Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes? | Vista Appliance Repair

It may not be the primary function but getting your plates dry could in actual fact be more arduous for your dishwasher than removing the dirt. Dishes and cups have multiple crevices that could trap dishwater making it more difficult for it to evaporate, thus as your appliance loses heat water condenses out of the steam.

Different machines also employ a number of methods to get your dishes dry. Certain models opt for a heating coil to warm the inside of the machine and assist the water to evaporate, some warm the water to a higher temperature nearing the end of the cycle, some use a fan, and some have a combination of all three. There are consequently a number of explanations why your machine may not be drying crockery and cutlery fully and a variety of things you can do 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 properly you can call a dishwasher repair service or first make use of this troubleshooting list to help you identify and rectify the problem.

Top Explanations Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Dishes

Few things are more annoying 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 removing the dirt from or drying your dishes. If you open the dishwasher to wet plates here are a few troubleshooting tips to help you figure out the issue.

Not all dishwashers are built to the same spec and you will find that some makes and models perform to a superior standard compared to others. However, if if your dishwasher has always dried your plates in the past one of these issues could be the problem.

Inspect the Placement of Your Plates

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the appliance. Before assuming the appliance is not working you should look at how it has been stacked, 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 dishwasher needs rinse aid to properly dry your plates therefore, if you’ve forgotten to top up or the rinse aid dispenser is faulty this can stop your crockery and cutlery coming out properly dry.

The best thing to do is check the dispenser for damage and ensure that it’s full.

Check The Heating Element

Without enough heat your plates will not dry so a not working heating element could be the reason your appliance is not working as it should. If your plates aren’t hot when they come out of the machine this can indicate that the heating element is broken.

To check the heating coil you will need to unplug the appliance, find the heating coil, you could need the manual for this, and check for continuity using a multimeter.

Check the Thermostat

The thermostat ensures your appliance doesn’t get 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 fault but your machine isn’t getting hot, then the thermostat may be at fault. Once again you can make sure using a multimeter.

Inspect The Drying Fan and Vent

Many dishwashers will use a drying fan and vent to remove the warm moist air out of the dishwasher. If either of these elements are broken then the hot air will condense on the dishes instead leaving them wet.

You can utilize your user manual to ascertain if your machine has a fan and find its location. Again you need to ensure the machine is unplugged before attempting to make repairs.

First visually inspect the fan and vent to ascertain if anything is blocking it that would prevent it from working correctly. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Tips to Increase Drying Capability

There are a variety of things you can do to improve your machines effectiveness at drying and prevent you needing to dry them by hand as little as possible.

Allow sufficient space between plates. Overcrowding the appliance inhibits the circulation of both water and air decreasing the effectiveness of your machine when it comes to both cleaning and drying your dishes. Although it’s appealing to try and cram everything in, your machine will be more effective if you leave enough space so that water and air can circulate freely.
Utilize rinse aid. Some dishwasher tablets already have this but even if the brand you use says it does, adding a separate rinse aid to the appliance won’t hurt. 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 new models do this automatically, but many do not, thus, opening the dishwasher when the cycle finishes can help allow the water to escape thus preventing water condensing on the contents as the machine cools down.
Have a look to see if your dishwasher employs a heat feature and make sure it’s turned on. Setting a higher heat will lead to improved drying times and you could be able to choose which points in the program you add more heat.
Empty the lower level before the top. This doesn’t affect how effective your dishwasher is, but it does stop water from cups and glasses falling on dishes below.

If none of the above solves the problem it may be time to phone an engineer or perhaps buy a new dishwasher.