Why Does My Dishwasher Dry Dishes on a Half-Cycle?

If you own a dishwasher, you’re probably used to the luxury of putting messy dishes in, walking away and returning to sparkling, dry dishes. There are many different cycles dishwashers have today, including a half-cycle, which uses less water and energy to clean a partial load of dishes. This half-cycle can be nice for those who don’t have a lot of dishes but still need them clean.

However, you may find that, after running a half-cycle, your dishes aren’t dry like you’re used to them being after a full cycle! There are a few reasons for this, including that your dishwasher parts may be faulty and in need of replacement. If your dishwasher isn’t drying dishes well on a half-cycle, read on to see if you need dishwasher repair in St. Peters, MO.

How dishwashers dry dishes

First, it’s important that you understand how dishwashers actually dry your dishes before trying to determine if your appliance is broken. Older dishwashers utilize a heated element located at the bottom of your appliance. This would heat the dishwasher and cause your dishes to dry. However, this uses a lot of energy.

Newer dishwashers have abandoned the heating elements in favor of a condensation drying system. A heated rinse at the end of a cycle coats dishes in hot water. Then, the cool interior walls of the dishwasher draw the hot water off of dishes, causing them to dry.

Why won’t half-cycle dry?

Now that you understand the two methods of drying in older or newer dishwashers, you can work to determine why a half-cycle won’t dry your dishes. This boils down to two major issues: the dishwasher doesn’t come with that capability, or you need new dishwasher parts:

• Not all models have half-cycle drying: The purpose of half-cycles are to be efficient and use less water and energy. Since drying cycles use more energy, not all models provide it as an option during half-cycles. Check your user manual to determine if your half-cycle should be drying your dishes, or if you need dishwasher repair.
• Dishwasher heating element: If you have an older dishwasher, your appliance likely dries using a heating element. This element may be broken and in need of replacement if it does not create any or enough heat to fully dry your dishes.
• High limit thermostat: The high limit thermostat regulates the temperature inside your dishwasher to prevent it from overheating. If the thermostat is bad, it might shut off or turn down the heat before your dishes are able to dry.

You should be able to check the functionality of the heating element or thermostat yourself using a multimeter, but make sure the dishwasher power is disconnected first. Or, call a professional who specializes in dishwasher repair to have them inspect the appliance and replace any faulty dishwasher parts.

If you need dishwasher repair in St. Peters, MO, contact Crews Appliance Repair! We are experts at repairing all major household appliances, have decades of industry experience and offer 100-day warranties with our quality repair service and dishwasher parts in St. Peters, MO. Call us today!

Categorised in: Dishwasher Repair

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