Whirlpool Dishwasher Start Button Not Working? (here’s why & what to do)

If you own a Whirlpool dishwasher and the start button isn’t working, keep reading. In this article we look at the possible reasons why the start button won’t work and give you all the information you need to fix this annoying issue.

Why Won’t The Start Button Work On My Whirlpool Dishwasher?

There are several reasons why the start button on your Whirlpool dishwasher won’t work which include;

Possible Reason Start Button Won’t Work	Quick Fix Solution
No power	Check plug, socket or circuit breaker
Door not fully closed	Ensure the door is closed and latched correctly
No water	Check the water supply
Blown thermal fuse	Replace the thermal fuse
Keypad faulty	Replace the keypad

Let’s look at these issues in more detail;

No Power Causing Whirlpool Dishwasher To Not Start

If you notice that there are no lights or any display on your Whirlpool dishwasher, the first thing to check is your power supply. Has there been a power cut or outage?

If not, check that the plug is inserted fully into the wall socket and the switch is turned on. If it is then you should unplug the dishwasher and try plugging a lamp or something similar into that same socket and see if that works. If it does, you can be sure that the plug socket is not at fault.

You should then check the fuse in the actual plug of the dishwasher, if this is blown it can be replaced but beware, fuses don’t just blow, there’s usually an underlying reason for the fuse to blow.

Then check the circuit breaker and reset if necessary, however, the same applies to the circuit breaker, they don’t often trip for no reason.

Door Not Closed Correctly

If you’re certain that the dishwasher has power, the next thing to check is the door. Open the door and check that there are no dishes or other items obstructing the door.

Then push the door fully shut if this doesn’t work, check that the child lock hasn’t been accidentally activated. If it has the dishwasher will not start. You will need to deactivate the child lock before the appliance will start.

It could also be that the door latch has jammed. This is often caused by food particles or detergent stuck in the latch. If this is the case, the appliance will not start until the debris has been removed which then allows the door to close properly.

It could also be that the latch has broken or developed a fault and needs to be replaced. 

Finally it could be the door latch sensor which is faulty and if so, this will need to be replaced.

No Water Supply

The dishwasher cannot work without water and so if it detects no water is present, it will not start. This could be because the water supply to your home has been cut for some reason.

But more often than not, this problem is caused by the inlet hose being twisted or the inlet valve is faulty. The hose can be checked and straightened manually but the inlet valve is probably best left to a technician.

Blown Thermal Fuse

If your dishwasher starts to overheat, the thermal fuse blows to prevent any damage to the appliance’s components. It’s a safety device designed to protect the dishwasher from serious damage.

You can check the thermal fuse using a multimeter or contact an engineer to check it for you. If it is blown, you’ll need to replace it with a new one.

Key Stuck

If your Whirlpool dishwasher has key switches it’s possible for one to stick. What typically happens is the dishwasher records information concerning stuck keys in its service history. However, it doesn’t give you any alerts about this issue unless you actually check for it manually.

This involves taking the LCD display module apart and is best done by an expert. If you get this far, your dishwasher will most probably need a new electronic control board.

However, before going down this route check the button for any food, dirt or grease that could have caused the button to stick. You can clean the button using an ammonia based cleaning solution.

Remember to follow a safety procedure when handling ammonia based products which include wearing protective gloves and a mask to protect your respiratory system.

Where Is The Reset Button On A Whirlpool Dishwasher?

Whirlpool dishwashers don’t have reset buttons but they are easy to reset. All, you need to do is;

Press and hold the “Start” button on the control panel for 3 to 5 seconds. If this doesn’t work you should;

1. Press the “Off” button
2. Unplug the dishwasher from the wall socket
3. Allow 15 minutes to pass
4. Replace the plug into the wall socket and switch the power back on
5. The dishwasher should now have cleared its memory and reset.

SEE ALSO: How To Clean The Filter On An Old Whirlpool Dishwasher

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