Dishwasher

Dishwasher Won't Start: Common Causes

A dishwasher that does nothing when you press start feels like a big problem, but it's often something small getting in the way. Work through these before assuming the worst.

Check These Four Things First

• The door isn't latching all the way — most dishwashers refuse to start unless the door is sensed as fully closed and locked
• A child lock or control lock is switched on — look for a small lock icon, or try pressing and holding a button combination (this varies by model)
• The breaker for that circuit has tripped — check your electrical panel, not just the dishwasher itself
• A delay-start setting is active — it can look like nothing happened when the dishwasher is actually just waiting to begin later

If You've Ruled All of That Out

When the door latches properly, the lock isn't on, the breaker's fine, and there's no delay set, and the dishwasher still won't respond, the cause has moved into technician territory. A door latch switch that's failed internally, a control board that's stopped communicating, or a blown thermal fuse are the most common culprits at that point — none of them are things you can diagnose from the outside.

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