Samsung Dishwasher Normal Light Flashing

The flashing Normal light on your Samsung dishwasher means it thinks there’s a leak. It doesn’t want to wash anymore; it just blinks. Let’s get you clean dishes again.

The most common cause for the flashing Normal light is actual water. The leak detector is doing what it should. Often, the amount of water is very small. Frustratingly, it may be very occasional.

So, our task is to track down where the leak is coming from.  There are three ways that water will get under your dishwasher and inside the built-in leak pan. They are condensation, leaks and certain actions on your part.

Since what you do is easiest to change, we will start with that.

You may be adding too much detergent to your machine which may result in foaming inside the machine, and consequent dripping from vents. Using the recommended amounts or premeasured detergent can be the solution.

Adding dishes after the cycle starts can allow water to be released by the dishwasher since there are a lot of wet racks and the door interior is wet. It doesn’t actually spray it, it just has a chance to go into areas it might not otherwise be able to because the door is now flat instead of vertical. Doing so repeatedly is usually the problem.

Water evaporates. That’s a good thing for a lot of reasons! When the evidence evaporates, though, occasional triggers are very annoying,

Condensation (the flip side of evaporation) can be this sort of trigger. Water vapor in warm air from a hot wash can enter a vent duct in the dishwasher door. The duct outlet can also allow this moist air to get under the dishwasher. Condensation can form in the leak pan itself.  It can also form in the vent duct. While this water from the duct is supposed to drain back into the dishwasher, sometimes it finds its way into the leak pan (or onto the floor).

Samsung is proud that the leak detection arrangement can detect as little as 10 milliliters of water on some models. That’s two teaspoons! That sensitivity can lead fixers to choose solutions that may cause later problems. This is especially true when the evidence evaporates, and the code looks like a false alarm. Some tips:

• Avoid removing the leak detector and placing it somewhere out of the leak pan, as the dishwasher may legitimately have a leak. If you move the sensor, you can have considerable water damage.
• The leak detector on some models may be a styrofoam float that can become stuck. You should check your unit for this type of detector and make sure the float can move freely and the switch on top isn’t stuck.
• Avoid alterations to the leak detector. Some have mentioned shortening the electrodes on the type of detector that make contact with the leaking water.
  • If you feel you must alter the system of this sort, you might use a few small washers under the detector at the mounting screw locations to raise it slightly. You will decrease the sensitivity but still benefit from leak detection.

As to addressing condensation, if it occurs occasionally:

• Shut off the power to the dishwasher.
• If necessary, shut off the water.
• Remove the kick plate (A cover down near the floor). You can see if you can access the leak pan at this stage to dry it (not likely). If you can, skip down to the last bullet in this set.
• Unfasten the machine from the counter and slide the machine out from under the counter.
  • Two screws, either fastened to the countertop or to the sides of the dishwasher cabinet opening, secure the dishwasher in place.
• Remove a lower side panel to access the leak pan.
• Use a paper towel or a rag with a dowel to push it around to dry the leak pan

Other ideas to try:

• You might deal with condensation of this sort by slightly raising the sensor as described before.
• Blowing air under the machine might also be helpful for small amounts of water.
  • A shop vacuum with the hose placed on the outlet can function as a blower that produces mildly warmed air with no possibility of warping something from heat.
  • Beware of using a hairdryer, as the heat of such can warp plastic parts unless set to a low setting, and generally, the volume of air on such a setting isn’t sufficient.

If your machine is experiencing this flashing Normal error code frequently, you likely have an actual leak and finding it is a good idea. You can try some of these suggestions in the next section.

If you suspect a leak, even only a slow drip, your first task is to locate the source of the leak. The path you choose will depend on how much water is leaking.

• An excellent first step is to remove the kickplate of your dishwasher, push aside any sound insulation, and if possible observe underneath it while it runs through a cycle. There may be parts of the chassis in the way when you do this and you may need to pull the machine out from under the counter.
• You can often see the leak more readily if you notice when the error code usually happens in the cycle. You can choose when to observe rather than lying on your kitchen floor and staring under your dishwasher.

Operating the unit while it is out from under the counter when possible is a useful means of discovering the location of a leak. Elevating the machine on some wood blocks helps to provide a sufficient view. A good light is necessary, too.

Colored paper placed under the dishwasher unit with the bottom tray removed while it runs a cycle is a sensitive method of detecting leaks and helping to locate them.  You can purchase floor protection paper at a home improvement store ideal for this use.

• Move the dishwasher from under the counter.
• Remove the leak pan where the moisture sensor is.
  • Lay the dishwasher on its side. Some models are more easily accessed on their back.as the retaining screw for the leak pan is under the kickplate.
  • Remove the screw, and unfasten the clips which hold the pan on.
  • Remove the pan.
• Tip the dishwasher up again.
• Place the paper on the floor, with wood blocks on top of it, and place the dishwasher on the blocks. This will hold the paper in place.
• Run the machine through a regular cycle.
• Observe for leaks. They may not be immediately apparent, either because they are small or take time to appear.

Since the task is to find the leak, here is a list of places to look for types of leaks that have been encountered and documented. A number of these require removing the upper or lower side panels of the dishwasher.

Tips:

• Follow water paths and have patience; water may come from several unexpected locations.
• Some of these may or may not apply to your unit. Look carefully at every hose, and joint.
• Look for dried water trails, or “mineral” buildup. Something brings it there, it doesn’t just magically appear.
• Look for rust or corrosion and search that location.
• A bright light is very helpful.

The dish rack mounts in the side walls may not have seals or the seals may have failed. You must remove the upper side panels on the outside of the dishwasher to check these. Typically, you will find the moisture near the edge of the bottom of the dishwasher.

Here is a link to a helpful video covering this issue.

Some models have a motor mounted beneath the well at the bottom of the dishwasher. This motor drives the main pump, and is mounted vertically. The seals on the motor shaft can fail and allow water to leak into the motor, ultimately causing corrosion and failure. Look for water coming out of the pump motor housing or the failure of the main pump.

Some models have a diverter/distributor valve assembly mounted to the sump. There is a large “o” ring seal that fails. Here is a link to a video showing the location of this unit. This video shows a unit with the LC leak error code, but the principle is the same.

Some models have a sump assembly with the drain pump, circulating pump and diverter/distributor valve assembly all mounted to it. This sump assembly, mounted to the bottom tub or tray of the dishwasher, has a gasket around it that can leak. The screws that hold the sump in place may also be loose, leading to leakage as well. Here’s a video with more on this.

You may find that one of the hoses on your unit may be leaking. Hoses usually leak near the joints on these units. A prevalent failure point is the drain hose connection with a small check valve,  near the drain pump. When the check valve fails standing water results, and the hose may leak at the nearby joint. The other leak location may be at the side chamber of the unit.

A gasket is located between the side chamber (also called the case break) on the dishwasher and the outlet inside the unit on the wall. If this gasket fails or the connection is loose, water can run down the outside of the dishwasher and into the leak pan, triggering the flashing Normal light. Look for signs of moisture on the side of the dishwasher, the insulation can become wet from this sort of leak, too.

Look carefully at the inlet valve (where the water supply hose connects to the dishwasher). Check for leakage there. The connections on the outlet side of the valve can leak, but since these will only have water in them when the unit is filling, you may have a hard time detecting the leak. Such leaks may be most readily located by the trails of residue from leaking water. If you see such, operate the unit and observe the inlet hose.

If the door gasket fails, water can leak into the underside of the dishwasher and trigger the flashing Normal light error. This is not a likely event, as a leaking door gasket will probably result in water on the floor in front of the dishwasher.

The vent assembly mounted in the door on many models can be a source for leaks, either through failure of the vent diaphragm valve, or failure of the gasket which seals the vent assembly to the inner skin of the door. These leaks will usually show up at the bottom edge of the door.

Some leaks only occur after the dishwasher has run much of a cycle. This might be due to thermal distortion of certain plastic parts. You should check to see that all fasteners are tight, and look carefully for the location of the leak.

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