Symptoms
- Water and dishes feel cool right after the cycle
- Grease and food residue not breaking down
- Heat-dry setting seems to have no effect at all
- Cycle completes in normal time despite no heat
Likely causes
- CommonBurned-out heating elementLike an oven or water heater element, this part simply wears out and stops heating.
- PossibleBlown thermal fuse protecting the elementA safety fuse can trip and cut power to the element without the element itself being bad.
- Less commonFailed control board relay for the heating circuitThe board component that switches power to the element can fail independently of the element.
- PossibleIncoming water already too cold for the unit to catch upRule out a simple cold-water supply issue before assuming the element is bad.
What to do
- Run the kitchen faucet hot before starting a cycle to rule out simply cold incoming water.
- Feel the tub and water partway through a cycle (carefully, cycle paused) to gauge whether any heating is happening at all.
- Check your owner's manual for how to test the heating element with a multimeter if you're comfortable with basic electrical testing.
- Note whether heat-dry also fails to work, since both wash heat and dry heat usually share the same element.
- If you're not comfortable testing electrical components yourself, this is a common and safe repair for an appliance technician.
- Replace the heating element (or thermal fuse, if that's the actual failure) once confirmed faulty.
Tools and parts
- Multimeter (optional, for testing)
Dishwasher heating elementSearch: “dishwasher heating element replacement”
When to call a pro
If you're not experienced with appliance electrical testing, have a technician diagnose and replace the heating element safely.
Safety
Use caution
Always unplug the dishwasher before testing or touching the heating element, since it carries full household voltage.