5 ways to prevent your dishwasher from leaking

Modern dishwashers are reliable, efficient and user-friendly — until they're not.

Modern dishwashers are reliable, efficient and user-friendly — until they're not. (Grant Olsen)


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Dishwashers are handy appliances that can help save us time and effort on a daily basis. They're so convenient, in fact, that it's easy to forget they're also sophisticated machines connected to your home's water supply.

In other words, they can sometimes leak.

I'm well acquainted with the threat of dishwasher leaks. Why? Because over the years, I have personally caused three of my dishwashers to leak. I'm what you might call an expert at figuring out ways to get water out of a dishwasher and onto my kitchen floor.

In talking with appliance professionals, I've learned that it's always easier to prevent something from happening than to clean up a mess. So here are five of their tips for keeping your dishwasher leak-free and running like a dream:

1. Make sure you're using the right detergent

This might sound obvious, but it actually caused my first dishwasher leaking incident. In 1999, I was a frazzled college student with five messy roommates. One morning, I quickly loaded a sink full of dishes into the dishwasher and ran off to class. The only problem was that I accidentally filled the dishwasher with dish soap. Upon return, I found my kitchen filled with bubbly water. A couple of friends came over to visit and insisted that we take a photo to commemorate my dumb mistake.

You can avoid this same fate by only using automatic dishwashing detergent. While products like dish soap might look similar, they can cause a sudsy wave to overflow onto your floor.

2. Keep the filter clean

There's a filter at the bottom of your dishwasher that catches food during wash cycles and helps prevent clogs. But the filter gets pretty gunky over time. If it gets blocked up, damage and leaks are possible.

The good news is that cleaning your filter only takes a few minutes. Start by reading your instruction manual to figure out how to remove it. Then rinse it with warm, soapy water. Use a scrub brush on pesky residue. As long as you do this every few months, you should be in good shape.

3. Secure the supply line

My second dishwasher leak came courtesy of a bad connection to my home's water supply. I had installed the dishwasher myself and felt like a real Bob Vila. Problem was, the hose bringing water to the appliance wasn't secured properly. Two weeks later, we had a flood that caused major damage.

If you plan to install a dishwasher on your own, take extra care with the hose connections. It's often worth the expense to have a professional handle the project so that you can be confident in the result. Either way, you can periodically look under the dishwasher for possible hose leaks by removing the kick plate and checking for any drips.

4. Ensure your dishwasher is level

Like many other appliances, your dishwasher has adjustable legs to ensure it is level. When a dishwasher isn't level, it won't function properly and leaks become a very real possibility.

You can get ahead of these issues by holding a level to the top front of the dishwasher. If adjustments are needed, start by turning off power to the dishwasher. Remove the kickplate and anchor screws, then adjust the legs until the dishwasher is perfectly level.

5. Keep the gasket clean and clear

My third infamous dishwasher leak was due to an errant butter knife that protruded out of the utensil basket just enough to prevent the door from sealing shut. Midway through the wash cycle, there was a pool of water on the floor.

This is an easy issue to monitor because the gasket is one of the most accessible parts of your dishwasher. Inspect it every few months (perhaps when you clean your filter) for cracks, obstructions or damage.

Fortunately, technology has improved dramatically since I put that ill-fated soap into my dishwasher back in college. Modern units are more reliable, efficient and user-friendly.

Here are a few excellent options to consider:

Bosch 100 Series 24" Front Control Dishwasher

This is one of the lowest-priced Bosch dishwashers on the market, but I found that it still has lots of great features. The stainless-steel washtub holds up to 14 place settings. The unit is incredibly efficient, reducing the energy needed to power it and saving you lots of water. And, speaking of water, its leak detection system gives you extra peace of mind.

Sharp Top Control Dishwasher With Third Rack

I was really impressed by the cleaning ability of this dishwasher. It has a "power wash sprayer" that targets your messiest dishes, so you can skip the rinse and just load things right above the special sprayer. Even crusty messes like the ones left over from a pan of brownies will be removed. And with the unit's integrated sensors, washing cycles are customized to exactly what each load needs.

You know those times when you need some dishes cleaned ASAP, but the dishwasher isn't full yet? This model has a half load option that gets the same great results but uses less water and energy.

Other features include interior lighting, fast drying power, and an adjustable third rack. Since we have a toddler in our home, I also really appreciated that the control panel stays hidden at the top.

KitchenAid 44 dBA Dishwasher with FreeFlex Third Rack

If you have a large family (or just want to run fewer loads during the week), this dishwasher is a great choice. It has one of the largest third racks available, so you can place many of your bowls and cups up there, freeing up space on the lower two racks for your bulkier items.

This KitchenAid dishwasher also has sensors to adapt wash times and water temperatures, improving the efficiency and performance. Another notable feature is how quiet it is. While it's officially listed at 44 decibels, the unit sounds closer to 40 dBA or so. You almost can't tell it's running even if you're standing near it in the kitchen.

Finally, this dishwasher is a pro when it comes to drying dishes. It has a heating element and a fan that circulates the air throughout the washtub. This ensures that everything gets thoroughly dry, no matter where you've loaded it in the dishwasher.

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Grant Olsen joined the KSL.com contributor team in 2012. He covers outdoor adventures, travel, product reviews and other interesting things.
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