Official DCS dishwasher parts

How to fix a DCS dishwasher that leaks

Don't ignore a leak from your dishwasher. Water can quickly damage your flooring or subflooring.

If water leaks from the bottom of the door, a damaged or stuck spray arm could be causing a wave action inside the washer tub that has water sloshing over the front lip of the tub. Check the spray arms for damage and make sure they spin freely after loading the dishwasher. Other causes of leaks from around the front door include a loose or broken door hinge and a damaged door seal.

Leaks under the dishwasher can be caused by a leaking drain line, broken heating element water seal, leaking pump and motor assembly or leak in the water inlet assembly.

How to troubleshoot your DCS dishwasher when the dishes don't get dry

Dishes typically dry by the end of the dishwashing cycle, with one exception--plastic items. Because plastic doesn’t retain heat like glass, ceramic and metal, you'll almost always see drops of water on plastic items after the cycle finishes.

Rinse aid helps water drain off all dishes so they dry better. Make sure that you fill that rinse-aid dispenser when it's empty. Replace the dispenser assembly in your dishwasher if it isn’t dispensing rinse aid.

A heated drying setting also is an option to enhance drying. You may have this option turned off to save energy, but if your dishes aren’t drying as well as you’d like them to, you might want to consider turning it back on. Consult your owner's manual and select the cycle options that fit your needs and your energy usage goals.

If your dishes don't get dry even though you've selected the heated drying option, then the heating element could be broken or the high-limit thermostat for the element may have tripped in error, preventing the element from heating. A malfunctioning vent or drying fan could also prevent dishes from drying. Check out our dishwasher not drying dishes video to help you troubleshoot and correct a drying problem.