5 Reasons Why Whirlpool Dishwasher Leaking Underneath [Solution]

Whirlpool dishwasher leaking underneath is one of the irritating problems on every dishwasher, no matter what brands of dishwasher you are using.

You will face leakage on every dishwasher as soon as it starts getting old. In some cases, the new dishwasher also has this problem of leakage. 

We can point out different reasons for the leakage problem on the dishwasher.

Defective pump, clogged filter, broken spray arms, and faulty door latch are significant reasons for the leakage problem on the Whirlpool dishwasher. 

This problem is not that serious an issue to worry about. It can be easily fixed once you determine the source of leakage on the dishwasher.

Here we will help you identify the source of leakage and fix the leakage depending upon the issue on your Whirlpool dishwasher. 

Why Whirlpool dishwasher leaking underneath?

There are different problems that could cause leaks on the Whirlpool dishwasher.

According to our analysis, we have found that a faulty drain pump and the door latch are significant reasons for dishwasher leaks on the Whirlpool dishwasher. 

When the dishwasher drain pump gets affected, it will stop draining and cause water to leak underneath the dishwasher.

If your dishwasher is not draining or spraying water from the spray arms, there is a high chance your drain pump has a fault. 

Besides this, a faulty door latch can also cause dishwasher leaks.

When the dishwasher door latch gets damaged, you can’t lock dishwasher doors properly during the cycle. And, when you can’t lock the dishwasher door, leakage is prevalent. 

How to fix the Whirlpool dishwasher leaking underneath?

Depending upon dishwasher models and users, there are various reasons that could cause leakage on the Whirlpool dishwasher.

This section will discuss all these reasons and solutions to fix the leakage on the whirlpool dishwasher.

Here is the list of reasons you can consider while fixing leakage on the dishwasher. 

Faulty Float Switch

Float Switch on dishwasher helps us maintain proper water level inside the dishwasher tanks.

The primary function of the float switch is to load water inside the dishwasher.

When the water gets full dishwasher to instruct it to stop the loading of water inside the dishwasher. 

Sometimes the dishwasher float switch can get affected due to a short circuit or other different reasons.

This problem can increase the risk of flooding on the dishwasher and causes dishwasher leakage.

Sometimes the float switch may be working properly, and you will still see flooding on the dishwasher.

This mainly happens when your dishwasher control board is not functioning properly.

In this case, you will see many problems with your dishwasher, like a stuck button inside the dishwasher.

Sometimes you cannot control the water pressure and temperature of the dishwasher. 

Solution

Before fixing the faulty float switch on the Whirlpool dishwasher. I recommend you to make a proper inspection of the Dishwasher float switch.

Here is the stepwise instruction to inspect and replace the float switch on the Whirlpool dishwasher.

1. First of all, turn off your whirlpool dishwasher and turn off the water supply on the dishwasher.
2. The float switch is located inside the float assembly. 
3. Open the dishwasher door and then remove the screw from the dishwasher door so that you can access to dishwasher outer panel and Float switch. 
4. Now rotate the lower access panel counterclockwise to remove the lower access panel from the dishwasher.
5. On the lower access panel, you will see some sign of warning just above the warning sign. There you will see white colors float switch. 
6. If you have a multimeter, attach the lead to the float switch wire. And, make sure to set Multimeter to Ohms. If the multimeter shows zero when the float hangs on down position, your float switch is working fine. If your multimeter shows a higher reading, your float switch is not working and requires a new float switch for proper functioning. 
7. To replace the float switch, remove the wire from the switch, pull the actuator, and push the float stem to detach from the housing. 
8. Remove the screw, and the float switch will easily remove from the dishwasher. Follow the same steps to replace the new float switch. 

The above stepwise instruction shows how to replace and inspect the float switch on the Whirlpool dishwasher. Follow the stepwise to identify the issue with your dishwasher. 

Defective circulation pump

The circulation pump plays an important role in every dishwasher. It consists of a motor and impeller that passes water through the spray arms.

The circulation pump also drains water through the drain hose during the drain cycle.

If anything wrong goes into the dishwasher circulation pump, you will see symptoms like water leakage dirty dishes after the cycle.

Besides this, there are various symptoms that one could come over due to a defective circulation pump.

It is not necessary that all these symptoms are the sign of a defective Circulation pump.

There could be various reasons for this particular problem. Therefore, we need to make proper inspections thoroughly only then we will get the idea to fix the issue on the dishwasher. 

Solution

If you hear a loud humming noise and your spray arm is not receiving water during the dish cycle.

There is a high chance your circulation pump is a defect. To identify the problem with the Circulation pump, you should have Screwdriver, Pliers, and Multimeter. 

If you have kept a dishwasher inside the cabinet, you need to take out your dishwasher from the cabinet.

Here we will discuss stepwise instructions to inspect the problem and replace the Whirlpool dishwasher’s circulation pump. 

1. Turn off the power and water supply on the dishwasher.
2. Flip the dishwasher back so that you can access the bottom parts of the dishwasher. 
3. Locate the motor on the bottom of the dishwasher.
4. Now disconnect the wire from the old circulation pump and remove the pinch clamp. You can use pliers to remove the pinch clamp from the dishwasher. 
5. Now pull the pump of the pump housing.
6. After this, install a new circulation pump on your dishwasher. 

This is how you can replace your old circulation pump with a new one. I hope that you have followed the step carefully.

If there is no problem with the circulation pump or water is still leaking after replacing. There could be another problem with your dishwasher.

So, I suggest you inspect the next problem listed in this article. 

Clogged Spray arms

The clogged Spray arm is another major reason that could cause a problem of leakage on the Whirlpool dishwasher.

The major reason for the clogged spray arm is food particles that get inside the spray arms and gets clogged over time.

Besides this, another reason for clogged spray arms is calcium buildup.

If you live in an area where the water is rich in minerals like calcium and magnesium, the clogging problem is common.

When the spray arms clog, it will throw water on the dishwasher wall instead of dishes.

In this situation, water can easily leak and go underneath the dishwasher. 

Solution

There are two main reasons that can cause spray arms to leak.

If your spray arm is clogged with food particles or minerals, buildup water can easily leak underneath the dishwasher.

Similarly, if the spray arm is not moving or spinning, water can easily leak from the dishwasher. 

Clean the spray arm if there is a presence of food particles or calcium buildup.

After this, ensure that the spray arm is properly spinning ensure that there is no obstruction around the spray arm.

If your Spray arm is not spinning, follow the below stepwise instruction. 

1. Turn off the dishwasher power and water supply. 
2. Now remove the button panel of the dishwasher using a screwdriver.
3. After this, you can easily remove spray arms from the dishwasher. 
4. Now make proper inspection around the spray arms and cleanup obstruction if present. 
5. You can also use vinegar-water solution to clean the area around the spray arms. It will remove stubborn debris and food particles from the spray arms. 
6. Reinstall the spray arms plug-in power supply and water supply.

The above instruction shows how to clean stuck spray arms on a dishwasher. 

Damaged door latch

The dishwasher door latch prevents the door from opening during the wash cycle and prevents water from leaking.

Sometimes the door latch can loosen or get damaged and cause water to leak underneath the dishwasher. 

Another thing that you need to inspect is the door gasket. If there is cut and tear on the gasket, water can easily leak through the cut.

Therefore, ensure that there is no such cut and tear on your dishwasher door gasket. 

Solution

The solution to this problem is to replace the door gasket if there is cut and tear. Water can leak through a broken door latch.

So, make sure that the door latch is working fine and remove obstruction if present.

If the door latch is not working, you need to replace the old door latch with a new one. 

Dishwasher hose

The drain hose is located at the bottom of the dishwasher. Sometimes the hose can get damaged or crack due to some issue with the dishwasher.

When the drain hose gets damaged, water can pass through the cracked hole and cause a water leak.

Solution

If your dishwasher drain hose is cracked, then water can easily pass through it during the drain cycle.

Therefore, you need to replace your old drain hose with a new one to fix this problem.

Drain hose is not that costly, and it is available in any major hardware and suppliers stores. 

All you need to do is remove the dishwasher from the cabinet, bend the dishwasher and after this, remove the crack drain hose and replace it with a new one. 

Faulty inlet water valve

A faulty inlet valve is another major reason that can cause a water leak on the dishwasher.

Inlet valve controls water flow on the dishwasher. The downside of the inlet valve is it creates a water leak when it malfunctions. 

Inlet valve malfunction mainly due to obstruction and clog. One of the major reasons for a faulty inlet valve is a short circuit.

An Inlet valve is present underneath the dishwasher you can easily access and make an inspection about the issue on the dishwasher.

Solution

When the inlet valve malfunction, you will see different symptoms like slow water filing, water leaks, or no water filing at all.

To fix this problem, you first need to inspect the inlet valve using a multimeter.

The Inlet valve shows high reading when there is a fault. If the inlet valve shows a higher reading, you should change the inlet valve. 

Conclusion

I hope you have successfully figured out why the Whirlpool dishwasher leaking underneath.

In this article, we have discussed a stepwise solution to fix the problem, which could cause water leaks in the dishwasher.

Make sure to consider all these factors when you are repairing water leakage on your dishwasher.

If the problem persists, I recommend you to call technicians to fix the water leakage on your dishwasher. 

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