Whirlpool Dishwasher Door Won't Close (How To Fix)

If you have a dishwasher, you know what a difference it makes in your life. You also know the stress it can cause when it does not work as it should. The most common irritating issue is the door not closing. Is your dishwasher door not closing?

A Whirlpool dishwasher door that won’t close may be due to an obstructed latch mechanism. The latch may become jammed with food particles or utensils that have fallen from the racks. Clear any obstructions from the latch area and ensure no dishware is protruding from the dishwasher racks, which could impede the door. If the latch is clear but the door still won’t close, the latch may be damaged and require replacement.

Dishwasher doors also may not close if the door seal, or gasket, is dirty or damaged. A dirty seal can prevent the door from fully closing, while a damaged seal may cause the door to latch improperly or not at all. Clean the door seal with a soft cloth and warm, soapy water. If the seal is damaged or worn out, replacing it will likely solve the problem, ensuring a tight seal when the door is shut.

It is the rare person these days that is not busy. We all lead busy lives. Whether we are trying to get to work, get to school, or just get things done around the house, we are busy.

As the saying goes,” Work smarter, not harder.” When we can find more efficient ways to work, we get more accomplished. And at the end of the day, we feel better.

Working efficiently lowers our stress and gives us more time back in our day. One appliance that helps to lighten our load and free up some of our time is the humble dishwasher.

Dishwashers have come a long way since their humble beginning in the 1880s. The first dishwasher relied on a hand crank to spray water over the dishes. The idea was good but it took some trial and error – and time, to become the amazing machine it is today.

Today dishwashers do more than just spray water over our dishes. They clean, disinfect, sanitize, and dry our dishes. You can choose a setting for the most delicate of dishes. Dishwashers keep our families healthy and give us more time to do other things.

Whirlpool Dishwasher Door Won’t Close

Whirlpool dishwashers are known for being a reliable appliance so it can be quite distressing when the door no longer closes. If your Whirlpool dishwasher door won’t close, here are two suggestions to solve the problem.

1. Improper Door Spring Tension

Whirlpool dishwasher doors have springs that allow the door to freely, and safely, open and close. The tension on the springs prevents the door from falling open. If the springs lose their tension, the door will not close properly.

The tension on the springs can be increased by adjusting the screws holding the springs in place. Using a Phillips-head screwdriver, turn the screws in a clockwise direction to increase the tension.

2. Unlevel Dishwasher

Aside from being a visual irritation, a dishwasher that is not level will not work properly. Case and point, the door will not close. If you can’t close the door, the dishwasher will not even start.

If your Whirlpool dishwasher was recently installed, you can adjust the feet on the dishwasher until it is level. Using a carpenter’s level when adjusting the feet will ensure your Whirlpool dishwasher is indeed level.

DID YOU KNOW:
Flashing lights on a Whirlpool dishwasher can indicate a stuck function button on the control panel. Continuous use can cause buttons to stick, triggering repeated flashing. To fix this, press each button on the control panel in sequence to see if one is stuck. If a button doesn’t click like the others, gently wiggle it to release it. Cleaning around the buttons can also help prevent sticking.

5 Reasons Why Whirlpool Dishwasher Door Won’t Close

It can be extremely stressful when our dishwasher does not work properly. There are a variety of reasons why a dishwasher stops working correctly but the most common reason has to do with the dishwasher door.

If your dishwasher door won’t close, make sure there is nothing inside the dishwasher obstructing the door. Remove or adjust any utensils or dishes that are too large or that might be obstructing the door. Make sure both the top and bottom loading racks are correctly aligned.

We don’t often pay our dishwasher much attention until it stops working. The most common reason a dishwasher is not working is that the door will not close. If we use the dishwasher often, the door is often the first thing to stop working correctly.

It can be very stressful when your dishwasher door does not close. If the door will not close, the dishwasher will not work, which means you basically now have an expense cabinet to hold dishes.

Before you go down the stressful road of thinking you need to buy a new dishwasher, the problem could be something simple and easy to fix. This article will address 5 common reasons why your dishwasher door will not close.

1. Unlevel Dishwasher

Was your dishwasher recently installed or moved? The dishwasher or the floor itself may be the culprit. A level dishwasher not only affects the overall appearance of your kitchen but also will affect how your dishwasher performs.

An unlevel dishwasher will cause the door to become misaligned. If the door is misaligned, it will not latch and seal properly.

The door latch and door strike both must align in order for the dishwasher door to not only close but also create a tight seal. When the dishwasher door is tightly closed, a sensor will detect the seal.

A signal is then sent to the dishwasher control panel that the dishwasher door has a water-tight seal and can now begin filling with water. Without a tight seal, the dishwasher will not turn on.

If the dishwasher door is misaligned, do not force the door shut. This will cause more damage to the door. You will run the risk of not being able to open the door later or damaging the door altogether.

2. Broken Door Handle

The dishwasher door takes a lot of use and abuse. We open and close the door so many times throughout the day. And, if we are honest, how many of us use our foot or hip to close the door?

The constant use and abuse of the door will cause it to wear out. When we slam the door shut or quickly open and close the door, the dishwasher door components can become misaligned or even broken.

More than being a nuisance, if the dishwasher door does not close correctly, this will affect your dishwasher’s ability to even work. The dishwasher is designed with a safety feature to only start once a tight, secure seal is sensed.

The first place to start your investigation is with the door handle. The dishwasher door handle gets the most use and is often the first component of the door to stop working correctly.

Inside the door handle is a spring-loaded latch that releases the handle from the strike plate. If the door handle is broken, the handle will become loose, almost as though it were floating. There will be no resistance when you touch it.

3. Misaligned Strike Plate

While it is rare for the strike plate to break, it can become misaligned or even loose over time. The strike plate is the metal plate located at the top of the dishwasher body. It has a large opening that the door latch connects to.

The door latch and strike plate must line up in order for the dishwasher door to close. If you find yourself slamming the dishwasher door or having to lift up on the door to close it, the latch and strike plate are misaligned.

4. Faulty Door Spring Tension

Unlike us humans, your dishwasher depends on tension to work correctly. What do I mean by this? Springs.

Dishwasher doors have springs that give the door the tension and strength it requires to open and close. The spring needs to retain its shape and strength in order to work.

Once the shape and strength are compromised, the spring is no longer effective. A sure sign the spring in your dishwasher door is defective is if the dishwasher door either closes too quickly, without any resistance, or it falls open.

5. Misaligned Dish Racks

Sometimes we take for granted how much abuse our dishwashers take. One such example is when we try to load every dish we own into the dishwasher. While dishwashers today are designed to hold a large load of dishes and utensils, they do a limit to what they can hold.

Loading too many dishes into the dishwasher will prevent the dishes from being properly and thoroughly cleaned. Another reason to avoid overloading the dishwasher is that it will cause the dish racks to become misaligned.

The weight of too many dishes can cause the dish racks to become unevenly placed on the tracks, preventing the door from closing. Depending on your model of dishwasher, this can also cause the utensil basket to obstruct the dishwasher door.

How To Reset Whirlpool Dishwasher

Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on January 25, 2023.

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