How to Repair the Door Latch on a Whirlpool Dishwasher

Learn how to repair your Whirlpool dishwasher door latch.

If your Whirlpool dishwasher is leaking from the front door, the door latch may be broken or misaligned. The two sides of the door latch must fit together or the gasket around the door will not form a tight enough seal to hold water. There are a few steps you can take to correct the problem before you spend money on a replacement door latch. Make sure you use a door latch that is compatible with your Whirlpool dishwasher if you must install a new part.

Things You'll Need

• Water-displacing lubricant spray
• Hammer
• Scrub brush

Instructions

1. Open and close the door a few times while looking at the strike plate at the top of the dishwasher unit. The position of the door latch should match up with the position of the strike plate when the door is closed.

2. Tap on the strike plate with a hammer to move it into the correct position. Re-test the alignment by opening and closing the door again as you watch the strike plate and door latch. Adjust the position of the strike plate with the hammer until it lines up with the door latch.

3. Use a stiff scrub brush to thoroughly clean the door latch. Make sure there is nothing blocking the latch as it closes.

4. Spray the door latch with a lubricant like WD-40. This will free up the moving parts of the latch so they will lock into place when the latch hits the strike plate.

Tips & Warnings

• If cleaning and lubricating the door latch does not fix the problem, you may have to replace it with a new part. Check your local hardware or appliance store or order a replacement door latch directly from the Whirlpool website.

References

• Reader's Digest: How to Repair a Dishwasher

Resources

• Whirlpool: Customer Service