So your Samsung dishwasher has been working well right up until today; when you go to turn it on and ... nothing! Your dishwasher display could show that it is on, but the machine has failed to start a wash cycle.
No need to worry just yet, as we've detailed 15 troubleshooting steps to get your dishwasher back up and running.
Troubleshooting Steps
1. Check the touch power on the dishwasher.
The touch power button is part of the dishwasher’s touchpad. Touch power helps in selecting and starting a cycle.
The touchpad on your Samsung dishwasher is what you use to send instructions to the machine to start washing dishes.
Make sure your hands are dry and that you are not wearing gloves when trying to use the touchpad. This could be why it is not functioning well.
The touchpad is connected to the dishwasher’s control panel.
To check it, remove the control panel and check if there is any corrosion between the touchpad and the control panel.
Use a pencil eraser to rub off any visible corrosion, and try turning the dishwasher on. If it still fails, the touchpad may have to be replaced.
2. Check your circuit breaker.
Circuit breakers trip all the time for a few reasons. Your circuit breaker could have tripped because too much electricity was flowing through it, and it couldn’t handle all that electricity.
If your Samsung dishwasher’s touchpad is entirely blank and doesn’t show any lights, you need to check your circuit breaker.
Go to your house’s electrical panel, check if the breaker that powers the dishwasher is off, and turn it on.
Usually, the electrical panel will have a “Dishwasher” label next to the dishwasher breaker.
3. Check the power source (commonly a switch near the dishwasher).
Check that your Samsung dishwasher is plugged into a power source that works. If there is a switch on the wall outlet, make sure you turn it on.
The dishwasher can’t turn on if the switch is off.
Some wall outlets don’t have a switch. You need to confirm that the plug is firmly inside the wall socket.
This might sound obvious but don’t forget to check if your house is powered by electricity. You could be panicking, yet all other appliances are off due to a power interruption.
4. Child Lock is ON.
If the touchpad works well, check if your Samsung dishwasher’s Child Lock is ON.
Child Lock is a safety feature that protects your children from possible danger from the machine.
It prevents any other buttons on the dishwasher from being pressed. This includes the button to start any cycle.
Please disable Child Lock if it is ON and the dishwasher will turn on.
Depending on your dishwasher model, press the Child Lock button or the Dry+ button for 3 seconds to disable Child Lock.
5. Water Supply Issue.
Your Samsung dishwasher will not start any cycle if there is no water in the dishwasher.
Check your water supply and make sure the waterline is connected well.
Check that the water supply valve or tap is fully open.
This may also seem obvious, but make sure the water supply to your house has not been cut off. Check to see if other water outlets in the house have flowing water.
6. The door is completely not closing.
Your dishwasher can’t turn on if the door has refused to close. There are several reasons why the door is not locked.
Check if the AutoRelease feature has been engaged. Dishwashers automatically use this feature at the end of a cycle to help dry the dishes faster. This means the machine will be unable to close during that time.
Remove any poorly placed dishes or adjust the racks to make sure nothing is in the way of the door.
7. Check Door Latch and Door Switch.
Check your dishwasher door to make sure it is properly closed and fastened. Your Samsung dishwasher is designed to only work when the door is sealed very well.
It’s also possible for your dishwasher to fail to turn on even when appropriately closed. The dishwasher latch could be faulty, but this is easy to check.
Test the micro-switch in the door latch for continuity using a multimeter. If you get a negative result on your multimeter, the door latch is faulty, and you have to replace it.
8. Check the installation specifically if recently installed.
If you’ve just had your Samsung dishwasher installed, it’s common for it to fail to turn on. Several issues would cause this sort of problem.
For example, a poorly installed drain hose could be the reason why your dishwasher has failed to turn on.
If you installed the dishwasher on your own, please check your user manual and make sure you followed all the steps well.
9. Reset your dishwasher
Before performing any reset on your Samsung dishwasher, you should first follow the troubleshooting steps.
Resetting your machine could potentially give it a clean slate and erase all errors from the dishwasher’s memory. But it does not mean that the cause of the error has been solved. Most times, the error will come back soon.
Unplug the dishwasher from the wall outlet for 5 minutes to reset your dishwasher. If you can’t see any plug, you should turn off the dishwasher’s circuit breaker for 5 minutes and try again.
10. Check For an Issue With The Thermal Fuse.
Your Samsung dishwasher’s thermal fuse is located around the control panel.
The thermal fuse can blow up when your dishwasher overheats.
You can check if it’s still working by using your multimeter to test for continuity.
If there’s no continuity, then the fuse has blown, and you should replace it with a good one.
11. Network Reset.
This kind of reset is not the same as the ‘dishwasher reset.’ It can only be done if your dishwasher is a smart dishwasher that can connect to WiFi.
The purpose of this reset is to wipe out all the WiFi data on your dishwasher’s memory.
Follow these steps;
Touch the ‘Smart Control’ button for 3 seconds until the display shows ‘AP’.
Touch the ‘Hi-Temp Wash’ button for 7 seconds and wait for the dishwasher to make a sound.
Lastly, turn the machine off.
12. Drain hose issues (codes: 5C, 5E, OC or OE)
If your Samsung dishwasher is displaying error codes 5C or 5E, the machine has drainage issues.
Usually, the filter is clogged with debris or the drain hose is twisted and it can’t drain water after a cycle.
Unclog the drain hose and install it properly to remove these errors.
If your dishwasher is displaying error codes OC or OE, the machine has water level issues. The dishwasher is flooding. You need to turn off your water supply, check the dishwasher hose and filters and make sure they are not clogged.
13. Incorrect Dishwasher Setting.
If everything is fine at this stage, make sure you have selected the right dishwasher setting.
Check if you are selecting a wash cycle and not some other feature.
For example, if you hold the Start button for too long, the dishwasher does not start a cycle. The dishwasher instead goes into Cancel & Drain mode.
14. Defective Timer.
Some dishwashers have a manual timer that controls the machine instead of the control board.
If your Samsung dishwasher’s timer is faulty, it may prevent the machine from automatically moving from one cycle to another.
The timer on your dishwasher controls all the processes. It helps the machine to move from the wash cycle to the rinse cycle and to the heat cycle.
Check the timer by turning it around to see if there is any problem with it. If it’s stuck or too loose then it’s faulty and you need to replace it.
15. Faulty Drive Motor.
If your Samsung Dishwasher fills but does not continue into a wash cycle, the problem could be a faulty drive motor.
Check the area around the motor to make sure nothing is preventing the motor from rotating well.
If you can’t see anything, check and make sure that the connector to the drive motor is fitted correctly.
Remove the connector and test the motor lines for continuity using a multimeter. If there’s no continuity then the motor is faulty and you need to replace it.
16. Advanced troubleshooting and seeking professional help.
You have followed all the troubleshooting steps with your user manual but the dishwasher still can’t turn on. You should seek the help of a qualified technician.
If the motor tests negative for continuity then you might need to do a live voltage test and this may require the presence of a qualified technician.
If your dishwasher’s circuit breaker keeps on tripping when you turn it on, you need to call a qualified technician to fix your electricity.
Conclusion.
When your dishwasher fails to turn on, this can easily be solved without a technician.
Usually, the problem can be solved by removing Child Lock, selecting the right cycle setting, or shutting the door well.
Sometimes, it is simply an electricity or water supply issue that is solved by turning each of them on.
