Why Is My Dishwasher Leaking From Bottom?

The dishwasher in your kitchen is meant to make things convenient for you, right? The magical machine into which you pop the dirty dishes, and out they come – all spick and span, dry, and warm. But if you need to mop up large puddles of water streaming out of a leaky dishwasher door, flooding your kitchen almost every time the appliance is in use, you know you have a problem right there with your dishwasher.

A dishwasher leaking from bottom is a nuisance in more than one way. If you notice your dishwasher leaking from bottom, you must address this issue at earliest to restore the normal functioning of the machine. Delaying the repairs of a leaking dishwasher may force you to opt for a new dishwasher altogether. Besides, you’d also have to get back your routine life to normalcy where you needn’t worry about the dishes getting washed. The good news is that sometimes a leak can be fixed through some simple DIY solutions where you needn’t call a technician and spend huge bucks just as yet. A leak can very well be a case with standard built-in dishwashers and portable countertop dishwashers. The following steps are common for both configurations and would potentially solve your concern.

What Are The Most Common Causes Of A Dishwasher Leakage?

Why do you have a leaky dishwasher? Here are the six common reasons why:

Dishwasher leaking from the door – If you see water collecting under the door of the machine, perhaps that’s where the problem lies. Check if the latch of the door has loosened up or is bent, in which case it may not latch properly, and water may be flowing out.
Leak in the dishwasher tub – If you notice your dishwasher leaking underneath, there could be a hole in the dishwasher tub. Sometimes due to regular wear, a small hole might surface in the tub of the dishwasher. Dishwashing detergents and minerals may decay the base of the tub, which may result in water getting accumulated under the appliance and the dishwasher leaking from bottom.
Valves are loose or damaged – Again, due to regular use, hoses and valves inside the machine may get loose or damaged and it may appear that your . Keep checking your drain hoses to make sure they’re all tightly connected. Also ensure that the water inlet valve isn’t stuck, in which case, water may start leaking.
Dishwasher not levelled up – A simple alignment issue may also result in flooding; check if the appliance is levelled at the floor properly. If not, you can place a level at the bottom of the machine; you can also place shims under the appliance and retake measurements to ensure that the dishwasher is perfectly levelled to avoid flooding under the unit.
Wrong choice of detergent – What is the most common cause for a dishwasher leaking? You may not have thought about this now, did you? Regular dishwashing soap in your dishwasher isn’t recommended because heavy foaming can result in a leak. This is why use detergents specifically meant for dishwasher use. You could try detergents such as Rinse Aid to help you get really clean shiny plates. If you have doubts on Rinse Aid, read our article on Rinse Aid and how to use it.
The machine is overfilled – Always check for the level of water specified on the appliance up to which it needs to be filled for each wash cycle. The unit taking in more water than it can drain out may result in a leaking problem. In this case, the water might just forcefully gush out of the machine on to the floor, causing flooding. That, the drain or the float valve may not be properly sealed. Check for such issues as well which may be the cause for a dishwasher leak.

Fixing the Dishwasher Leaks

Once you’ve identified the possible reasons for dishwasher leaks during a wash cycle, it’s time to look for a solution. Dialling up a technician for help may sound quite tempting and convenient, but it also involves a lot of money to hire a professional for the job. Sometimes the leak is because of some minor issue which can be easily fixed with a simple DIY solution.

Here are some simple DIY solutions to fix a dishwasher leak:

Before you begin, always turn off the unit if in use and close the valve located in the water supply line of the dishwasher. It might vary in different models, but usually, the shutoff valve can be found under the adjacent kitchen sink where the water supply line connects to the dishwasher appliance.
In case the door seal has worn or ripped off, replace it before using the machine again.
If the door latch has loosened up and you have a dishwasher leaking from the front, get a new latch to fix the problem.
If the leak is severe, say there’s a crack in the hose, or the valve is faulty. In this case, unplug the appliance and turn off the circuit breaker. Remove the toe kick beneath the dishwasher door to gain access to the water inlet valve, recirculation hose, drain hose, and other parts of the appliance. Replacing any faulty components may help stop the leak.
If the dishwasher isn’t levelled properly, adjust the levelling screws on the front legs of the machine with your fingers. You can also use an open-end adjustable wrench to level the dishwasher and ensure that it sits right on all its legs.
Always use low-suds dishwashing detergents specifically intended for use in the dishwasher. Using any other soap can result in a leak problem because of excessive foaming. Also, in case you prefer rinsing out the dishes with regular soap before popping them in the dishwasher, the soap residue that remains on the dishes may lead to bubbles getting formed and cause the same problem.

Conclusion

Fixing a leak isn’t always tricky because it might need replacement of faulty parts, the rubber seal, or just levelling up the appliance if it sits crooked. In rare cases, you may need to call a plumber or company technician; if the need arises, don’t hesitate either. You any more questions, you can read our dishwasher FAQs to help you with questions you may have on the dishwasher. If you still have questions, you can either comment in the comment section or send us a mail.