Why is my GE dishwasher not drying? (RESOLVED!)

There are two kinds of dishwasher owners: Those who rinse their plates before loading them into the racks, and those that have no regard for hygiene. Well, at least, that’s how I was taught—but boy was I wrong!

When I finally got a dishwasher, I always wondered why my dishes were still coming out wet. After a little bit of research, I learned that pre-rinsing is a myth, which actually affects the cleaning and drying performance of your dishwasher.

So, if your GE dishwasher isn’t drying, it most likely is a small error, which you can resolve in a jiffy. 

We’ll delve into the most common causes of drying issues below and show you how to troubleshoot them.

Why is my GE dishwasher not drying the dishes?

There are several causes for a GE dishwasher that won’t dry the dishes, including overcrowding, poor leveling, pre-rinsing, and not adding rinse aid.

If your dishes are coming out dirty and wet, you might have a broken heating element. A continuity check can help you confirm this.

Before making any repairs to your GE dishwasher, here are a few simple solutions to boost the drying process.

• Purge the water from the hot water line. Turn on the faucet close to the dishwasher before running a cycle to remove cold water from the line.

• Use a different heating function. Use Heated Dry or another function to add extra heat to the cycle and boost the drying performance of your dishwasher.

• Open the dishwasher door after the final rinse. Let the warm, moist air seep out of the unit to speed up the drying process.

If none of the solutions have worked for you, keep reading our guide to understand the possible causes of your drying problem. We will delve into the issues and provide step-by-step solutions to help you troubleshoot your dishwasher.

Causes and Solutions

A GE dishwasher that isn’t drying might need to be leveled properly. Use a level to check, then adjust the leveling legs accordingly.

To boost its drying performance, never pre-rinse the dishes. Just scrape off the food scraps, then load the dishes in the correct racks without overcrowding. 

Let’s take a closer look at the causes of drying issues on GE dishwashers. We also have step-by-step instructions to help you troubleshoot your problem.

Causes	Solutions
Pre-Rinsing Dishes	• Scrape the leftovers off the dishes before loading them into the dishwasher.  • Then, load all your plates, bowls, glasses, and utensils in the correct racks.
Overcrowding	• Add glasses, bowls, cups, and other small items on the upper rack. Keep them upside down, facing the spray arm, for better cleaning and drying results. • Load large items like plates, platters, and other similar items vertically on the bottom rack. • Mix your knives, forks, and spoons in the silverware basket to avoid nesting.
Improper Leveling	• Unplug the dishwasher or turn it off at the circuit breaker. Wear protective gloves. • Unmount the access panel at the bottom of the dishwasher using a ¼” nut driver. • Use a Phillips screwdriver to unthread the screws mounting the dishwasher to the cabinet. • Open the dishwasher door and remove the lower rack. • Place a carpenter’s level on the rack rail to check if the dishwasher is balanced from front to back. • Slightly pull the dishwasher out of the cabinet.  • Set the carpenter’s level on top of the door to check if it’s level from side to side. • Adjust the leveling legs using your hands or a wrench. Rotate the leg clockwise to raise its height and counterclockwise to lower it. • Use the carpenter’s level to check if the dishwasher is balanced horizontally and vertically. • Mount the dishwasher to the cabinet and reinstall the access panel. Restore power.
Water Supply Issue	• Turn on the faucet closest to the dishwasher to purge the cold water from the hot water supply line.  • Check the water’s temperature at the sink using a meat or candy thermometer, then adjust the water heater – if needed. • Use any of the available heat options in your dishwasher, such as Power Dry, and Dry Boost. • Or, select a wash cycle designed for heavy soil—Cookware, Pots and Pans, Potscrubber, etc.
No or Not Enough Rinse Aid	• Only use high-quality detergent or rinse aid to prevent performance issues. • Open the dishwasher door, then open the rinse aid dispenser door. • Pour rinse aid into the dispenser until the cup is full.  • Very hard water requires a full main cup and pre-wash cup while very soft water only needs ⅓ cup for a good wash. • Use a damp cloth to clean up any excess product around the dispenser to prevent foam from forming in the tub. • Close the dispenser door and the dishwasher door.
Faulty Heating Element	• Disconnect the power to the dishwasher. Shut off the water supply valve. • Open the door and pull out the lower rack. Then, unmount the kickplate and set it aside. • Unthread the water supply line elbow fitting from the inlet valve. Unmount the junction box cover and set it aside. Take off the nuts, then disconnect the wires. • Loosen the strain relief nut. Pull out the strain relief and power wires from the junction box. • Disconnect the drain hose from the garbage disposal or the sink drain. • Then, feed the hose through the cabinet. • Unfasten the screws securing the dishwasher to the cabinet. • Pull the dishwasher out of the cabinet. Lower the leveling legs, if needed. • Gently lay the dishwasher on its back. • Disconnect the wires for the heating element. Unthread the nuts securing the element. • Lift the dishwasher back up. Remove the lower spray arm.  • Carefully unseat the heating element and pull it out of the dishwasher. • Insert the new heating element into the clips and make sure it’s seated properly. • Reinstall the lower spray arm before laying the dishwasher on its back again. • Rethread the nuts securing the element, and reconnect the wires. • Lift the dishwasher back on its feet and slide it into the cabinet.  • Rethread the screws to secure the dishwasher to the cabinet. • Reconnect the drain hose to the sink drain or garbage disposal. • Align the strain relief nut and wires in the junction box. Then, tighten the strain relief nut. • Group the wires according to color and secure them together using the nuts. Reinstall the junction box cover and its screw. • Reconnect the water supply line fitting to the inlet valve. Reinstall the lower rack and mount the kickplate. • Turn on the water supply and restore power to the dishwasher.

Pre-Rinsing Dishes

Believe it or not, you don’t have to rinse your dishes before loading them into the racks. It impedes the cleaning process and often leads to poor results.

Modern dishwashers have special sensors that can determine the soil level of your dishes. Then, they will adjust the length and temperature of the cycle accordingly.

When you pre-rinse the dishes, your dishwasher will think that they are cleaner than they actually are. It might shorten the rinse and drying cycles, which can’t effectively clean the dishes.

Solution: Scrape the large food scraps off your plates and bowls. No need to rinse and wash them before loading them in their designated racks.

Overcrowding

No matter how unexciting dishwashing is, you can’t just stuff all your bowls and dishes into the tub and let the appliance do the rest. Unfortunately, your dishwasher can’t clean or dry the dishes if they are packed too tightly inside.

You might have to rinse and dry everything again. It will be a waste of time, energy, and water!

There is a science to loading the dishwasher. Although GE dishwashers have varying rack designs, you can use the same loading techniques on all models. 

Solution: Load your dishes in the correct racks to ensure proper cleaning. Avoid overloading or underloading the dishwasher.

• Upper Rack: Load glasses, bowls, cups, and other small items on the upper rack of the dishwasher. Always load them upside down, facing the spray arm, for better cleaning and drying results.

• Lower Rack: Add plates, platters, and other similar items vertically on the bottom rack, allowing water jets to pass through the items for optimal results. Keep large items at the sides or the back.

• Silverware Basket: Place utensils in the silverware basket. Mix the knives, forks, and spoons to avoid nesting.

Improper Leveling

Aside from poor loading techniques, improper leveling can affect your GE dishwasher’s cleaning and drying performance. 

Poor leveling can lead to excess foam production, which minimizes the effect of your rinse aid. You will most likely end up with wet dishes after cycles.

Depending on how much foam is formed in the drum, water might also leak out of the drum and onto the floor. It can flood your kitchen and ruin your flooring.

What you’ll need:

• Protective gloves
• ¼” nut driver
• Phillips screwdriver
• Carpenter’s level
• Wrench

Solution: To level a GE dishwasher, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Unplug the dishwasher or turn it off at the circuit breaker.
• Step 2: Wear protective gloves.
• Step 3: Unmount the access panel at the bottom of the dishwasher using a ¼” nut driver.
• Step 4: Remove the toe-kick panel, if your model has it.
• Step 5: Use a Phillips screwdriver to unthread the screws mounting the dishwasher to the cabinet.
• Step 6: Open the dishwasher door and remove the lower rack.
• Step 7: Place a carpenter’s level on the rack rail to check if the dishwasher is balanced from front to back.
• Step 8: Carefully pull the dishwasher out of the cabinet. 
• Step 9: Set the carpenter’s level on top of the door to check if it’s level from side to side.
• Step 10: Adjust the leveling legs using your hands or a wrench. Rotate the leg clockwise to raise its height and counterclockwise to lower it.
• Step 11: Use the carpenter’s level to check if the dishwasher is balanced.
• Step 12: Reinstall the access panel and mount the dishwasher onto the cabinet.
• Step 13: Plug in the dishwasher.

Water Supply Issue

For the best cleaning and drying results, your GE dishwasher must be supplied with the proper water temperature. It should be between 120°F(48.9°C) to 140°F(60°C).

Avoid running the dishwasher right after using hot water for a shower or a bath so the tub won’t end up filling with cold water. If your water is still cold, there are several ways to raise its temperature during cycles.

Solution: Turn on the faucet closest to the dishwasher to purge the cold water from the hot water supply line. Do a quick check of the water’s temperature at the sink using a meat or candy thermometer, then adjust the water heater – if needed. 

To boost the drying performance of your GE dishwasher, use any of the available heating functions.

Here are the different drying technologies on GE dishwashers.

Drying Technology	Purpose
Heated Dry	Heated Dry activates the dishwasher’s heater and extends the wash cycle by 30 minutes.
Power Dry	• Power Dry replaces the Heated Dry function on some models. It adds 65 extra minutes of drying time  I• t can be added to any cycle except for Rinse.
Dry Boost	Dry Boost targets hard-to-dry plastics and provides up to 3x more drying power than Heated Dry.

Some GE dishwashers have more heat options. Just look for button names like Added Heat, High-Temperature Rinse, and Wash Heat Boost.

Unfortunately, other models might not have any of these options. If yours doesn’t, you can opt for a more natural method by opening the dishwasher door right after the final rinse to let out warm, moist air.

No or Not Enough Rinse Aid

Rinse aid contains surfactants that lower the surface tension of water. Instead of forming water droplets on the plates, the excess moisture just rolls off the surface, which helps them dry faster. 

If your area has hard water, rinse aid can even get rid of the pesky spots and cloudiness in your glassware.

Some GE dishwashers have an indicator light that lets you know when there isn’t enough rinse aid in the dispenser, while others have a “dip stick” attached to the lid to help you check.

On some models, there’s a small window next to the dispenser, which shows you the amount of liquid rinse aid left. Others have a clear cap that fills up with liquid when you press it two or three times.

Solution: GE recommends premium quality rinse aid like the Cascade Platinum PowerDry and the Finish Jet Dry to improve drying performance.

To add rinse aid to your GE dishwasher, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Open the dishwasher door.
• Step 2: Open the rinse aid dispenser door.
• Step 3: Pour rinse aid into the dispenser until the cup is full. Rotate the adjuster clockwise to increase the amount of rinse aid or counterclockwise to reduce it.
• Step 4: Use a damp cloth to clean up any excess product around the dispenser to prevent foam from forming in the tub.
• Step 5: Close the dispenser door.

Faulty Heating Element

Are your dishes coming out wet and cold? If so, you most likely have a faulty heating element. 

Located usually at the base of the drum, the heating element raises the water temperature in the dishwasher to kill bacteria and provide better cleaning results. It also aids in the drying process by helping water evaporate.

If you suspect that your heating element is damaged, you can do a quick visual inspection. Look for signs of damage like blistering and cracking.

However, if there are no visible signs, you should perform a continuity check to confirm that the element is damaged.

A defective heating element can’t be repaired. However, you can replace it with a new component to continue using your dishwasher.

What you’ll need:

• Multimeter
• Towels
• 1/4” drill driver or nut driver
• 5/16” drill driver or nut driver
• Channellock pliers
• Adjustable wrench
• Flathead screwdriver
• New heating element

Solution: First, test your GE dishwasher’s heating element for continuity to confirm that it is defective. To perform a continuity test, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Disconnect the power cord or turn off the power at the circuit breaker.
• Step 2: Shut off the water supply valve.
• Step 3: Open the door and remove the lower rack.
• Step 4: Use the drill driver to unmount the kickplate. Pull it off and set it aside.
• Step 5: Unthread the water supply line elbow fitting from the inlet valve using channel lock pliers. Place a towel underneath it to absorb spills.
• Step 6: Unmount the junction box cover and set it aside.
• Step 7: Take note of the orientation of the power wires. Take off the nuts, then disconnect the wires.
• Step 8: Use the flathead screwdriver to loosen the strain relief nut. Pull out the strain relief and power wires from the junction box.
• Step 9: Disconnect the drain hose from the garbage disposal or the sink drain. Then, feed the hose through the cabinet.
• Step 10: Unfasten the screws securing the dishwasher to the cabinet.
• Step 11: Pull the dishwasher out of the cabinet. Lower the leveling legs, if needed.
• Step 12: Spread a towel on the floor, then gently lay the dishwasher on its back.
• Step 13: Disconnect the wires for the heating element.
• Step 14: Take note of the orientation of the nuts on the element. Then, use a wrench to unthread them.
• Step 15: Lift the dishwasher back to an upright position.
• Step 16: Rotate the lower spray arm to the left to remove it.
• Step 17: Pull out the heating element from the dishwasher.
• Step 18: Rotate the dial on your multimeter to the lowest setting for ohms of resistance.
• Step 19: Place a probe on each of the element’s terminals.

If the reading shows between 0 to 50 ohms of resistance, the heating element has continuity and should be functioning properly. However, if the needle on the multimeter doesn’t move, or the display remains unchanged, the element lacks continuity.

A lack of continuity means that the electrical path of the heating element is broken. It has burned out and requires replacement.

To replace a faulty heating element in a GE dishwasher, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Unplug the power cord or turn off the power at the circuit breaker.
• Step 2: Shut off the water supply valve.
• Step 3: Open the door and remove the lower rack.
• Step 4: Use the drill driver to unmount the kickplate. Pull it off and set it aside.
• Step 5: Unthread the water supply line elbow fitting from the inlet valve using channel lock pliers. Place a towel underneath it to absorb spills.
• Step 6: Unmount the junction box cover and set it aside.
• Step 7: Take note of the orientation of the power wires. Take off the nuts, then disconnect the wires.
• Step 8: Use the flathead screwdriver to loosen the strain relief nut. Pull out the strain relief and power wires from the junction box.
• Step 9: Disconnect the drain hose from the garbage disposal or the sink drain. Then, feed the hose through the cabinet.
• Step 10: Unfasten the screws securing the dishwasher to the cabinet.
• Step 11: Pull the dishwasher out of the cabinet. Lower the leveling legs, if needed.
• Step 12: Spread a towel on the floor, then gently lay the dishwasher on its back.
• Step 13: Disconnect the wires for the heating element.
• Step 14: Take note of the orientation of the nuts on the element. Then, use a wrench to unthread them.
• Step 15: Lift the dishwasher back to an upright position.
• Step 16: Turn the lower spray arm counterclockwise to remove it. 
• Step 17: Carefully unseat the heating element and pull it out of the dishwasher.
• Step 18: Install the new heating element in the drum. Insert it in the clips and make sure it’s seated properly.
• Step 19: Insert the lower spray arm, then twist it clockwise to secure it.
• Step 20: Lay the dishwasher on its back again.
• Step 21: Rethread the nuts securing the element, and reconnect the wires.
• Step 22: Lift the dishwasher back on its feet and slide it into the cabinet. Adjust the leveling legs, if necessary.
• Step 23: Rethread the screws to secure the dishwasher to the cabinet.
• Step 24: Reconnect the drain hose to the sink drain or garbage disposal.
• Step 25: Align the strain relief nut and wires in the junction box. Then, tighten the strain relief nut.
• Step 26: Group the wires according to color and secure them together using the nuts. Reinstall the junction box cover and its screw.
• Step 27: Reconnect the water supply line fitting to the inlet valve. 
• Step 28: Mount the kickplate and reinstall the lower rack assembly.
• Step 29: Turn on the water supply.
• Step 30: Restore power to the dishwasher.

Frequently Asked Questions

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