Why Won’t My Dishwasher Turn On?

Discovering your dishwasher isn’t working isn’t a great way to start your day, especially if you are also faced with the expense of calling out a repair person as well as staying home to meet them just to pinpoint the issue.

Luckily it’s very feasible to determine and even resolve many machine faults by yourself without needing to call for dishwasher repair, especially if you happen to have a multimeter.

You could realize you can resolve the issue quite easily alone, particularly if you are quite handy, and if you can’t at worst you will be better placed to describe the problem when you eventually do call a repair man.

Things To Do If Your Dishwasher Won’t Start

Before you begin searching for a replacement dishwasher there are a few common faults you can troubleshoot fairly easily.

Safety Warning: Always make sure your machine is unplugged before testing or replacing any electrical components.

Routine Dishwasher Problems That Will Prevent Your Machine From Turning On

Before you start investigating your machine for faults ensure that your dishwasher hasn’t been unplugged, and that there are no tripped switches in the circuit breaker.

At this point you may wish to also check that the child lock hasn’t been activated and try resetting your machine.

You will probably require the user manual to do this due to the fact that machines vary but the child lock is often fairly easy to activate accidentally. Similarly, the dishwasher could have lights yet will not start, in this case the answer may be as simple as resetting the cycle.

When you have ruled out these faults you can start the real troubleshooting.

1. Investigate the door latch or door latch switch.
2. Test the timer.
3. Examine the selector switch.
4. Check the motor relay.
5. Check the thermal fuse.
6. Check the drive motor.

To check these components you will have to have a multimeter, or VOM (volt-ohm-milliammeter) to measure the resistance and check the electrical components are working as they should.

Testing the Door Latch and Door Latch Switch

The first place to start is the door latches and door latch switches. Your machine is not designed to operate if these are broken for understandable reasons. There’s no way you would want start the machine without meaning to with the door not closed.

A defective switch will stop your dishwasher from turning on and operating. You can check the switch with a multimeter. The switch is generally situated behind the front door panel or control panel.

Ensure the machine is disconnected prior to removing the door panel as well as testing for continuity to prevent yourself from getting an electric shock.

If you discover the latches or switches are faulty you will need to replace them.

Testing the Timer

If the latch mechanism is operating as it should the next thing to check is the timer or electronic control.

This is the component that sends power to all the other electrical components the machine needs to operate including the pumps, as well as the water inlet valve.

If your machine is controlled electronically as opposed to mechanically then it could have to be checked while plugged in, in which case you will need to call a repair man.

Checking the Selector Switch

This is the part of your machine that selects the cycle , it’s style and location will vary contingent on the make and model of your dishwasher. A not working selector switch or even one that has not been fully depressed could result in the dishwasher not to run.

You should be able to visually check to see if the buttons are going down all the way, or you may be required to disconnect the machine in order to have a look at the control panel to check the connections for continuity with the help of a multimeter.

Checking the Motor Relay

The motor relay is another component that could cause your dishwasher not to start, and this might be the issue if you have tested the control panel and so have ascertained that there should be power running to the main pump.

To investigate this you will have to locate the motor and find the relay that should be mounted next to it. This may then be removed as well as tested with the help of a multimeter and you may have to replace it.

Checking the Thermal Fuse

Once you have investigated the above issues and are still looking for the issue the next part to test would be the thermal fuse. Note: Not all machines have a thermal fuse.

If the fuse is blown you will need to replace it in order for the control board to get power.

Checking the Drive Motor

The final component you could check that may prevent your dishwasher from operating is the drive motor. This is the part of the machine that circulates the water to wash your dishes.

Once you have tested the other electrical components and still aren’t getting anywhere this may be the culprit especially if you noticed a loud humming coming from the machine.

You can usually access the motor by removing the panel at the bottom of the machine. Test it using a multimeter and replace if not working.

When to Contact a Professional

If you don’t have a multimeter or are not confident in taking panels off your dishwasher and checking the parts then you will need to call a repair person.

If you are happy to undertake the above troubleshooting then you could well be able to resolve the problem without assistance. But if you are not sure it’s always better to contact an engineer.

And check your insurance as well as your home cover as appliance repairs may be included and so the costs might not be as high as you think.