Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It may not be the primary function but getting your crockery and cutlery dry might really be harder for your dishwasher than getting them clean. Plates and glasses have multiple nooks and crannies that may pool dishwater making it more difficult for it to evaporate, and as your machine cools water droplets form out of the humid air.

Dishwashers also employ a variety of means to dry your plates. Certain models will employ a heating coil to heat up the air in the dishwasher and assist with evaporation, some heat up the water more near the end of the cycle, certain models employ a fan, and others make use of a mix of all of these. There are therefore a variety of reasons why your machine could not be drying plates fully and a number of things you can do to rectify the situation.

Plastic is less likely to dry fully than other materials as it doesn’t retain heat in the same way which helps with the drying process, so it’s worth seeing whether the drying issue is related to the material rather than the machine.

If dishes are coming out wet you can hire a dishwasher repair service or first use this troubleshooting list to help you identify and rectify the issue.

Top Explanations Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Plates

Few things are more annoying than an 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 removing the dirt from or drying your plates. If you open your dishwasher to discover wet plates there are a number of places you can look to help you figure out why.

Not all makes and models are created equal and you will find that some dishwashers perform to a superior standard compared to others. However, if you notice a change in how effectively your dishwasher is working one of these issues may be the problem.

Inspect the Placement of Your Crockery and Cutlery

It might be that there is no fault with the appliance. Before assuming the dishwasher is not working you should look at how it has been stacked, ensuring it isn’t overloaded. It’s also worth noting that plastic items 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 and so 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.

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

Have a Look at The Heating Element

Heat is essential for drying your dishes so a not working heating element may be the reason your appliance is not drying plates. If your crockery and cutlery don’t feel hot when they come out of the machine this can indicate that the heating coil is broken.

To check the heating element you will need to unplug the dishwasher, locate the heating element, you may need the manual for this, and check for continuity using a multimeter.

Inspect the Thermostat

The thermostat ensures your machine doesn’t overheat, determining the temperature of the water and the drying part of the cycle. Therefore, if it’s not working this can result in your dishwasher not heating up at all.

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

Check The Fan and Vent

Many machines will make use of a fan and vent to remove the warm moist air from the machine. If either of these elements are faulty then the steam will form droplets on the crockery and cutlery instead preventing them from drying.

You can use your user manual to find out if your appliance uses a fan and find its location. Don’t forget to make sure the dishwasher is disconnected before attempting to make repairs.

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

Tips to Boost Drying Capability

There are a number of methods you can use to increase how well your dishwasher dries your dishes and make sure you need to get the drying up cloth out as little as possible.

Allow ample space between dishes. Overfilling the dishwasher stops the flow 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 stuff everything in, you will get better results if you leave enough space so that water and air can circulate freely.
Make use of rinse aid. Some detergents already have this but even so, adding a little extra to the appliance won’t hurt. 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 dishes helping the water to run off them and consequently allowing them to dry faster.
Open your appliance as soon as the cycle has completed. Some newer dishwashers do this automatically, but many do not, thus, opening the dishwasher when the program completes allows warm air to evaporate and stop water condensing on the contents as the dishwasher cools down.
Check if your machine employs a heat feature and make sure it’s turned on. Setting a higher heat will result in improved drying times and you could be able to choose which points in the cycle 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 plates below.

If you have checked all the above it may be necessary to phone the professionals or perhaps upgrade your machine.