If your dishwasher will not start when you press the button, this can be frustrating. This is especially true if you have filled the dishwasher with dirty dishes that you will have to remove and clean by hand. To help you, below are three reasons why this can happen so you can get the dishwasher repaired. 

Power Problems

The first thing to check is to make sure there is power going into the dishwasher. Find the circuit breaker panel in your home. This may be on a wall in a hallway, the laundry room, or in a closet. You can also find the circuit panel in the basement or in the garage. Many people put this panel in an area that they can easily access but is also out of sight.

When you find the panel, open the door and find the circuit breaker for the dishwasher. Each circuit breaker should be labeled for what it powers. If the circuit breaker is tripped, turn it back on and try to turn on your dishwasher. If it turns on, then this is your problem. If you continue to have problems with this circuit breaker, contact an electrician.

Door Latch Problems

If the door on your dishwasher will not close all the way, it will not run. This could be something easy like something blocking the door, such as a dish. When you close the door, you should hear it click when it completely closes. 

If you do not see anything blocking the door, you should hire a professional contractor to repair the dishwasher for you. There may be broken parts inside the dishwasher that you cannot see. The switch may be broken and have to be replaced. If you try to repair the dishwasher yourself, you can find a company that sells replacement parts for appliances. Refer to the manual that came with your dishwasher as the part may be easy to replace.  

Selector Switch Problems

If you open the door on your dishwasher while it is running, this can cause problems when it tries to change wash cycles. For example, it may be washing and cannot change to rinsing. Depending on the model of dishwasher you have you may see lights flashing or you may see nothing that looks different. Your dishwasher will then stop running immediately. 

Turn the power off for the dishwasher and then turn it back on to see if this readjusts the cycles to get them back in order. If this does not work, you will need to reset your dishwasher. Refer to the manual that you received when you got your dishwasher on how to do this. If the problem continues it could be a part inside the dishwasher that needs to be replaced. 

If you want to replace parts for home appliances, you may be able to find them in your area or can purchase them from a company that sells replacement parts online.