There are whole loads of reasons why your GE dishwasher won’t start. In some cases, it could be a result of a slight power outage while in some other cases the problem might be coming from the GE dishwasher.
Since you are here to figure out why your GE dishwasher won’t start and what possible steps you can take to self-diagnose it You are in the right place.
In this post, I will be breaking down all the possible reasons why your GE dishwasher isn’t starting but its Display light is on and some steps you can take to troubleshoot that without calling the services of a repairman
Why your GE Dishwasher won’t start
probably your GE dishwasher comes on. meaning the display light is visible and the keys give off a beep sound once pressed or maybe the display light is coming on which means your GE dishwasher isn’t ON. For each of these scenarios, I will be breaking down all possible reasons why your GE dishwasher won’t start and why it is not coming ON.
1 . No power supply
In a scenario where your GE dishwasher isn’t coming on, then it is obvious that the problem you are facing comes from the power supply, Maybe the socket which you connected your Dishwasher to has burnt or the circuit breakage is faulty.
Over here, all you have to do is change the power outlet of the GE dishwasher, to see if it would work. If it does, then the Power outlet needs a repair.
2 . Your Child Lock Feature is ON
The “Child-Lock” is a safety feature that comes with the GE Dishwasher. What it does is prevent children from tampering with the Dishwasher.
With the “child-lock” turned on, it is easier to prevent children from unnecessarily tinkering with the system.
That said here, all you have to do is locate the “Child Lock” feature on the control panel” and press it for 3 seconds to turn it off.
3 . Not properly Closed Door
Just like other similar electronic devices such as a microwave, if your dishwasher door is not correctly slammed your GE dishwasher won’t start.
So in that case, you need to ensure the door is properly closed and latched
Also, you need to check whether the switch is mechanically activated once the door is closed to ensure there are no issues with it.
If the door is closing properly another treason why your GE dishwasher won’t start is the touchpad.
4 . Issues with the Touchpad
Not all model of the GE dishwasher uses a Touchpad, However, if you are using a model that does, your touchpad could be the reason why your GE dishwasher won’t start properly, it is broken.
Now, you might not be able to easily notice that until you press all the keys on the touchpad with no response. This is a good indication that the touchpad is faulty and needs a replacement.
5 . Water Supply not Functioning
If there is no water being supplied to your GE dishwasher, it won’t work. The dishwasher needs water to function and among other things, The water valve which supplies water into the dishwasher at low-pressure works together with the unit.
If the water valve is faulty, you could either experience a leak due to excessive water gushing out of the valve, or you could experience a sudden halt in the dishwasher operation.
If your dishwasher is leaking you should check out this post.
6 . Defective Thermal Fuse
The thermal fuse has one job, which is to trip off the GE dishwasher anytime the temperature exceeds a certain degree. It does this to prevent overheating.
In a scenario where the Dishwasher begins to overheat, the Fuse will trip off the unit.
You might not be able to do this by yourself so you should call a repairman to help out.
7 . Faulty Drive Motor
The drive motor has one job which is to circulate water throughout the system to keep everything clean.
Now, you might not easily figure out if the drive motor is faulty, however, a good rule of thumb is this. If you noticed the motor giving off a humming sound the last time you used the dishwasher, it might be the reason why it is not starting.
Since you’ve noticed this, it might not be easy to replace as you might have to disassemble some parts to get to the drive motor. In that case, your best bet is to call a repairman
8 . Reset Your dishwasher
Sometimes you might be faced with Cycle settings issues which could stop your GE dishwasher from starting. If you are having an error code or cycle setting issue, your best bet is to reset your dishwasher
If you are unsure of how to do that, here is how you can go about it.
- On your GE dishwasher, press the Start/Reset button or Start/Restart Button.
- After doing this, the cycle will be cancelled while allowing the water in the system to start draining
- While the water is coming out, the light will begin to blink indicating the reset process is ongoing.
- Once the light stops blinking, the dishwasher will be reset.
- Now you can turn on the dishwasher to start it
That said if you are still stuck with your GE dishwasher won’t start, or you are facing any electrical issue that you can’t resolve on your own, then you should request a repair from GE company if it hasn’t exceeded a year since you purchased the dishwasher or simply call the services of an electrician
GE dishwasher won’t start but has power
In a scenario where your GE dishwasher won’t start but has power, it simply means the problem isn’t coming from the circuit breaker or the power outlet, it means the problem is coming from the Dishwasher.
If you are faced with an issue like this, you check through the troubleshooting steps below to figure it out
- Check for a properly closed door.
- Check if the door is well latched.
- Check for a broken thermal fuse
- Check for a working touchpad
- Check for a defective water valve
- Check if Child-lock is not ON
GE dishwasher start light blinking
In a scenario where your GE dishwasher is blinking. It signifies that the dishwasher is resetting. The dishwasher may take cos to 2 minutes before the blinking goes off completely.
GE dishwasher not draining
There are a lot of reasons why your GE dishwasher won’t drain, probably the drain hose is blocked, the solenoid is faulty or the drain pump is having an issue.
That said, if your GE dishwasher is not draining below are the troubleshooting steps you should take to resolve it
- Check for Clogged Drain Hose
- Check for Clogged Drain Filter
- Replace Faulty Drain Pump
- Replace Faulty Drain Pump Impeller
- Replace Faulty Solenoid
You can check here for a more comprehensive article on how to fix GE dishwasher not draining.
How do you reset a GE dishwasher that won’t start?
Resting your Ge dishwasher isn’t hard since your GE dishwasher comes with a reset button, That said, here is how to reset your GE dishwasher
- On your GE dishwasher, press the Start/Reset button or Start/Restart Button.
- After doing this, the cycle will be cancelled while allowing the water in the system to start draining
- While the water is coming out, the light will begin to blink indicating the reset process is ongoing.
- Once the light stops blinking, the dishwasher will be reset.
- Now you can turn on the dishwasher to start it
Conclusion:
After going through the troubleshooting steps above by now, you should be able to resolve GE dishwasher won’t start. If not you should contact GE customer support That said, you can take advantage of the 1-year repair warranty if you haven’t got one anytime your dishwasher harbors faults.