Why Won’t My Dishwasher Turn On?

Finding out your dishwasher is broken is never going to be the highlight your day, particularly if you have to deal with the expense of phoning a repair person plus staying home to let them in just to diagnose the fault.

Fortunately it’s possible to determine and often sort out many machine issues yourself without needing to call for dishwasher repair, especially if you happen to are able to find a multimeter.

You may find you are able to fix the problem quite easily yourself, particularly if you are mechanically minded, and if you can’t 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 Turn on

In advance of considering a replacement dishwasher there are a few possible problems you can troubleshoot without too much issue.

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

Everyday Dishwasher Problems That Will Stop Your Machine From Starting

Before you start going through the following list of potential issues ensure that your machine hasn’t been unplugged, and that none of the switches on the circuit breaker have tripped.

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

You will probably need the user guide to do this as machines vary but the child lock tends to be quite simple to engage without meaning to. Likewise, if the dishwasher has lights yet will not start, the solution might be as easy as resetting the program.

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

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

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

Examining 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 dishwasher is designed not to start if these are broken for understandable reasons. There’s no way you would want to be able to accidentally start the dishwasher with the door ajar.

A defective switch will prevent your machine from starting as well as completing a cycle. You can check the switch with a multimeter. The switch will usually be situated under the front door panel or control panel.

Make sure the machine is disconnected prior to removing the door panel and testing for continuity to make sure you do not get an electric shock.

If the latches or switches are broken you will need a replacement door latch assembly.

Checking the Timer

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

This is the part of the machine that sends power to all the different components the machine needs to operate including the motor, plus the water inlet valve.

If your dishwasher has an electronic control rather than a mechanical timer then it could have to be tested while live, 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 depending on the make and model of your dishwasher. A not working selector switch or even one that has not been fully pressed down might result in the machine not to start.

You can usually see if the buttons are going down all the way, or you may need to unplug the machine in order to have a look at the control panel to test the connections for continuity with the help of a multimeter.

Testing the Motor Relay

The motor relay is another component that can cause your machine not to start, so this could be the issue if you have checked the control panel and know that there is power running to the main pump.

To investigate this you need to locate the motor plus locate the relay that should be located next to it. This may then be removed and checked with the help of a multimeter, if faulty it might have to be replaced.

Testing the Thermal Fuse

If you have checked all the above yet still haven’t found the issue the next part of the machine to check would be the thermal fuse. This may or may not be present and is there to stop the control board overheating.

If you will need to replace it in order for the control board to get power.

Checking the Drive Motor

The final part of the dishwasher you should be able to test that could prevent your dishwasher from running is the drive motor. This is the component that moves the water around to wash your dishes.

Once you have tested the other parts yet still haven’t discovered the issue this might be the culprit particularly if your machine has previously been making a loud humming noise.

You can usually access the motor by taking off the panel at the bottom of the machine. Check it with the help of a multimeter and replace if broken.

When to Contact a Repair person

If you don’t have a multimeter and are not confident in taking panels off your dishwasher and testing the parts then you will be better off calling an engineer sooner rather than later.

If you are happy to undertake the above troubleshooting then you might well be able to sort out the problem without needing a professional. However if you are con confident it’s always better to contact an engineer.

Don’t forget to have a look at your warranty as well as your home cover as appliance repairs could be included and so the expense might not be as high as you think.