Top 6 Reasons Your Dishwasher Won’t Start
Oh no! Your dishwasher won’t start! Are you going to have to wash your dishes the old-fashioned way?
Perish the thought!
For most of us, it’s probably been a long time since we’ve had to wash a load of dishes by hand. And if that’s what you’re faced with doing, it doesn’t sound appealing, does it?
Standing at the sink, tediously washing and drying every single dish, glass, fork, knife and spoon, all by hand. That’ll prompt a quick call to a repairman!
When he arrives, he’ll likely find that your dishwasher won’t start for one of the following common reasons:
#1: Thermal Fuse
Like most appliances, dishwashers are designed with a safeguard to prevent overheating. If something trips the thermal fuse that provides this protection, your dishwasher will not run until the thermal fuse is replaced.
#2: Door Switch
Most dishwashers are designed with a switch that signals when the door is closed. It’s a safety feature that prevents the dishwasher from running when the door is open.
But sometimes these switches go defective, signaling that the door is open even when it’s closed. If that’s the case with your dishwasher, it will not run until the switch is replaced.
#3: Door Latch
The door latch, of course, assures that the door to the dishwasher stays tightly shut until the latch is cycled to the open position. With wear and age, it’s possible that your dishwasher’s door latch has malfunctioned so that it doesn’t properly secure the door in the closed position.
In most cases these latches cannot be repaired, and instead must be replaced once they’ve gone bad.
#4: Main Control Board
The control board controls all the functions of the dishwasher. It also supplies power to all of the individual components of the washer. Control board failure is rare, but it does happen. If your dishwasher won’t start, this could be the reason.
#5: Touchpad / Control Panel
Whether your dishwasher uses a touchpad or buttons for control inputs, either can go bad. When that happens, control inputs aren’t sent properly to the main control board. A faulty touchpad or control panel could be indicated by many problems, including a dishwasher that won’t start.
#6: Timer
The timer has the job of routing power to the right component at the right time. It controls the sequencing of all of the separate tasks that comprise a complete wash and dry cycle. Timers sometimes go defective. And when that happens, many potential problems can result. Just one of those potential problems is failure to start.