Whirlpool Dishwasher Leaking

Whirlpool was established in 1911 and has a long track record of producing high-quality appliances, such as dishwashers. But sometimes they do break down and will need to be repaired.

One common issue people have with their Whirlpool dishwashers is leaks. There are many potential causes of the leaks, but if you check out each potential cause, you should be able to find the problem and fix it with relative ease.

In this article, we cover seven common solutions to fix a Whirlpool dishwasher if it is leaking.

This guide covers the following models:

7DP840CWDB0

7DP840CWDB1

7DU840CWDB0

7DU840CWDB1

7DU900PCDB0

7DU900PCDQ0

WDT780SAEM0

WDT780SAEM1

WDT780SAEM2

WDT790SLYM2

WDT790SLYW2

WDT910SAYE1

WDT910SAYE2

WDT910SAYH1

WDT910SAYH2

WDT910SAYM1

WDT910SAYM2

WDT910SSYB1

WDT910SSYB2

WDT910SSYM2

WDT910SSYW2

Check the Water Inlet Valve

This is the valve that controls the water coming into the dishwasher. When it gets stuck and stays open, it can cause the dishwasher to keep filling up with water, which can cause leaks and overflowing to occur. Here’s how to check it:

1. To ensure the water inlet valve is not the problem, make sure it is opening and closing properly.
2.  If not, you should replace it, as it is impossible to fix.

Check the Center Spray Arm

The spray arm (sometimes called a wash arm) is the part in the dishwasher that spins around and distributes water into the dishwasher. When it gets cracked, the water might end up being sprayed toward the door seals, which can cause a leak to occur. Here’s how to check to see if it is the cause of your leak:

1. Remove the wash arm and look it over to see if there are any signs of cracks in it. If so, you will need to replace it, as it cannot be repaired with glue because it will not stay intact in the dishwasher.
2. If it is not cracked, then check it to see if the screws in the spray arm support (the part the spray arm attaches onto within the dishwasher) are tight, and if not, tighten them up. When the screws become loose, water can leak through the lower pump housing and leak out the bottom of the dishwasher door.

Check the Lower Spray Arm

Cracks in the lower spray arm can cause water to spray toward the bottom of the dishwasher and leak out under the dishwasher door. Here’s how to check the lower spray arm:

Remove the dishwasher’s lower spray arm.

1. Remove the dishwasher’s lower spray arm. Once removed, give it a thorough look-over to ensure there are no cracks in it.
2. If cracks are present, replace the lower spray arm, because attempting to fix it with glue or some other sealant won’t last long in the dishwasher.
3. If you don’t find any cracks, then check the screws in the spray arm support to make sure they are tight. If they are loose, then tightening them up might stop the leak.

Check the Upper Spray Arm

Another potential cause of the leak is if the upper spray arm has a crack in it or if the screws in the spray arm support are loose. To find out if the upper spray arm is causing the leak, you’ll need to:

1. Remove the upper spray arm and check for any cracks in it. If so, replace the spray arm with a new one.
2. If you don’t find any cracks, then check if the screws in the spray arm support are loose or not – this might be causing the leak. If they are loose, they could allow water to spray out into the dishwasher through the lower pump housing and cause “waves,” which then causes leaks to occur.

Check the Door Gasket and Seals

The door gasket and seal on your dishwasher ensure that water can’t leak out through the door. To check if it is causing a leak, start by:

1. Checking that there are no tears, gaps, or cuts in the gasket and door seals.
2. If there are no obvious signs of a problem that is causing the leak, then a good idea is to try to close the door with a piece of paper between the seal on the dishwasher and the door, and if it does not stick, then this might indicate that there is a gap in the gasket. If so, you will need to replace the gasket and/or seals.

Check the Door Hinges

If you still haven’t found the cause of the leak, check the door hinges for any signs that they are bent. If they are bent, then the door won’t be able to close properly. The door hinges can be checked by:

1. Opening the dishwasher doors.
2. Check that the hinges aren’t bent or damaged; you might need to shine a light into them to give them a full examination.
3. If you find a bend in them or other damage, the best way to solve the problem is to replace the hinges by removing the old ones and placing new ones back onto the mountings.

Make Sure the Dishwasher Isn’t Overfilling

If your dishwasher is overfilling, then it could be a faulty float switch. You can find the float switch at the bottom of the dishwasher. Its purpose is to let the dishwasher know that the water is at the correct level. 

To make sure your dishwasher isn’t overfilling:

1. Open the dishwasher door and remove the bottom rack. 
2. Check that the switch isn’t stuck – it can sometimes get food or other debris around it, which causes it to get stuck, so simply clean around it. You can also access the float switch by removing the bottom panel of the dishwasher.
3. To test if the switch is working, you will need a VOM (volt/ohm meter), and set it to RX1. If the meter shows zero, this means the switch is working, but if it’s higher than zero, this means the switch will need to be replaced. 
4. If you do need to replace the float switch, make sure that you purchase the correct model, and then install it by removing the screws that hold the mounting bracket and replacing it.

And there you have it, seven common reasons that Whirlpool dishwashers leak. If you follow the above instructions, you should be able to identify the cause and apply a fix to get the dishwasher running correctly again.