A homeowner's hands lifting the cylindrical filter out of the floor of an open dishwasher tub.

Checks you can make yourself

Troubleshooting
guides.

The checks an owner can safely make, and the point where going further is no longer wise.

(844) 430-4286

Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm

Three guides
Read before you book
Says where to stop

Book a visit

Three short steps, about a minute.

or call (844) 430-4286

Troubleshooting,
guide by guide.

These guides are the hands-on part of the site: the checks an owner can make with a flashlight, a towel and ten or fifteen minutes. Most of them never go further than the tub floor, the sink cabinet and the breaker panel.

All 18 guides

A built-in dishwasher in a US home kitchen with its door slightly open and the open sink cabinet beside it showing the supply valve, a flashlight resting on the counter.

5-minute read

Five checks before you call for dishwasher repair

Power, the door lock, the supply valve, the filter and the drain path, in about fifteen minutes with no tools.

The open tub of a built-in dishwasher in a US home kitchen with the lower rack removed and a cylindrical mesh filter resting on a towel beside the sump.

4-minute read

Clean the filter first: the ten-minute fix

Where the filter sits on each type, how to remove and rinse it without tearing the mesh, and how often it needs doing.

The open door of a built-in dishwasher in a US home kitchen with a flashlight beam lighting a small blank rating label on the side edge of the tub.

4-minute read

Find your dishwasher's model number

The label hides on the tub or door edge, visible only with the door open, and it unlocks the manual, the parts and any recall.

Checks you can make yourself.

They also cover the practical groundwork that makes any repair faster, such as finding the model label on a built-in, a panel-ready model, a drawer or a compact, and keeping the filter clean enough that it is never the reason a load fails.

Each guide ends with a clear line on where to stop. Wiring behind the toe kick, the supply connection under a built-in and anything that means sliding the machine out of its opening are left to a technician.

Not sure where to start?

The short answerFive checks before you call for dishwasher repair

This dishwasher troubleshooting checklist covers five things an owner can check safely: power at the breaker and the plug or switch, the door latch and control lock, the hot water valve under the sink, the filter, and the drain path through the disposal and air gap.

The short answerClean the filter first: the ten-minute fix

Knowing how to clean a dishwasher filter covers most wash and drain complaints.

The short answerFind your dishwasher's model number

The usual dishwasher model number location is a rating label on the edge of the tub or door, seen only with the door open: on the left or right side of the tub frame, along the top edge of the door, or on the inner door liner.

When reading
is not enough.

If the checks in these guides did not settle it, the visit picks up from there, stop by stop.

What repairs cost

01Find the cause
02Price it first
03The part
04Fix and run a cycle

The problems
these answer.

Each has a page of its own, with the causes in the order worth checking.

All 17 problems

A close view of a dishwasher's top-edge control panel with the door slightly ajar and the buttons unlit.

Problem

Dishwasher Not Starting

5 causes, cheapest first

The inside of a US kitchen sink cabinet showing a chrome hot-water shutoff valve with a braided line running toward the dishwasher, a hand turning the valve handle.

Problem

Dishwasher Not Filling With Water

5 causes, cheapest first

An open dishwasher with the lower rack pulled out and cloudy gray water standing across the bottom of the stainless tub around the filter.

Problem

Dishwasher Not Draining

6 causes, cheapest first

A close view of a finger pressing a button on a dishwasher's hidden top-edge control strip with the door tilted open, the display dark.

Problem

Dishwasher Control Panel Not Responding

5 causes, cheapest first

A family unloading clean plates from an open dishwasher together in a bright contemporary kitchen, a child handing a plate to a parent — For the heart of your home.

Questions about
troubleshooting.

Do I need tools for these checks?

Almost never. A flashlight, a soft brush and a towel cover nearly everything here, and no guide asks you to remove a panel under power.

Will these checks void anything?

Cleaning the filter, opening the supply valve or resetting a breaker is routine owner care described in every manual. Taking the machine apart is a different matter, which is why the guides stop before it.

What should I have ready if I still need a visit?

The model number from the label, a note of what the machine did and when, and anything shown on the display. Those three details shorten the first conversation.

The other
sections.

Split by what you are trying to find out rather than by which part of the appliance it concerns.

All guides

A dishwasher door open on a kitchen floor with the lower rack pulled out and a cloudy puddle in the tub.

What it is trying to tell you

Back to your everyday

Let’s get your dishwasher working again.

Three short steps online, or one call. Tell us what you are seeing and pick a window that works.

Schedule a repair Call (844) 430-4286

Troubleshooting
guides.

Troubleshooting,
guide by guide.

Five checks before you call for dishwasher repair

Clean the filter first: the ten-minute fix

Find your dishwasher's model number

Checks you can make yourself.

The short answerFive checks before you call for dishwasher repair

The short answerClean the filter first: the ten-minute fix

The short answerFind your dishwasher's model number

When reading
is not enough.