The open door of a dishwasher with a shallow pool of grey water standing in the bottom of the tub.

Start with the symptom

Dishwasher
problems,
symptom first.

Every symptom we are called out for, traced to the causes that actually explain it — cheapest first. Start from what you are seeing rather than from what you think is broken.

(844) 430-4286

Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm

  • 17 symptoms
  • 3 need a visit now
  • Causes in cost order

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or call (844) 430-4286

Needs a visit now

A dishwasher that is letting water out, smelling hot or cutting the circuit can harm the floor, the cabinet or the wiring behind it, so these come first — each with its usual causes, cheapest first.

Water or wiring at risk

Dishwasher Leaking Water

Water on the kitchen floor during or after a cycle, from the door, the corners or underneath.

Causes, cheapest first

  1. Wrong detergent or too much of itno repair
  2. Worn or shifted door gasketlow
  3. Loose or cracked supply connectionlow
All 6 causes and what to check
Water or wiring at risk

Dishwasher Burning Smell

A hot, electrical or melted-plastic odor during a cycle, sometimes with smoke from the vent or the kick plate.

Causes, cheapest first

  1. Plastic item resting on the heating elementno repair
  2. New element burning off residueno repair
  3. Overheating wash or drain motormoderate
All 5 causes and what to check
Water or wiring at risk

Dishwasher Tripping the Breaker

The breaker or GFCI outlet cuts power at the start of a cycle, during heating or at random.

Causes, cheapest first

  1. Shared or undersized circuitno repair
  2. Heating element shorted to groundlow to moderate
  3. Water reaching wiring under the tublow to moderate
All 5 causes and what to check

Everything else we are called out for

Nothing is escaping and nothing is overheating with these, so a scheduled visit is usually fine. Each page lists what you can safely look at yourself before booking.

Dishwasher Not Draining

Dirty water stays in the bottom of the tub after the cycle ends.
6 causes

Dishwasher Not Cleaning Dishes

Dishes come out with food stuck on, gritty film or spots that a full cycle should have removed.
5 causes

Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes

Dishes are clean but come out wet, with water pooled on cups and plastic.
5 causes

Dishwasher Not Starting

The door is shut and a cycle is chosen, but nothing happens, or the lights come on and it will not run.
5 causes

Dishwasher Not Filling With Water

The cycle starts and hums, but little or no water comes into the tub.
5 causes

Dishwasher Cycle Takes Too Long

Cycles run for three hours or more, or the time remaining stalls on the display.
5 causes

Dishwasher Door Won't Latch

The door does not click shut, springs back open, or closes but the machine acts as if it is open.
5 causes

Dishwasher Making Loud Noise

Grinding, rattling, knocking or a loud hum that the machine did not make before.
5 causes

Dishwasher Smells Bad

A sour, musty or sewage-like odor when the door opens, even after a cycle.
5 causes

Dishwasher Not Heating Water

Dishes and the tub are cool at the end of the cycle, and grease stays on plates.
5 causes

Dishwasher Detergent Not Dispensing

The detergent cup is still closed, or a half-dissolved pod or clump of powder is left behind.
6 causes

Cloudy Glasses and White Residue

Glasses come out cloudy or spotted, and dishes carry a white chalky or gritty film.
6 causes

Dishwasher Control Panel Not Responding

Buttons do nothing, only some keys work, or the display stays dark or frozen.
5 causes

Dishwasher Showing an Error Code

The display shows letters or numbers, or the lights flash in a pattern, and the cycle stops.
5 causes

Familiar brands. Expert care.

For the brands
in your kitchen.

Independent repair service. Not affiliated with, authorized or endorsed by any manufacturer. Brand names and model numbers are the property of their respective owners and are used here for identification only, to describe the appliances we service.

The repairs behind the symptoms

Most people arrive knowing what they are seeing, not what is wrong. These are the jobs a visit usually turns out to be.

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
the problems.

What if my problem is not listed?
We can still help. The list covers what owners report most, not every way a dishwasher can misbehave. When you book, describe what the cycle did, what you heard and what was left in the tub, and the diagnosis starts from that.
I am seeing two of these at once. Where do I start?
With whichever showed up first, because the second is often caused by it: dishes that come out dirty and water left in the tub are frequently one drain problem, not two. Each problem page links to the ones it tends to arrive with.
Which of these should not wait for a convenient day?
Water reaching the floor, a burning or hot plastic smell, and a dishwasher that trips its breaker. Every problem page says how urgent it is. Poor drying, cloudy glasses and a noisy pump can normally wait for a booked window.
Is it safe to keep running it until the visit?
For most of these, yes, as long as nothing escapes onto the floor; watch the first few minutes of a cycle to be sure. Stop using it and switch off its breaker if you smell burning, see scorch marks, or the breaker trips again.

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.

(844) 430-4286 Schedule a repair