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Dishwasher Door Won’t Open Or Close
The dishwasher's door drops down to allow the baskets to easily be pulled out so that they can be easily loaded and unloaded by you.
No matter how many times a day or week your dishwasher is used, over time the components in your dishwasher will fall to wear and tear.
The door is a very important part of your dishwasher, regardless of it being stuck shut or refusing to open. A faulty door will instantly halt you from using your dishwasher - leaving you with the dreaded task of having to wash the dishes by hand!
There is a selection of parts that could falter, leading to the door having problems with opening and closing. When the door looks slightly out of shape, or simply refuses to open, you can see below to help diagnose the fault you're being faced with.
Cause 1
Door Lock
If you are struggling to get your dishwasher to open but to no avail, it simply won't do as it's being told - don't fret because the fault could lie with the door lock! Following some simple checks, you can diagnose if the shortcoming is, in fact, being caused by the dishwashers lock!
- Assure the door can close correctly against the latch.
The latch should engage into the door's microswitch. If it does not, then the fault is most likely with the actual lock.
If the door lock requires replacing, you’ll need a replacement. Fortunately, we have a wide range of available door locks within our extensive range of dishwasher spares on eSpares.
Safety First! Please make sure that you've switched off your appliance and disconnected it from the mains before beginning any repair.
For help on replacing the faulty part, we have a simple to follow video guide which will assist you in the steps required to access the inside of the panel to locate the lock - and get you on the way to repair it yourself!
Cause 2
Door Latch
If the door latch on your dishwasher has worn, the dishwasher may not start its cycle. A working latch is imperative as it secures the door tight to prevent water leaking - and it also engages the microswitch to turn the dishwasher on.
Safety First! Please ensure that you have disconnected the appliance from the mains before starting any repair.
- Open the door on your dishwasher and remove the control fascia assembly.
- Inspect the door latch and microswitch located behind the fascia assembly for any signs of damage.
If the door latch needs replacing you can check out our extensive range of dishwasher door related spares here to help restore your appliance back to full working order.
For a more detailed look at how to replace the door latch, you can see our video guide.
Cause 3
Door Cable
If your dishwasher has the cable which stops the door from slamming down you may find that the cord has become damaged or worn over time. Like most items, these cables can also eventually suffer from wear and tear. To look at removing and replacing the cord follow these simple steps.
Depending on your model, the process may vary.
Safety First! Please ensure that you have disconnected the appliance from the mains before starting any repair.
- First, on most models remove the top, this usually has 2 screws at the back.
- Now the screws for the side panels - these are located at the front and top.
- You can now access to the springs, pulleys, brake and cord/cable.
With access, you can now identify if the cable has failed and if so replace if required.
If you have diagnosed that the cable is faulty, see our range of dishwasher spares to get your appliance restored.
For a more detailed guide on how to replace the cable see our video.
Cause 4
Door Handle
Looking at your dishwasher’s door may not instantly show signs of faults. After performing multiple checks to ensure that the door lock actually engages and locks and the pulley is not damaged - it is then best to turn your attention to the door handle.
Safety First! Please make sure that you've switched off your appliance and disconnected it from the mains before beginning any repair.
The door handle is located on the inside of the door of the appliance:
- Feeling around on the inside should be enough to identify that the handle is faulty.
- If the handle can be moved and has little to no resistance then may indicate the handle is faulty and requires replacing.
If the handle needs replacing don’t forget to check out our extensive range of spares here to help restore your appliance.
To see how to remove and replace the original faulty part see our easy to follow video guide.
Cause 5
Hinges
The hinges are imperative to the operation of your dishwasher, if the door can’t be opened or closed properly because of faulty hinges - your dishwasher will be nothing more than a space waster and good for nothing. However, we are going to help you to check the hinges to confirm if they are the root cause to why your door struggles to open and close correctly.
Safety First! Please make sure that you've switched off your appliance and disconnected it from the mains before beginning any repair.
To help identify if the hinges are to blame for your door not opening and closing correctly follow the steps below.
- Drop the door down as far as it will go - this will allow you to clearly inspect the hinges for any sign of damage.
- If there are signs of damage, to keep your dishes clean replace the hinges as required.
If you do need to replace the hinges see our extensive range of dishwasher spares to get your dishwasher opening and closing smoothly once again.
For help on replacing the hinges see our video guide.