Why Won’t My Dishwasher Turn On? | Des Moines Appliance Repair

Finding out your dishwasher isn’t working isn’t a great way to begin your day, particularly if you are also faced with the expense of calling out a repair person as well as taking time off work to let them in just to pinpoint the fault.

Luckily it’s very feasible to pinpoint and even resolve a number of machine issues alone without needing to call for dishwasher repair, particularly if you happen to are able to find a multimeter.

You might find you are able to fix the fault quite easily yourself, especially if you are quite handy, and if not at worst you will have a better idea of the problem when you eventually do call a repair man.

What To Do If Your Dishwasher Won’t Turn on

Before you start considering a new dishwasher there are a number of simple issues you should be able to identify without too much issue.

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

Commonplace Dishwasher Issues That Will Stop Your Dishwasher From Starting

In advance of checking your machine for faults make sure that your machine hasn’t been inadvertently unplugged, and that none of the switches on the circuit breaker have tripped.

This is also a good time to check if the child lock hasn’t been activated and try resetting your dishwasher.

You will probably need the user manual for this as models are all different but the child lock is usually fairly simple to activate inadvertently. Likewise, the dishwasher might have power yet will not start, in this case the answer might be as simple as resetting the cycle.

When you have eliminated these faults you can start the real troubleshooting.

Have a look at the door latch or door latch switch.
Examine the timer.
Examine the selector switch.
Examine the motor relay.
Examine the thermal fuse.
Check the drive motor.

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

Testing the Door Latch as well as the Door Latch Switch

The first place to start is the door latches as well as door latch switches. Your machine is designed not to run if the door latches are broken for understandable reasons. You wouldn’t want run the machine without meaning to with the door open.

A broken switch will stop your dishwasher from starting as well as running. You can check the switch using a multimeter. The switch is generally found behind the front door panel or control panel.

Double check the dishwasher is unplugged prior to accessing the door panel and testing for continuity to prevent yourself from getting an electric shock.

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

Testing the Timer

If the door latch and door latch switch, are working as they should the next thing to test is the timer or electronic control.

This is the component that sends power to all the different electrical components the machine needs to run including the pumps, plus the valves.

If your machine is controlled electronically rather than mechanically then it may need to be tested while connected, in which case you will need to call a repair man.

Testing the Selector Switch

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

You can usually visually investigate to see if the buttons are going down all the way, or you might need to unplug the dishwasher in order to gain access to the control panel to test the contact points for continuity using a multimeter.

Checking the Motor Relay

The motor relay is another component that could result in your machine not starting, thus this could be the issue if you have checked the control panel and have ascertained that there should be power running to the motor.

To check this you will have to find the motor as well as find the relay that should be located next to it. This could then be taken out as well as checked using a multimeter, if faulty it may have to be replaced.

Testing the Thermal Fuse

If you have checked all the above yet still haven’t found the fault the next part of the machine to check is the thermal fuse. This will only be found on some models and is there to protect the control board.

If you locate the fuse and discover it is blown it will need to be replaced in order to restore power to the control board.

Testing the Drive Motor

The final part of the dishwasher you could test that might stop your dishwasher from working is the drive motor. This is the component that circulates the water to wash your dishes.

If you have tested the other components yet still haven’t discovered the issue this could be the issue especially if your machine has previously been making a loud humming noise.

You should be able to gain access to the motor by taking off the panel at the bottom of the machine. Test it using a multimeter and replace if broken.

When to Get in Touch With a Professional

If you don’t have a multimeter and are not confident in taking panels off your machine and testing the electrical components then you will need to call a repair person.

If you do have a multimeter and can perform the above checks then you might well be able to fix the fault without assistance. However if you are con confident it’s always better to call in the professionals.

Plus have a look at your insurance as well as your home cover as appliance repairs might be included and so the expense may be less than you were expecting.