What To Do If Your Dishwasher Won’t Start?

So Your Dishwasher Won’t Turn On?

 

In this article we will give you some suggestions of things to try if you find that your dishwasher will not start.  The first thing you should test with your dishwasher and any other appliance in your home that will not turn on, is to see if the appliance is getting power, so first try to see if it is plugged in, if it is then take a look at the breaker and fuses.  Your dishwasher will not work if any of the above is not working or damaged.  Now you have to be careful when it comes to checking the power supply of a dishwasher, because unlike your other appliances a dishwasher is typically directly wired into your house’s wiring.  For safety concerns we always assume that an appliance that is plugged in is indeed getting some power, even if it is not turning on.

 

Common problems encountered when your dishwasher doesnt start:

 

 

Faulty door latch

Another thing that could prevent your dishwasher from starting is the door latch, the main purpose of the latch is it is designed to prevent water from leaking out from the door, but it also works with the door switches to shut the machine off if and when the door is open. It’s important to know that even if the door is closed all the way, it may not depress the door switch completely, to depress the door switch you will need to close the door tightly and to do so you will need to activate the latch.

An electrical connection is only made when the door is completely closed and then latched; once that is done then the machine can now operate. The door switch is about an inch in size and it has these metal prongs on it which are referred to as terminals, these terminals can sometimes get corroded after months or years of being in contact with water, as a result this can cause a low electrical connection, which could be the cause of why your dishwasher is not turning on, as a result of the door not being completely closed.

Another problem to check for is to see if the door latch is properly aligned with the catch, if not the machine won’t start, as the machine will think that the door is still open.  To check the door switch for continuity, you can use an ohm meter, before you check though, make sure the power is turned off, and then take out the wires in the switch terminal, now you can begin checking for a closed circuit with a closed door and an activated latch.

What if my dishwasher wont fill with water?

If you have power to your appliance but it won’t fill with water, then you should check the fill valve, then check the inlet to see if there is water pressure there and also that the inlet is securely plugged in.  Take your volt meter and check the voltage of both terminals, be careful though because in this case you have power going to the unit, so if you are not cautious you could get shocked.  You will know that you have a defective valve if you have voltage present.  If the valve terminals return no line voltage, then your next step is to check the continuity in the float switch and also the electronic control or timer for output voltage.  Depending on your specific model it’s the electronic control or timer that is responsible for controlling the individual components in your machine, like your motor, inlet fill valve, soap dispenser, heater and drain pump.

Electronic control or timer malfunctioning necessitates dishwasher repair

This is why you could experience a wide range of problems if your electronic control or timer is malfunctioning and preventing it from starting.  The timer control is responsible for how much power is sent to each component of your dishwasher and if these components don’t get the power they need, then they will not function.

How to fix a dishwasher that won’t start – Bad cycle selector

Another thing that could be causing your machine to not start is a problem with your cycle selector switch; you use this switch to tell the machine to wash, dry or to set the temperature of the water.  You can do a simple check with your cycle selector switch to make sure that it is not stuck in between one of the machines settings.  This is more common with units that use buttons, so also check to see if  more than one button is pressed in at the same time as this will create a no continuity situation for your switch.

What to do if the dishwasher fills with water, but won’t run?

If it fills, but won’t start and you hear a humming sound, then you should check the motor for the pump, there could be something stuck within the pump or its motor, to check the pump simply remove the pump cover and the filter assembly, once that is removed you should be able to see if any foreign objects are there that could prevent the pump or motor from operating.

Other Common Dishwasher Wont Start Related Problems

A lot of issues could be causing your dishwasher to not start or not getting power and may include but are not limited to the following:

  • thermal fuse
  • control panel
  • door panel
  • circuit breaker
  • water inlet valve
  • power to the dishwasher
  • timer or electronic control
  • dishwasher door
  • drain pump
  • power supply
  • motor start

You have just read the most common dishwasher repair service problems that would cause a dishwasher to not start, you can use these troubleshooting methods if you are going to attempt repairs on the following brands:

  • Bosch
  • Whirlpool
  • Miele
  • GE
  • Maytag
  • Frigidaire

And if just seems like too much or you have tried to fix it, but still the dishwasher wont work, then do an online search to find a local dishwasher repairman that can diagnose the problem for you.

Other Considerations For Dishwasher Repair

If you have a kenmore dishwasher dishwasher not starting and would like to try fixing it, make sure to use the owners manual. finding your model is key are there are thousands of models out there, so you have to know the dishwasher model you want to fix an issue on. If your kenmore elite dishwasher will not run, the solution won’t be exactly same as that of a whirlpool dishwasher. Some fixes are just simple and may just require you to reset the dishwasher. But if you have to do any other inspection then start by unplugging the dishwasher, then after that follow the instructions in the owner’s manual to start your repair on dishwasher that won’t start, won’t drain or has other problems like with the wash cycles.

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