Diagnose
Dishwasher not working? Common problems and what causes them
Diagnostic fee waived with repair
Poor cleaning is usually a spray arm or filter problem. Standing water points at the drain path.
Quick answer
Most dishwashers fail because of a single component, not age. The usual culprits are not cleaning, standing water, leaking. Most repairs finish in one visit. Replacement is usually only worth it above roughly eight years old or when the repair exceeds half the replacement price.
What we do
Dishwasher repair, done properly
Poor cleaning is usually a spray arm or filter problem. Standing water points at the drain path.
Our technicians carry the parts that fail most often on dishwashers, so the majority of these repairs finish in a single visit.
You get a written estimate before any work starts, and a 12-month parts-and-labour warranty on the repair.
Symptoms
What's wrong with your dishwasher?
Pick the closest match — it pre-fills your booking so we arrive with the likely part.
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Dishwasher Repair details & coverageDiagnosis
How we diagnose a dishwasher problem
Every visit starts with a diagnosis, not a guess. Here's what your technician actually checks, in order, before recommending a repair.
- 1
Spray arm rotation & clogging
We check the spray arms for clogged jets and free rotation first, since blocked or stuck arms explain most poor-cleaning calls before any pump is opened.
- 2
Drain pump & check valve
Standing water after a cycle usually points to a jammed drain pump or a stuck check valve rather than the pump motor itself — worth ruling out first, since it's a much smaller repair.
- 3
Door latch & switch
A worn door latch or a failed door switch stops the cycle from ever starting, which shows up as won't-start even though the rest of the machine is otherwise completely fine.
- 4
Water inlet valve & heating element
We test the inlet valve for proper fill and the heating element for continuity, since either can look like a not-cleaning problem downstream. A weak fill also shows up as etched or gritty glassware.
Repair or replace
When replacement is the better call
The working rule is the 50% test: if the repair costs more than half of a comparable new unit, and the appliance is past roughly two-thirds of its expected life, replacement usually wins on total cost of ownership.
Most dishwashers are built for 10–13 years. A failure at year three is almost always worth repairing. A sealed-system or compressor failure at year twelve usually is not — and we will say so rather than sell you the repair.
Premium built-in units are the exception. A Sub-Zero or Viking unit is worth repairing well past the point where a mass-market appliance would be retired, because replacement runs into five figures once cabinetry work is included.
Brands
Dishwasher brands we service
Questions
Dishwasher repair FAQ
Is it worth repairing a dishwasher?
Repairing a dishwasher is generally worth it when the repair costs less than half the price of a replacement and the unit is under about eight years old. SOS Appliance Repair diagnoses first and tells you plainly when replacement is the better value.
How long does a dishwasher repair take?
Most dishwasher repairs are completed in a single visit lasting 45 to 90 minutes. When a part must be ordered, SOS Appliance Repair schedules the return visit before leaving and the original diagnostic is not charged twice.
What causes a dishwasher to fail?
The most common dishwasher faults SOS Appliance Repair sees are: not cleaning, standing water, leaking, won't start. Most trace back to a single failed component rather than end-of-life, which is why diagnosis before replacement matters.
Same-day appointments available
Broken appliance? We can be there today.
Talk to the company that actually sends the technician — no lead brokers, no bidding wars, no runaround.
- Licensed & insured
- 12-month warranty
- Diagnostic fee waived with repair