Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It may not be the primary function but drying your dishes may in actual fact be more arduous for your dishwasher than removing the dirt. Plates and glasses have lots of crevices that can collect water making it more difficult for it to evaporate, plus as your appliance cools water condenses out of the steam.

Dishwashers also utilize a variety of different methods to dry your crockery and cutlery. Certain models will have a heating coil to heat up the inside of the dishwasher and assist with evaporation, some heat the water further nearing the final rinse, some employ a fan, and some use a mix of all of these. There are consequently a variety of explanations why your dishwasher might not be drying crockery and cutlery optimally and a number of things you can do to improve the situation.

Plastic is 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 enlist the help of a dishwasher repair service or first employ this troubleshooting guide to figure out what the problem is and with any luck fix it.

Top Explanations Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Crockery and Cutlery

There is nothing more frustrating than a home appliance that isn’t working 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 number of places you can look to help you figure out the issue.

Not all makes and models are created equal and some appliances perform to a superior standard compared to others. But if you notice a change in how well your machine is working one of these issues might be the problem.

Have a Look at How Your Dishwasher Has Been Loaded

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the machine. Before assuming the dishwasher is not working you should look at how it has been loaded, ensuring it isn’t overloaded. It’s also worth noting that plastics don’t dry as well as metal, glass or ceramics.

Have a Look at The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Your machine needs rinse aid to properly dry your dishes thus, if you’ve forgotten to top up or your rinse aid dispenser is not working this can stop your crockery and cutlery coming out properly dry.

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

Have a Look at The Heating Coil

Heat is essential for drying your plates so a broken heating element could be the explanation your machine is not drying crockery and cutlery. If your plates aren’t hot to touch at the end of the cycle this can be a good indicator that the heating element isn’t working as it should.

To check the heating coil first disconnect the dishwasher, then find the heating element, you might need the owners manual for this, then check for continuity using a multimeter.

Have a Look at the Thermostat

The thermostat prevents your dishwasher overheating, determining the temperature of the water and the drying part of the cycle. However, if it’s broken this can result in your appliance not reaching a high enough temperature.

If you check the heating coil and do not discover an issue but your machine isn’t getting hot, then the thermostat might 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 appliances will use a fan and vent to remove the warm moist air from the dishwasher. If either of these elements are faulty then the water vapor will remain in the dishwasher preventing the dishes from drying.

You can utilize your instruction manual to check if your machine has a fan and find its location. Don’t forget to double check the appliance is unplugged before attempting to make repairs.

You can look at the fan and vent to check if there is anything lodged that would stop it from working correctly. If there is nothing obvious you can then test for continuity using a multimeter.

Tips to Boost Drying Ability

There are a variety of methods you can use to boost your appliances effectiveness at drying and prevent you needing to dry them by hand as little as possible.

Allow ample space between plates. Overloading the machine limits the flow of both water and air decreasing the effectiveness of your appliance when it comes to both cleaning and drying your dishes. It could be tempting to cram in as much as possible but your appliance will be more effective if you leave sufficient space so that crockery and cutlery are not touching.
Make use of rinse aid. Some dishwasher tablets already have this but even so, adding a little extra to the appliance can only improve matters. 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 machines have this as an automatic function, but if yours doesn’t, opening the machine when the cycle completes can help allow the water to evaporate and stop water condensing on the dishes as the machine cools down.
Find out if your machine employs a heat feature and use it. The higher the temperature the better the drying and you may be able to choose which points in the program you add more heat.
Think about how you unload your machine. 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 none of the above solves the problem it could be a good idea to call in the professionals or even replace your machine.