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How To Fix It

How To Fix It

Appliances

Amana Dishwasher Not Drying? Troubleshoot 4 causes

Do you have an Amana dishwasher not drying your dishes? This is an integral part of the wash process and signifies something is wrong with your machine. Let’s look at four causes that might be stopping your dishwasher’s HOT AIR.

People usually judge their Amana dishwasher’s performance by how well it cleans their kitchenware. However, you must not ignore its ability to dry your dishes correctly after every wash cycle. If your machine leaves your dishes wet, you should troubleshoot it immediately.

Your Amana dishwasher isn’t drying your kitchenware because the water is too cold or the racks are overloaded or loaded incorrectly. Besides that, a clogged vent or failed vent motor can also cause its drying ability to suffer. If there’s nothing wrong with the dishwasher or its parts, it could be because you’re not using a rinse aid when you should.

Read through this guide to discover why your Amana dishwasher isn’t drying and what you can do to fix it yourself.

Why Is My Amana Dishwasher Not Drying?

Your kitchenware shouldn’t come out wet from your Amana dishwasher. So if that happens, here are the most likely reasons why:

Water Too Cold

About this: As you might know, water and detergent are two of the most crucial ingredients that your Amana dishwasher uses to clean your kitchenware.

However, many people overlook that dishwasher water must also be hot. The high temperature ensures that the water can remove food bits and stains from the dishes’ surfaces.

amana dishwasher not drying cold water

Besides that, the hot water maximizes the detergent’s effectiveness at breaking down grease and other impurities on your kitchenware.

What’s wrong: When your Amana dishwasher fails to dry your dishes, you should check the water temperature first. Your appliance is likely using water that’s too cold for the dishwashing process.

Cold water doesn’t just hinder the cleaning process. But it also makes it much more challenging for the machine to dry those items by the end of the cycle.

In simple terms, cold water won’t evaporate so quickly. So, it’ll stay on your dishes, leaving them wet, even at the end of the wash cycle.

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How to fix it: There are only two reasons why the water in your Amana dishwasher is cold. Firstly, check if your dishwasher is connected to your cold water line. If that’s the case, you should change it to your hot water supply line instead.

Secondly, the heating element in your dishwasher has failed. That will prevent your appliance from heating the cold water inside.

If the heating element has failed, replace it with a new one.

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Read: Why LG Dishwasher Starts And Stops?

Incorrect Loading

About this: Another often overlooked step in using an Amana dishwasher is loading the racks correctly. Your plates, cutlery, and other kitchenware must be placed in the correct position in your Amana dishwasher to ensure that they get washed and dried perfectly.

For example, plates are often loaded at an angle. That ensures that the spinning wash arms can clean all stains and bits off each plate without any problems.

Also, loading plates that way allows water to fall off and air to flow through easily. Both are important to ensure each dish can dry by the end of the cycle.

What’s wrong: An Amana dishwasher not drying suggests that the items inside aren’t loaded correctly. 

For example, individual items aren’t positioned correctly, or the racks are overloaded with too many things. Even though the dishwasher is in excellent working condition, incorrect loading or overloading will prevent your dishes from drying as they should.

How to fix it: Your Amana dishwasher owner’s manual is the best reference to learn how to load your machine correctly. That’s because the manufacturer provides instructions for each kind of item, from dishes to cutlery, should be arranged.

Once you learn how to load your dishwasher correctly, the items you wash will come out dry.

dishwasher not drying incorrect loading

Read: Why LG Dishwasher Keeps Turning Off?

Not Using Rinse Aid (dishwasher not drying)

About this: Besides water and detergent, many people use rinse aid in their Amana dishwasher. 

Rinse aid is a surfactant that lowers the water’s surface tension in your dishwasher. That’s especially useful if you live in an area with hard water.

More importantly, using a rinse aid helps the water slide off your dishes quickly. As a result, it prevents water spots from developing on the surface and makes each item easier to dry.

What’s wrong: A lack of rinse aid can be why your Amana dishwasher isn’t drying enough. That’s why you’ll find more moisture than usual on your plates, cups, and other items loaded into your machine.

How to fix it: In this case, the solution is straightforward: you should use rinse aid in your Amana dishwasher. As you read above, the rinse aid makes it easier for water to slide off your dishes’ surfaces, making them easier to dry.

Using a rinse aid also has an added benefit: leaving you with cleaner dishes at the end of each cycle.

Read: Why LG Dishwasher Smells Bad And How To Fix It?

Clogged Vent Or Failed Vent Motor

dishwasher vent motor

About this: Your Amana dishwasher might look like a sealed compartment at first glance. Although that’s mostly true, it also has a vent that allows moist air and steam to escape during the drying stage of any wash cycle.

Remember: the air inside your dishwasher gets moist and hot during drying. If that moist air doesn’t escape, it’ll leave your dishes wet again when you remove it.

Your dishwasher vent is also supported by a vent motor that drives that moist air out even faster.

The faster your Amana dishwasher can get moist air out of the compartment, the better it’ll be at drying the dishes inside.

What’s wrong: The final thing to consider when your Amana dishwasher isn’t drying is that the vent is clogged or the vent motor has failed.

Both problems will prevent moist air from escaping your dishwasher at the end of a cycle. As a result, the humid air will leave your dishes wet again by the end of the cycle.

How to fix it: Firstly, inspect the vent on your dishwasher for any blockages. There could be a dust buildup in the vent, or a foreign object could have fallen inside. Remove the blockage and clean out any dust you find.

Once you’re confident that the vent is clear, you’ll have to check the vent motor next. A standard

multimeter can tell whether or not the motor still has electrical continuity. If the motor has failed, you must install a new one inside.

Unfortunately, the drying capabilities of your Amana dishwasher will suffer until you get a failed fan replaced. So, it’s best not to delay doing that if necessary.

Read: Why LG Dishwasher Not Cleaning Dishes?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here’s some additional help for you when troubleshooting your Amana dishwasher not drying:

Can You Run A Dishwasher With Cold Water?

Yes, you can use your Amana dishwasher with cold water. However, it will be less effective at cleaning and drying your dishes than using hot water.

Is Rinse Aid Necessary?

Rinse aid is an optional ingredient to use for most people. However, those living in areas with hard water might find it necessary to get clean and dry dishes out of their Amana dishwasher.

Read: LG Dishwasher Diagnostic Mode. How To Enter?

Can I Use Vinegar Instead Of Rinse Aid?

You can use vinegar instead of rinse aid in your Amana dishwasher. Plain white vinegar is the best; you only have to fill it in the rinse aid dispenser.

Do You Need To Dry Dishes After The Dishwasher?

No, if your Amana dishwasher is functioning correctly, you don’t need to dry your dishes after the dishwasher. However, if you must do that, it means your Amana dishwasher has a problem.

Do You Need To Dry Your Dishwasher?

Normally, you do not need to dry your dishwasher. However, you can leave the door open to dry away any excess water trapped inside.

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