Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It may not be the primary function but getting your plates dry could actually be more arduous for your machine than cleaning them. Plates and glassware have multiple crevices that can trap water making it more difficult for it to evaporate, thus as your appliance loses heat water droplets form out of the steam.

Different machines also utilize a variety of different approaches to get your dishes dry. Some opt for a heating element to heat up the inside of the machine and assist the water to evaporate, some heat the water further nearing the end of the cycle, some use a fan, and some have a mix of all of these. There are thus a number of explanations why your dishwasher could not be drying dishes fully and a variety of options to improve the situation.

Plastic is more difficult to dry than other materials as it cools down more quickly hindering the drying process, so it’s worth seeing whether the drying issue is related to the material rather than the machine.

If your dishwasher isn’t drying properly you can hire a dishwasher repair service or first employ this troubleshooting guide to figure out what the issue is and with any luck fix it.

Top Reasons Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Crockery and Cutlery

There is nothing more annoying than an appliance that doesn’t work as it’s meant to, regardless of whether its a smartphone, air conditioner or dishwasher we expect them to do the job they were designed for. If you open your dishwasher to discover wet plates there are a few places you can look to help you figure out why.

Not all dishwashers are built to the same spec and some makes and models do a better job of drying your dishes than others. However, if if your dishwasher has always dried your crockery and cutlery in the past one of these issues may be the problem.

Inspect the Placement of Your Plates

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the appliance. Before assuming the appliance is broken you should first check that you haven’t overfilled it or accidentally stacked items one inside the other. Also be aware 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 plates therefore, 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 rinse aid dispenser for cracks and ensure that it’s full.

Have a Look at The Heating Element

Without enough heat your plates will not dry so a not working heating coil may be the reason your machine is not drying dishes. If your dishes aren’t hot at the end of the cycle this can mean that the heating coil isn’t working as it should.

To inspect the heating element you will need to unplug the dishwasher, find the heating element, you might need the owners manual to do this, and use a multimeter to check it’s working.

Check the Thermostat

The thermostat ensures your appliance doesn’t overheat, determining the heat of the water and air during drying. Therefore, if it’s broken this can mean your dishwasher doesn’t heat up at all.

If you check the heating coil and do not discover an issue but there’s still no heat, then the thermostat might be at fault. Again you can test this using a multimeter.

Inspect The Drying Fan and Vent

Many appliances will use a drying fan and vent to suck moist air from the machine. If the fan isn’t operating as is should or the vent is blocked then the hot air will form droplets on the crockery and cutlery instead leaving them wet.

You can use your instruction manual to ascertain if your machine has a fan and find its location. Again you need to ensure the machine is disconnected before attempting to access the fan.

First look at the fan and vent to check if anything is blocking it that might stop it from working as it should. If there is nothing obvious you can then test for continuity using a multimeter.

Ways to Increase Drying Capability

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

Don’t overcrowd the machine. Overfilling the appliance inhibits the flow of both water and air decreasing the effectiveness of your dishwasher when it comes to both washing and drying your dishes. Although it’s tempting to try and stuff everything in, you will get better results if you leave enough space so that crockery and cutlery are not touching.
Utilize rinse aid. Some detergents already have this but even if the brand you use says it does, adding a little extra to the dishwasher will do no harm. 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 your appliance as soon as the cycle has finished. Some new dishwashers have this as an automatic function, but if yours doesn’t, opening the door when the cycle completes can help allow the water to evaporate thus preventing water droplets forming as the dishwasher cools down.
Have a look to see if your machine employs a heat feature and make sure it’s turned on. The higher the temperature the better the drying and you may be able to add more heat at different points in the cycle.
Think about how you empty your dishwasher. 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 crockery and cutlery below.

If you have checked all the above it might be necessary to call in the professionals or even replace your dishwasher.