Help My Dishwasher Won’t Start!
A dishwasher might be a luxury appliance and yes there’s always the traditional hand washing in the sink to fall back on but still, you didn’t buy a dishwasher just to look at it, did you? So, what do you do if your dishwasher just won’t start?
Well first things first you need to identify the problem and that can be tricky, it might not be instantly obverse what the problem with your dishwasher is. And remember even if you can identify the problem you should probably call in our professional dishwasher repair engineer to handle any complex repairs for you.
Let’s take a look at the more common reasons why your dishwasher won’t start and remember with all these checks make sure there is no power to your dishwasher before you start searching.
Problems With The Door
Your dishwasher’s door can be the cause of many problems and if you find yourself facing a dishwasher that won’t start then you should check out the door first. If there’s a problem with the latch or switch that’s stopping the door closing, then your dishwasher won’t start.
Inspect the door closely to see if anything has come loose, if you want to examine the door latch more closely you’ll need to unscrew the inner door panel. Be careful if you decide to do this because it can be easy to cause more damage accidentally. If you really want to be 100% safe call in a Repair Aid technician to check it for you.
The Drive Motor
The drive motor might sound extreme but it’s just the name given to the motor that circulates water inside the dishwasher. A defective drive motor is a more common problem than many people think and is usually simple to replace.
If you have a multi-meter you can test the drive motor yourself but a more obverse sign that the motor is the problem with your dishwasher is the presence of a loud, humming noise that comes through the machine when you try to power on.
The Timer/ Control Panel
There are many different models of dishwasher available and one of the biggest differences you’ll see between newer and older models is the timer it could be a manual one or a more advanced automatic electronic control panel.
These do more than just tell you the time left in a cycle they are responsible for powering the motor in the drain pump. Listen carefully if you don’t hear the pump then it’s possible there could be an issue with the timer or control panel.
If you notice the timer is taking longer or finishing early, then that’s also a sign of a potential problem. More advanced models of dishwasher will also usually display an error code that you can check in your instructions manual as well. Problems with the timer/ control panel are usually very complex so repairs and tests should only be carried out by professional dishwasher repair engineer.
The Fuse and Thermal Fuse
A dishwasher is no different than any other electronic appliance by meaning it as fuse in its plug. So, if you suddenly find yourself with a dishwasher that won’t power on then replace the fuse and see what happens. It’s a common solution that can surprisingly fix a lot of problems so make sure you try replacing the fuse.
The thermal fuse, however, is a little more complicated, this fuse can be found in some more modern dishwasher models. The thermal fuse is on the control board of the machine and can be checked using a multi-meter however it’s highly recommended that you call in a professional to handle this for you.
The Selector Switch
It might seem strange but the fact that a switch hasn’t been fully depressed can cause a lot of problems with a dishwasher. The selector switch is what you use to scroll through different washing cycles, but it’s also used in the dishwasher’s fill circuit as well.
A lot of issues can cause the selector switch to not work including the fact that it’s not properly depressed. If you’re lucky simply pushing the switch again might be enough to fix this problem but it will likely need to be disassembled or possibly replaced altogether.
If there’s an internal issue with the selector switch, then you’ll need to call in a dishwasher repair engineer to test it and then fix the issue. While they can be tested using a multi-meter, other repairs are more complex and should only be done by an experienced professional.
Contact Repair Aid
Don't hesitate to reach out to our friendly customer service team for advice or to schedule your dishwasher repair with one of our skilled engineers: 020 7183 6944
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