Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It may not be the primary function but drying your dishes might actually be harder for your dishwasher than cleaning them. Plates and cups have lots of nooks and crannies that can trap water making it more difficult for it to dry out, plus as your dishwasher cools water droplets form out of the steam.

Dishwashers also utilize a number of different methods to dry your plates. Some opt for a heating element to warm the air in the dishwasher and help with evaporation, some heat the water further approaching the final rinse, others have a fan, and others employ a combination of all three. There are consequently a variety of reasons why your machine might not be drying crockery and cutlery optimally 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 doesn’t retain heat in the same way which helps with the drying process, so it’s worth noting whether the items that aren’t drying are predominantly plastic items.

If dishes are coming out wet you can call a dishwasher repair service or first make use of this troubleshooting list to figure out what the problem is and with any luck fix it.

Top Reasons Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Crockery and Cutlery

Few things are more irritating than a home appliance that isn’t working properly, 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 cleaning or drying your crockery and cutlery. If you open your dishwasher to discover wet plates there are a number of places you can look to help you figure out the problem.

Not all makes and models are created equal and you will find that some dishwashers perform to a better standard compared to others. However, if if your dishwasher has always dried your crockery and cutlery in the past one of these areas might be the cause.

Check How Your Machine Has Been Loaded

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the machine. Before assuming the machine is not working you should look at how it has been stacked, ensuring it isn’t overloaded. Also be aware that plastic items are more difficult to dry than metal, glass or ceramics.

Inspect The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Your appliance needs rinse aid to properly dry your plates thus, if you’ve forgotten to top up or the rinse aid dispenser is broken this can result in wet crockery and cutlery at the end of the cycle.

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

Have a Look at The Heating Coil

Without enough heat your crockery and cutlery will not dry so a not working heating coil may be the explanation your dishwasher is not drying dishes. If your crockery and cutlery aren’t hot at the end of the cycle this can indicate that the heating element is broken.

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

Have a Look at the Thermostat

The thermostat prevents your dishwasher getting too hot, adjusting the temperature of the water and the drying part of the cycle. However, if it’s broken this can mean your machine doesn’t heat up at all.

If you check the heating element and do not discover an issue but there’s still no heat, then the thermostat may be at fault. Again you can make sure with the help of a multimeter.

Check The Drying Fan and Vent

Many machines will make use of a 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 water vapor will condense on the dishes instead preventing them from drying.

You can use your manual to check if your appliance has a fan and find its location. Don’t forget to double check the appliance is unplugged before trying to access the fan.

You can visually inspect the fan and vent to see if anything is blocking it that would prevent it from operating correctly. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Ways to Boost Drying Ability

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

Don’t cram the machine. Overfilling the machine inhibits the flow of air and water decreasing the effectiveness of your appliance when it comes to both washing and drying your dishes. It might be appealing to cram everything in but you will get better results if you leave enough space so that water and air can circulate freely.
Utilize rinse aid. Some detergents include a rinse aid but even if the brand you use says it does, adding a separate rinse aid to the appliance will do no harm. Rinse aid works by breaking the bond between water molecules and your dishes, 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 dishwashers have this as an automatic function, but if yours doesn’t, opening the machine when the program completes can help allow the water to evaporate thus stopping water droplets forming as the dishwasher cools down.
Find out if your machine employs a heat feature and make sure it’s turned on. Setting a higher temperature will mean improved drying times and you may be able to add more heat at different points in the program.
Think about how you empty 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 plates below.

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