Of course, it’s always possible to find a small amount of water that has collected inside a mug or bowl, and your plastic dishes may be wet.
You should never see standing water inside your dishwasher after the cycle has completed. To be sure it is the dishwasher, run an empty cycle and add some citric acid and see if the rust clears up. You might also have some rusty pots and pans. In some cases, the rust you see might just be leftover from a cycle where your dishes touched the tub. It’s also very possible that small specs of rust are getting onto your clean dishes. Not only does this mean that certain areas are breaking away, thus exposing the underlying metal which is now starting to rust. Rust is a significant sign that there is a water leak or some other serious problem.
It’s Starting to RustĪlthough a few specs of rust on the outside of the dishwasher might not require an immediate replacement, if you start to see rust on the inside of your dishwasher, you want to upgrade as soon as possible. Although the ten-year cut off mark is largely arbitrary, and very dependent on how well you clean and maintain the unit, it is a good measurement by which to assess your dishwasher. So upgrading to a new dishwasher may save you money in the long run through a dramatic cut in your water and electric bills. Many older models are just not efficient.
If yours is older than ten years, then it might be time to upgrade, especially if you have a lower-end model. The age of your dishwasher is a telling sign in itself. To help you troubleshoot whether you need a new dishwasher, we’ve highlighted some common issues that are all indications that it may be time to replace the appliance.