Why Won’t My Dishwasher Turn On?

Discovering your dishwasher has stopped working is never going to be the highlight your day, particularly if you are also faced with the cost of calling out a professional plus taking time off work to meet them just to diagnose the issue.

Luckily it’s possible to pinpoint and often fix a number of dishwasher problems alone without needing to call for dishwasher repair, particularly if you have a multimeter.

You might realize you can resolve the issue quite easily alone, especially if you are mechanically minded, and if not at worst you will be better placed to describe the fault when you do have to phone an engineer.

Things To Do If Your Dishwasher Won’t Start

In advance of searching for a new dishwasher there are a few simple issues you should be able to troubleshoot fairly easily.

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

Commonplace Dishwasher Faults That Will Prevent Your Dishwasher From Starting

In advance of going through the following list of possible faults make sure that your machine hasn’t been inadvertently unplugged, as well as that none of the switches on the circuit breaker have tripped.

This is also an opportune moment to check if the child lock isn’t on as well as try resetting your dishwasher.

You will often require the manual for this due to the fact that machines are all different however the child lock is often fairly simple to activate accidentally. Similarly, if the machine has lights however will not run, the answer might be as easy as resetting the cycle.

Once you have ruled out these problems you can start the real troubleshooting.

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

To check these electrical components you will need a multimeter, or VOM (volt-ohm-milliammeter) to measure the resistance as well as test the components are operating as they are meant to.

Examining the Door Latch as well as the Door Latch Switch

The initial thing to test is the door latches and door latch switches. Your dishwasher is not designed to start if the door latches are broken for obvious reasons. There’s no way you would want begin the dishwasher without meaning to with the door open.

A defective switch will prevent your machine from turning on as well as operating. You may wish to test the switch using a multimeter. The switch is generally located under the front door panel or control panel.

Double check you have disconnected power to the dishwasher prior to removing the door panel as well as checking for continuity to prevent yourself from getting an electric shock.

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

Testing the Timer

If your latch mechanism is operating as it should the next component to test is the timer or electronic control.

This is the component that distributes power to all the different electrical components the machine needs to operate including the pumps, as well as the valves.

If your machine has an electronic control rather than a mechanical timer then it may need to be tested while plugged in, this can be dangerous and should only be done by someone who is professionally trained.

Checking the Selector Switch

The selector switch is the part of the machine that chooses the program , it’s style and location will vary contingent on the make or model of your dishwasher. A not working selector switch or even one that has not been fully pressed down might result in the dishwasher not to run.

You can usually see if the buttons are depressing fully, or you could need to unplug the machine and have a look at the control panel to check the connections for continuity using a multimeter.

Checking the Motor Relay

The motor relay is an alternative part that can cause your dishwasher not to start, so this may be the issue if you have checked the control panel and thus know that there is power running to the main pump.

To test if this is the case you will have to gain access to the motor and find the relay that should be mounted next to the motor. This could 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 yet to find the issue the next part of the machine to check would be the thermal fuse. This may or may not be present and is designed to protect the control board.

If it will need to be replaced in order to restore power to the control board.

Examining the Drive Motor

The final part of the machine you could investigate that may stop your dishwasher from working is the drive motor. This is the part of the machine that circulates the water to wash your dishes.

When you have checked the other components but still haven’t discovered the issue this might be the issue 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. Check it by using a multimeter then replace if broken.

When to Contact an Engineer

Not everyone has a multimeter, or would know how to use one even if they do, in which case you will be better off calling an engineer.

If you do have a multimeter and can perform the above tests then you may well be able to fix the problem without needing a professional. But if you are unsure it might be easier to contact an engineer.

And examine your warranty and your home cover as dishwasher repairs could be covered meaning the costs could not be as high as you think.