Is your Whirlpool dishwasher not turning on, and thus, you can’t run it? Have you been trying to locate the fault but can’t find it?
Your Whirlpool dishwasher is not turning on because of the lack of power, incorrect setting, an unlatched door, failed water supply, or a defective component.
The component in mind could be the touchpad, drive motor, timer, or electronic control board. If one fails or malfunctions, the dryer will have difficulty turning on, let alone starting.
But unlike most issues, it’s easy to troubleshoot a Whirlpool dishwasher that won’t turn on, and it all starts with identifying one of the five mentioned issues.
Once you establish the most probable cause, you can determine its fix, which this guide will help you do.
Let’s dive in!
In a hurry? Below is a quick troubleshooting guide for a Whirlpool dishwasher that won’t turn on.
Whirlpool Dishwasher Not Turning On – Quick Troubleshooting Guide
| Likely Reason | Fix | |
| 1. | Lack of Power (a loose cord, wall switch off, defective outlet, damaged cord, tripped breaker, blown-up fuse, or faulty wiring) | Firmly fix the power cord into the wall outlet and turn it on; replace the outlet, power cord, or fuse if they lack continuity; and reset a tripped breaker. Call a dishwasher expert to fix a faulty wiring |
| 2. | Incorrect Setting (Delayed Wash, Demo Mode, or Control Lock) | Cancel Delay Wash or Demo Mode and disable Control Lock if any of them is active |
| 3. | Unlatched Door | Remove any deterrence and properly latch the door. If it won’t, replace the door switch if it proves defective |
| 4. | Failed Water Supply | Ensure the water supply shutoff valve is open |
| 5. | Defective Component | Replace the touchpad, drive motor, timer, or electronic control board if any of them is defective |
Why Is My Whirlpool Dishwasher Not Turning On?
Your Whirlpool dishwasher does not turn on due to one of these five issues:
1. The Lack Of Power (Whirlpool Dishwasher Power Off)
You must check if your dishwasher has power when it won’t turn on. In that case, check if the lights are on. If they aren’t, then you have a power issue at hand.
Sometimes, however, it might not be a serious issue, as it could be an outage you’ve no control over. However, once you rule out a power blackout, consider that your Whirlpool dishwashers power is off due to any of these issues:
- The power cord could be loose/unplugged – Check if your dishwasher’s power plug is well plugged into the wall socket. It might be loose, or you might have forgotten to plug it in, and that’s why your dishwasher lacks power.
- Wall switch could be off – It’s easy to forget to turn on the wall socket switch after plugging in the dishwasher. So, double-check this when your dishwasher doesn’t power up.
- The power outlet could be defective – Sometimes the issue could be the wall socket which might be faulty. You can check if that’s the case using a multimeter or plugging the dishwasher into a different socket.
- The power cord could be damaged – If the power cord is defective, it won’t power up the dishwasher, and the dishwasher will therefore fail to turn on.
- A possible blown-up fuse – The thermal fuse’s job is to safeguard the dishwasher in the event of a power surge. In such a case, the fuse blows up instead of the dishwasher, cutting off the dishwasher’s power supply.
Others
- The power breaker could be tripped up – The circuit breaker trips up (goes off) during a power surge to protect the dishwasher. But just like a blown-up fuse, it cuts off the dishwasher’s power supply.
- The dishwasher’s wiring could be faulty – If your dishwasher is still off up to this point, the issue is likely faulty wiring, which an expert can help you fix.
Fix
Check if your dishwasher is plugged into the wall socket and turned on. If it’s not, ensure it is. Use a multimeter to examine if the power cord, outlet, and thermal fuse have electrical continuity.
If any of them doesn’t, replace it. And if you still cannot power up your dishwasher, call a pro to fix any wiring fault.
Remember, however, that it all starts with ruling out a power blackout. If there’s a blackout, then it makes no sense to perform the above troubleshooting. You have to wait for the power.
2. Incorrect Setting
Some settings stop your dishwasher from running, and they include the following:
- Control Lock – The Control Lock’s purpose is to stop any unintended dishwasher operation when the washer is running or off. It’s designed to keep kids off the dishwasher and generally prevents the dishwasher from starting when on.
- Sleep Mode – The Sleep Mode puts the dishwasher on standby, and when it’s active, the dishwasher can’t turn on and run.
- Delay Wash – Whirlpool dishwashers have the Delay Wash or Delay Start function that allows them to start at a later (preset) time. The feature lets you add detergent and load the dishes without the hurry of testing the dishwasher immediately.
Fix
You’ll need to disable Control Lock and Cancel Sleep Mode or Delay Wash if any of those settings are active.
To disable Control Lock;
- Press the Control Lock switch for 3 – 4 seconds to turn the light off.
To cancel Sleep Mode;
- Open and shut the dishwasher door and press Start/Resume to restart the dishwasher. Alternatively, press Cancel and Start a new cycle.
And to cancel Delay Wash;
- Press Cancel/Drain and select Start/Resume to begin a new cycle
Important Note
You’ll need to disable the sleep mode before disabling the control lock.
3. Unlatched Door
Your Whirlpool dishwasher will also fail to turn on due to an unlatched door. It could be that something (perhaps a dish rack) is preventing the door from properly latching. It could also be that its switch is defective.
Fix
Check if the dish rack is obstructing the door and get it out of the way to try and firmly latch the door. However, if the door doesn’t lock, consider checking if its witch has electrical continuity (use a multimeter). If it doesn’t, replace the switch.
4. Failed Water Supply
Your Whirlpool dishwasher needs a sufficient water supply before it can start running. However, you may forget to turn on the water supply shutoff valve. Once that’s the case, the dishwasher won’t turn on.
Fix
Check under your kitchen sink if the dishwasher’s water supply dial/knob is in the off position. If it is, you need to turn it to the on position to allow the valve to open up and water to flow to the dishwasher. You’ll need to turn the supply knob counterclockwise to open the valve.
5. Failed Component
Lastly, consider that your Whirlpool dishwasher won’t turn on because one of its pivotal components is defective. It could be one of these:
- Touchpad – Some control panel buttons won’t work if the touchpad is defective. In this case, one might be the start button. Consequently, you may need to press all buttons to confirm that.
- Drive motor – The drive motor circulates the dishwashing water. If it’s defective, water will fail to spread in the dishwasher, and the drive motor may become too loud.
- Timer – The timer dictates how water fills the dishwasher and determines power flow. If it’s defective, the dishwasher won’t fill up with water.
- Electronic control board – And if the failed component is not the touchpad, timer, or drive motor, it’s more likely the electronic control board (ECB). The ECB is an integral member of the main control board.
Fix
Replace any of the above dishwasher components once you confirm they are faulty.
Whirlpool Dishwasher No Power No Lights
If your Whirlpool dishwasher has no power and no lights, you cannot overlook a failed power supply. In that case, watch out for these issues:
- An outage or power blackout
- An unplugged, loosely plugged, or damaged power cord
- The wall socket is off
- A defective power outlet
- Tripped breaker
- Blown-up /burnt fuse
What Do You Do When Your Whirlpool Dishwasher Won’t Turn On?
You can do several things to troubleshoot a Whirlpool dishwasher that won’t turn on. They include:
Step 1 – Reset the dishwasher
If the dishwasher has the start/reset button, press it for a few seconds on the control panel to reset it. And if you can’t find the reset button, hard reset the dishwasher.
You can do that by plugging it out or flipping the breaker off for about a minute and restoring power.
Step 2 – Check the dishwashers power supply
Check if your dishwasher has power, and if it doesn’t, do the following:
- Ensure the power cord is firmly plugged in and turned on
- Reset the circuit breaker if it’s off
- Inspect the power cord, wall socket, and thermal fuse with a multimeter and replace them if they show no continuity
- Call a pro if you can’t power on the dishwasher
Step 3 – Check the settings
If Sleep Mode or Delay Wash is active, cancel them. And if Control Lock is enabled, disable it.
Step 4 – Properly latch the door
If the dishwasher door is not well latched, ensure you do so. Remove the dish rack if it’s blocking the door, and if the door doesn’t lock, perform the multimeter continuity check on the micro switch to see if it has continuity. If it doesn’t, replace it.
Step 5 – Check on the water supply shutoff
Ensure you turn on the water supply shutoff valve by turning the supply knob counterclockwise.
Step 6 – Replace defective component
In particular, check if the touchpad, timer, drive motor, or electronic control board is defective and replace it. If you can’t do it, talk to a dishwasher expert.
Closing Thought On the Whirlpool Dishwasher Not Turning On:
Generally, it doesn’t go past the shared five reasons when your Whirlpool dishwasher won’t turn on. It could be that the dishwasher lacks power or water, the setting is wrong, the door is improperly latched, or a major component is defective.
The inspection components include the touchpad, timer, drive motor, and electronic control board. However, don’t hesitate to approach a dishwasher expert when you can’t troubleshoot it.
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