7 Reasons Why Whirlpool Dishwasher Won’t Start [Solutions]

If you’re looking for Why Whirlpool Dishwasher Won’t Start then you’re at the right place here you can find why and how you can fix Whirlpool Dishwasher not Starting.

A dishwasher is a very useful appliance in every home. It makes it very easy to complete our daily house chores.

The problem starts your dishwasher stops working in the middle of nowhere. If your warranty period is ended, it becomes a pain in the head of most of the users.

If you are using a Whirlpool dishwasher, there are many reasons why the Whirlpool dishwasher stops running. 

Electrical issue is one of the common reasons for this problem. If our dishwasher is not receiving enough power, the dishwasher will stop working.

Besides this, door latch, Water supply issue, and incorrect dishwasher setting are other main reasons that affect your dishwasher operation. 

Today in this article, we will mainly discuss the Whirlpool dishwasher not starting problem. The issue is common in every model of dishwasher.

Therefore, today we will help you figure out the exact issue and solution to fix this not-starting problem in your Whirlpool dishwasher. 

Why whirlpool dishwasher won’t start?

There are various reasons that cause-effect Whirlpool dishwasher operation. We can’t point out one particular issue for this problem.

Every dishwasher is different, and depending upon the model; it requires unique treatment to solve this problem in your dishwasher.  

So, you need to inspect various parts of the dishwasher properly. Then only you can figure out the exact issue that is causing the Whirlpool dishwasher from operating.

In this article, we will inspect each of the problems that could cause the Whirlpool dishwasher not starting problem.

How to fix the whirlpool dishwasher won’t start problems?

To fix the Whirlpool dishwasher not starting problem, first of all, we need to figure out the problem with the dishwasher.

A dishwasher is a complex machine made up of advanced electrical units. Sometimes the minor issue on the electric unit can stop the dishwasher from operating.

So, here we have brought a list of problems which you can inspect and consider when fixing the Whirlpool dishwasher not working problem. 

Reset Dishwasher

The first thing that I suggest most users do is rest the dishwasher. A dishwasher is an electrical appliance that consists of wires, an electrical board, and a chip.

Sometimes the electronic appliances can cause glitches that could stop the dishwasher from operating. 

Therefore, I recommend most of you reset your dishwasher and see if the problem gets fixed or not.

In most cases resetting the dishwasher fixes most minor issues on the dishwasher. Check your user manual for instructions to reset your dishwasher.

Solution

If you don’t have a user manual, then don’t worry. Here we will discuss step-wise instructions to reset the Whirlpool dishwasher. 

1. Remove the utensils and make sure that your dishwasher is empty.
2. Now remove the power cable from the dishwasher. If you can’t remove the cable, turn off the dishwasher from the control panel. 
3. After this, wait for 10-15 minutes. The reason why you need to wait for 10-15 minutes is that your dishwasher will remove all the configurations and setting from memory and help you start the dishwasher in a new setting. 
4. Now Plug the power cable or Turn on the dishwasher.

Follow the above-listed step-wise instructions to reset your Whirlpool dishwasher. See if the dishwasher starts or not. If it is not starting, I suggest you inspect the next problem from this article. 

Check Water supply

If your dishwasher shows error codes, you can turn it on and off the dishwasher. There must be a problem with the dishwasher water supply.

The dishwasher requires water to operate, and the only function of the dishwasher is to spray water on the dishes. 

When the dishwasher water supply is not working, you can’t start or Turn on your dishwasher.

You need to ensure different things in your dishwasher water supply like pressure, level, water temperature, inlet valve, and circulation pump. 

These are some of the things which you need to inspect if your dishwasher is not working.

There must be some sort of problem in one of these things that are stopping your Whirlpool dishwasher from operating. 

Solution

If you think water supply is the issue, ensure that your dishwasher is set to the recommended water pressure and temperature.

Every dishwasher has its force and temperature standard. If you have recently changed the temperature and pressure levels.

There is a high chance that you have set the wrong temperature and pressure level on your Whirlpool dishwasher.

If there is no change in water pressure and temperature, check the water supply source.

If you live in an area where water is rich in minerals, it could build up calcium on water pipes. So, make a proper inspection of the water supply pipes and ensure no calcium build-up. 

The circulation pump and Float switch are other things that could stop the dishwasher from operating.

If you don’t know about the circulation pump, then let me tell you that the circulation pump is such a type of pump that passes water on spray arms during the wash cycle.

Apart from this, it helps the dishwasher to drain water after the cycle. 

If your dishwasher is producing a humming sound and not filing dishwasher tanks. Then there is a high chance of debris and food clog, which could build up.

It could stop the circulation pump from passing water into spray arms and filling tanks.

So, I recommend you remove the dishwasher from the cabinet and check if the dishwasher circulation pump is working fine or not. 

If it is not working, you should consider changing your old circulation pump to a new one. You can call technicians for this problem; they are experts on replacing and maintaining dishwasher parts. 

Incorrect dishwasher setting

Incorrect dishwasher setting is another common issue that can cause Whirlpool dishwashers not starting problem.

The dishwasher has many configurations and settings under which it operates and runs a cycle.

There are lots of settings like Timer, Control lock, Child lock, and other various similar settings which could stop dishwasher operation. 

These features are meant to work in your favor, but sometimes they can go against you. Sometimes users unknowingly turn on these settings which creates a problem for them.

Let’s take child lock mode; for instance, the child lock mode is a safety feature on a dishwasher that prevents the operation of the dishwasher when it is turned on. 

I suggest you see if you have mistakenly turned on this mode on your dishwasher. You can’t start your dishwasher unless you bypass this particular mode from your dishwasher. 

Solution

The solution to this problem is to turn off all the activated modes and settings in your dishwasher.

If you have activated Child lock mode, press and hold option keys for three seconds. After this, the child lock mode will be deactivated from your dishwasher. 

Besides this, ensure that you have turned off the Delay start, Delay wash, Timer, and control lock when trying to restart the cycle.

These settings on your dishwasher can also stop you from starting the dishwasher. 

The door latch is damaged

A damaged Door latch is another thing you need to inspect on your dishwasher if it is not starting.

When the dishwasher door latch gets damaged, you can’t start your dishwasher. The door latch has a sensor that closes the door before starting the cycle. 

When you try to start the dish cycle with the open door, you can’t run the dish cycle.

Similarly, when the door latch gets damaged, your control panel will indicate that your dishwasher door is open and stops you from starting the dishwasher. 

Solution 

When the door latch misaligns, it can’t activate the sensor that tells your dishwasher to start the Turn on.

First of all, ensure that the door has no obstruction that could be stop the dishwasher from closing the door. After this, check if the door latch is correctly fitted with the screw or not. 

If you have recently closed the dishwasher door haphazardly, the door latch can misalign from the dishwasher.

Ensure that there is no damage or loosen of a latch. If there is, you need to replace your old door latch with a new one.

If you have a screwdriver, you can check to give it a try to tighten up. Else you need to replace your door latch. 

Electrical issue

As mentioned earlier in the article, electrical issues are a common problem seen on every dishwasher. Sometimes the electrical problem can also stop the dishwasher from starting.

An electrical problem like a short circuit, wire cut off, and other similar issues can prevent the dishwasher from starting. 

There can be a problem with the dishwasher plug so try unplugging and plugging it back in again on your dishwasher.

If the problem still exists, I recommend checking the power supply wire. Ensure that there should not be cuts and tear on the WireWire. 

Solution

Once you finish inspecting the power cable, I recommend you check the dishwasher thermal fuse.

Thermal fuse Turn off the power when the dishwasher overheat. To prevent further issues or damage to the dishwasher, it turns off the power in the dishwasher. 

It directly shuts off the power supply on the dishwasher control panel, which doesn’t allow you to start the cycle in the dishwasher.

Here is step-wise instruction to replace the thermal switch from the dishwasher.

1. Turn off the dishwasher power and water supply.
2. Now open up the screw from the control panel. 
3. There are five screws that you need to remove to access the control panel. 
4. Once you remove all the screws from the control board. You can see a thermal fuse mounted on the control board housing. 
5. You need to push down the main release tab to release the fuse from the locking tab. 
6. After this, you can release locking tabs on the thermal fuse and pull the thermal fuse out of the board. 
7. Now remove the WireWire from the fuse, and the fuse will be removed from the dishwasher. 
8. Connect the wire to the new thermal fuse and align it to the locking tab. After this, put it into place. 
9. Now put all the screws in the inner door panel. 

This is how you can replace your old thermal fuse with a new one. I hope you have followed the step-wise process to replace the new thermal fuse.

Faulty drive motor

The motor plays an important role in filling and circulating water on the dishwasher. The drive motor requires an electrical current to run.

The wires can be burned out during a short circuit. So, I recommend checking the dishwasher motor wire and ensuring that it is not damaged. 

If it is, you should replace the WireWire and try starting the dishwasher. If the dishwasher still doesn’t start, the motor should have a problem.

There is nothing that we can do when the motor is defective. You need to call technicians to fix the issue. 

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Conclusion

I hope that the suggestion provided in this article was helpful while fixing Whirlpool Dishwasher not starting problem.

We have listed all possible issues that could stop the dishwasher from operating. So, make sure to inspect each of these problems while repairing the whirlpool dishwasher won’t start problem.

Besides this, if you have any problem related to this problem, make sure to leave your query in the comment box below. 

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