Dishwasher Not Starting? Look to the Door Latch

When no matter what you try, your dishwasher simply won’t start at all, you may think you have a major repair on your hands. While there are some cases in which more crucial parts may fail and prevent the dishwasher from starting, typically you would notice symptoms before it breaks down completely. Instead, the cause of your dishwasher not starting may be more simple than you think – the door latch.

In dishwashers, they are designed so that they only run if it is safe to do so. When the door is latched and safely secured, the dishwasher will run as the door latch connects the power. However, if the latch is malfunctioning, whether it won’t latch or the dishwasher doesn’t register that it is latched, the dishwasher will be prevented from starting until that issue is fixed. The door latch switches control power flow to the dishwasher, so when it malfunctions, it prevents power flow to the whole appliance.  This is all done for safety, but thankfully replacing the latch is a simple affair in all dishwasher models.

Before making any repairs to your dishwasher, it is important to disconnect both the water and power from the dishwasher for safety. The door latch assembly is connected to the power, and it can be dangerous if you do not take the proper precautions. In order to replace the door latch on your dishwasher, you will need to remove the front panel from your dishwasher to gain access to the door latch assembly. It can then be removed and replaced with ease. Once the new door latch is installed, your dishwasher will then run as intended again. If your dishwasher continues to manifest problems starting, then instead of a latch issue, you may want to consider looking to the dishwasher motor as a potential issue.