How to Fix Admiral Dishwasher Door Latch

Fix your Admiral door latch to keep water leaks from ruining your kitchen.

A defective door latch can make your Admiral dishwasher useless even if the rest of it is working fine. To prevent leaks, most modern dishwashers will not start the wash cycle if the door does not close fully. Instead of calling a repairman to fix this one small part, save money by troubleshooting it yourself. If you need to replace the latch, check your owner's manual or take the old door latch to the hardware store with you to be sure you are getting the right part.

Things You'll Need

• Stiff brush
• Lubricant
• Hammer

Instructions

1. Clean out the door latch with a stiff brush. Remove any dirt or debris that may be interfering with the latch's ability to close.

2. Apply a lubricant to keep the latch from becoming frozen. If the moving parts of the door latch get stuck, the latch will not be able to hook onto the strike plate when the door is closed.

3. Check the alignment of the door latch and strike plate. These two items must line up with each other or the door latch will not catch. Watch where the door latch hits as you open and shut the door several times.

4. Use a hammer to tap the strike plate into the desired location. Open and shut the door again to see if the latch and strike plate match up after your adjustments. Repeat this step until they are aligned correctly.

Tips & Warnings

• Replace the door latch if it still does not work after adjusting the strike plate and cleaning the latch mechanism. Make sure you purchase the correct replacement part. Look up the part number in your owner's manual or on the manufacturer's website or take the old latch to the hardware store with you as a sample.

References

• Reader's Digest: How to Repair a Dishwasher