can stop your plates coming out properly dry.

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

Have a Look at The Heating Coil

Without enough heat your dishes will not dry so a not working heating element could be the explanation your machine is not drying crockery and cutlery. If your dishes don’t feel hot at the end of the cycle this can be a good indicator that the heating element is broken.

To check the heating coil you will need to disconnect the appliance, 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 ensures your appliance doesn’t overheat, regulating the temperature of the water and the drying part of the cycle. However, if it’s faulty this can mean your appliance doesn’t heat up at all.

If the heating coil seems to be in working order but there’s still no heat, then the thermostat could be the problem. Again you can test this using a multimeter.

Check The Drying Fan and Vent

Many dishwashers will employ a drying fan and vent to remove the warm moist air out of the machine. If the fan isn’t operating as is should or the vent is blocked then the hot air will condense on the plates instead leaving them wet.

You can utilize your instruction manual to ascertain if your machine uses a fan and find its location. Don’t forget to double check the machine is unplugged before trying to access the fan.

First visually inspect the fan and vent to ascertain if anything is blocking it that could stop it from functioning as it is supposed to. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Tips to Boost Drying Power

There are a variety of methods you can use to improve how well your dishwasher dries your dishes and prevent you needing to dry them by hand as infrequently as possible.

Allow ample space between plates. Overcrowding the appliance stops the flow of air and water decreasing the effectiveness of your appliance 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 sufficient space so that plates are not touching.
Utilize rinse aid. Some dishwasher tablets include a rinse aid but even if the brand you use says it does, adding a little extra to the machine will do no harm. Rinse aid helps reduce spotting and gives your glassware in particular 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 allowing them to dry faster.
Open your machine as soon as the program has ended. Some new models have this as an automatic option, but many do not, thus, opening the dishwasher when the cycle finishes allows warm air to evaporate thus stopping water condensing on the dishes as the machine cools down.
Find out if your machine employs a heat feature and make sure it’s turned on. Setting a higher heat will lead to better drying times and it might be possible to choose which points in the program you increase the temperature.
Empty the lower level first. This doesn’t affect how effective your machine is, but it prevent and water spilling that has collected in the concave bottoms of cups and glasses.

If you have checked all the above it may be a good idea to call in an engineer or even buy a new dishwasher.