How to Resolve Whirlpool Dishwasher not Drying

Always create enough space for air to circulate between each item placed in the dishwasher to avoid overloading. You can follow these rack-by-rack loading tips to have a better drying experience:

• For the Top Rack – Set glasses and bowls upside down for proper rinsing, which supports rapid and more effective drying process.
• For the Bottom Rack – Ensure that the dishes have enough spaces in between in a way that they do not touch one another, and be sure they are facing inward too for better rinsing and air circulation.
• For the Silverware basket: Avert nesting by rotating forks, spoons, and knives next to one another. In case the silverware basket has selected compartments, then you can place one item in each compartment.

After loading the dishes properly and your Whirlpool dishwasher won’t still dry, then you can proceed to the next step.

Add the Rinse Aid

Rinse aid is important to optimize the drying performance of the Whirlpool dishwasher. The rinse aid changes the surface tension of water droplets, which makes them easily roll off dishes and glassware. 

Although the rinse aid is known to make dishes sparkle, its primary function is to support rinsing. It achieves this by changing the water droplets’ structure so that they can run more effortlessly off the glasses and dishware.

Adding rinse aid helps in the drying process by reducing the amount of water left that a drying cycle must remove. To add rinse aid, follow the steps below:

• Locate the adjustable rinse agent dispensers that can be set to various amounts of rinse aid for each washing cycle.
• Pour rinse aid into the appropriate dispenser before every wash cycle.
• In case your Whirlpool dishwasher doesn’t dry dishes, you can adjust the amount of rinse aid by simply turning the dispenser’s adjuster to a higher setting.
• In situations when you have a pile of heavily soiled dishes, you will need to increase the quantity of rinse aid.
• You can increase the quantity of the rinse aid by simply tapping on the button with a “pie” symbol on the control panel.
• Whenever you press this button, there’s always an additional delay in how the rinse agent dispenser refills its supply.
• Always make sure that the rinse aid dispenser usually located on the interior door is full.
• If not, detach the cap on the dispenser and pour in sufficient rinse aid till the indicator shows it’s full.

If adding the rinse aid doe not solve the Whirlpool dishwasher not drying problems, then you need to go ahead to the next fix below.

Select Heat Dry

If your Whirlpool dishwasher heated dry is not working properly as it should, you might not have selected the function on your dishwasher control board. 

Since most Whirlpool dishwashers automatically apply the Heat Dry setting for most wash cycles. While using the “Quick” or “1 Hour” wash cycles, then you need to select the Heat Dry setting manually.

However, ensure the heated dry function has been selected before every wash cycle starts. Once this function has been chosen before the dishwasher begins, it helps the heating element to get ready for use at the accurate point in the wash cycle.

Go ahead with the next fix if enabling the Heat Dry function didn’t solve the Whirlpool dishwasher not drying problem.

Introduce Hotter Water

You may need to get hotter water once your Whirlpool dishwasher is not drying sufficiently. Since hot water evaporates faster, the dishes get easily dried.

Before you begin a dishwasher cycle, make the heated water readily available and as well run the hot water in your kitchen sink. Make sure that your home’s hot water supply is hot enough by keeping your water heater set to at least 120℉.

If introducing hotter water doesn’t fix this issue, ensure you proceed to the next solution below. 

Replace the damaged heating Element

The heating element is located near the bottom of the dishwasher and it helps to get the water hot enough to turn it into steam so that the fan can blow it out and leave everything inside nice and comfy dry. However, if the heating element is faulty, the water will never get hot let alone evaporate.

If you want to check if the heating element is damaged or not, you can run a wash cycle using the heated dry feature, and open the dishwasher door while still in the middle of a dry cycle. (Note: You need to be very careful as it may be very hot in there.) It should be very hot inside, and if you wave your hand over the heating element (without touching anything), you should be able to feel the heat emanating from it.

However, if there’s no heat, then you need to replace the heating element as soon as possible by removing it from the dishwasher and then using a multimeter to check the resistance of the heating element. You should get a value between the range of 8-30 ohms. Once the resistance is infinite, then this has been re-confirmed that you need to replace the heating element.

To change a heating element in a Whirlpool dishwasher, follow the steps below:

• Turn off the power to the dishwasher and the breaker.
• Switch off the water supply valve.
• Detach the lower dish rack.
• Unfasten all the screws holding the lower access panel in place.
• Remove the water supply line from the inlet valve (be ready for water to spill).
• Detach the screw so you can release the terminal block cover plate (Take note of the location of the wires).
• Disentangle the wire nut to detach the wires.
• Now, unfasten the screw for the grounding wire.
• With the aid of a flat head screwdriver, remove the straight relief nut.
• Pull the wires out from the junction box.
• Now, remove the drain hose from the sink or garbage disposal and feed it through the cabinet.
• Also, detach the mounting bracket screws.
• Screw in the front levelling legs firmly to ensure that the movement of the unit is made easier.
• Pull out the dishwasher away from the cabinet carefully.
• After it has been removed, tilt the dishwasher back so that the rear panel is resting on a towel carefully.
• Remove the wires to the heating element.
• Now, make use of a wrench to assist in removing the mounting nuts.
• Please the dishwasher upright carefully to remove the old element from the brackets
• Once you’ve been able to locate the old element, pull it out.
• Then, install the new element by positioning it with the brackets.
• Place the terminals via the bottom of the tank till the element is flush against it.
• Spike the appliance back up and start reassembling the unit for a wash cycle. 

This should fix the Whirlpool dishwasher not drying problem, but if it doesn’t move to the next solution below.

Replace the Defective Vent fan

Just like the heating element, the vent fan motor can also be checked using a multimeter. Once there is no continuity going through the part, then your vent fan needs to be replaced.

The vent fan is designed to blow steamy air out of the vent. In the case where the vent door is opening properly but the fan motor is malfunctioning, most of the steamy air will be trapped in the dishwasher.

You will need to remove the fan motor and use a multimeter to test it for continuity. Once there’s no continuity, then you need to replace the motor.

In case you discover, this is the problem, here’s how to replace the vent fan motor:

• Remove the power source from your Whirlpool dishwasher.
• With the aid of a nut driver, unthread the mounting screws from the lower access panels.
• Detach the outer and inner panels, and the attached insulation.
• Under the dishwasher, remove the vent fan motor wire connector.
• Remove the frill from the motor.
• With the aid of a socket, unthread the two mounting screws that firmly secure the vent fan motor to the frame.
• Daunt the locking tab to completely detach the motor.
• You may need to release the water inlet valve from the frame to ensure it is easier to detach the old motor.
• Finally, install the new motor and then move backwards following these steps to reassemble the unit.

In case replacing the faulty vent fan does not fix the Whirlpool dishwasher not drying, then you next to try the next step below.