How To Easily Fix A Leak In Your Dishwasher Door
When you run your dishwasher, the last thing you want to happen is to have water flood your floor. This can happen when the seal, or gasket, around your dishwasher door is compromised. If your dishwasher door feels a little loose or doesn't seal tightly, or if water is starting to escape around your dishwasher door, you need to replace your dishwasher door gasket.
Required Skills
In order to replace the gasket on your dishwasher door, you need to have at least a basic understand of dishwasher terminology. You also need to know how to use both pliers and a screwdriver.
Check Your Door Gasket
First, take a few minutes to check the door gasket. The gasket should keep your dishwasher door tightly sealed and to keep water from dripping out around your dishwasher door.
When checking your dishwasher door gasket, the first thing you want to look for are any visible cracks. The presence of any cracks is a sure sign that the gasket needs to be changed and is behind the leaking water.
Second, touch your dishwasher door gasket and pay attention to how it feels. It should feel flexible and soft. If it feels stiff or coarse, that is another sign that the gasket needs to be replaced.
Buy A New Gasket
Next, you need to purchase a new gasket for your dishwasher. In order to purchase a new gasket, you are going to need to know the size of your dishwasher. Take a tape measure and measure both sides and across the top and bottom of your dishwasher, and then add those four numbers together. That will give you the length of the gasket that you need to purchase for your dishwasher.
You should be able to purchase a replacement gasket at your local home appliance store. If they don't have a gasket the exact size that you need, purchase one that is a little too long so you can cut it down to size.
Take Off The Old Gasket
Now that you have purchased a replacement gasket, you need to remove your old gasket from your dishwasher. Gaskets are generally attached to your dishwasher door via grooves. The gasket is pushed into these grooves. You will need to detach the gasket from these grooves in order to remove it.
The best way to remove the gasket is by using a pair of pliers and identifying the grooves. Where you see a groove, try to grab the gasket with your pliers and pull the gasket towards you. Depending on how tightly the gasket is attached to your dishwasher, you may need to work one groove at a time to remove it. If it is very loosely attached, you may only need to use pliers to loosen the gasket around a couple of grooves, and then you may be able to pull off the rest of the gasket by hand.
Use a rag to wipe away any residue that may have accumulated where the gasket meets your dishwasher.
Attach The New Gasket
Finally, you are ready to attach the new gasket to your dishwasher door. New gaskets are often rigid; before you can attach a gasket, you will want to soak it in some warm, soapy water for about an hour. Soaking the gasket will help make the material more pliable and easier to work with.
Remove the gasket from the sink and wipe it down. Open up your dishwasher door and choose a starting place. Take the gasket and push it into a groove using a screwdriver. Work your way around the door, pushing the gasket into place.
When the new gasket is in place, do a test run with your dishwasher. If you notice any water leaking out, note the location, and when your dishwasher is done with its cycle, try pushing the gasket further into place.
If your dishwasher continues to leak, you may want to make sure that the latch on your dishwasher is not loose; if it is, use your screwdriver to tighten it up.
To get help fixing dishwashers and other appliances, call a company like Prompt Appliance Services, Inc.