Dishwasher Repair in Irvine & Orange County

Dishwasher repair in Irvine and across Orange County, with same-day appointments Monday to Saturday. We repair dishwashers that will not drain, will not clean, leak, stop mid-cycle or will not start: Bosch, KitchenAid, GE, Samsung, LG, Whirlpool, Asko, Miele, Thermador and every other brand. The diagnostic visit is $79, and that amount is applied to the repair when you go ahead with it. You get a firm price before any work starts, and it does not change afterwards.

Book Online Call (949) 544-5550

Cactus Appliance is a local company based in Irvine. The person who answers the phone is a working technician, the van carries the drain pumps, inlet valves, door latches and heating elements that actually fail on the models sold in Orange County, and most dishwasher repairs are finished in a single visit. Our customers rate us 5.0 out of 5 on Google across more than 60 reviews.

Dishwashers we repair

Built-in, panel-ready, drawer and 18-inch compact dishwashers in homes from Fullerton to San Clemente. That includes the European machines that trip up many technicians: Bosch, Thermador and Miele use a leak-protection float in the base that shuts the dishwasher down when it senses water, and the fix is to find the leak, not to bypass the float. We also repair the newer Samsung, LG and GE models with touch controls and the drawer dishwashers from Fisher & Paykel.

Built-in and panel-ready dishwashers, including fully integrated models behind a cabinet door
Bosch, Thermador, Gaggenau, Miele and Asko dishwashers with leak protection and condensation drying
KitchenAid, Whirlpool, Maytag, GE, GE Profile, Café, Frigidaire, Electrolux and Kenmore
Samsung and LG dishwashers with WaterWall, QuadWash and touch-control panels
Dish drawers from Fisher & Paykel, and 18-inch and ADA-height compact models

Common dishwasher problems and how we fix them

These are the calls we take most often in Orange County, with a safe check you can try before you book. If the check does not solve it, the cause is usually one failed part, and it is usually on the van.

Dishwasher not draining, water left in the bottom

Likely causes: a clogged filter or sump, a failed drain pump, a kinked drain hose, a blocked air gap on the sink, or a new garbage disposal with the knockout plug still in place.

Try this first: pull the filter out of the bottom of the tub and rinse it. Run the garbage disposal for ten seconds, then start a drain cycle. If the disposal was installed recently, make sure the dishwasher knockout plug was removed.

How we fix it: we clear the sump and the drain path, test the pump under load and replace it if it has failed. On Bosch machines the E24 and E25 codes point here; this Newport Beach repair is a typical example.

Dishes come out dirty, gritty or with a white film

Likely causes: clogged spray arms or filter, a weak circulation pump, low water fill from a scaled inlet valve, or hard-water scale. Orange County water is moderately hard, and the film on glasses is almost always mineral deposits rather than a machine fault.

Try this first: clean the filter and the spray-arm holes, fill the rinse-aid dispenser and run a cycle with a citric-acid dishwasher cleaner.

How we fix it: we check water temperature and fill level, descale, and replace the inlet valve or circulation pump when the wash pressure is gone. A KitchenAid with a failed circulation pump is the classic case.

Dishwasher will not start, or the lights blink

Likely causes: a door latch or door switch that no longer registers the door as closed, a tripped leak-protection float, the child lock, or a failed control board or touch panel.

Try this first: check the child-lock setting, press the door firmly until it clicks, then turn the breaker off for five minutes and try again.

How we fix it: we read the fault code, test the latch and the control, dry the base if the float tripped, and replace the failed part. Two recent examples: a GE dishwasher that would not turn on in Lake Forest and a GE in San Clemente that kept stopping mid-cycle, both control-panel failures.

Dishwasher leaking from the door or underneath

Likely causes: a worn door gasket, a cracked pump seal or hose, regular dish soap used instead of dishwasher detergent, or a machine that is not level and holds water on one side.

Try this first: use only dishwasher detergent, wipe the door gasket and look for a torn section, and check that the machine sits level side to side.

How we fix it: we find where the water appears during a cycle and replace the gasket, seal or hose, then reset the leak protection so the dishwasher runs again.

Dishes not drying

Likely causes: an empty rinse-aid dispenser, a failed heating element on heated-dry models, a failed vent or fan, or a condensation-drying machine (Bosch, Miele, Asko) that depends on rinse aid to shed water.

Try this first: fill the rinse aid and set it to a higher dose. On European dishwashers this is not optional, it is how the drying works.

How we fix it: we test the heater and the vent, replace what has failed and set the rinse-aid level. Plastics never dry as well as glass on any dishwasher, so we tell you what is normal before we replace anything.

Dishwasher not filling, or filling very slowly

Likely causes: a failed water inlet valve, a stuck float switch, a supply valve under the sink that is partly closed, or a door latch that the control does not see as closed.

Try this first: open the supply valve under the sink fully and make sure nothing is wedged under the float in the tub.

How we fix it: we test the valve and the float and replace the one that failed. An Asko in Irvine that would not drain and then would not fill turned out to be one blocked path, not two faults.

Dishwasher repairs we have written up

Some of our Orange County dishwasher jobs become short case notes on the blog, with the symptom, the cause and the part that fixed it.

Why Is My Asko Dishwasher Not Draining? (October 2026), Irvine
GE Dishwasher Not Completing Cycle: UI Control Fix (October 2026), San Clemente
Bosch Dishwasher E25 Error: The Drain Pump Fix (September 2026), Newport Beach
GE Dishwasher Not Turning On: Control Panel Fix (August 2026), Lake Forest
KitchenAid Dishwasher Not Cleaning? Circulation Pump Fix (January 2025)

What a dishwasher repair costs in Orange County

Every visit starts with a $79 diagnostic. That covers the trip and the diagnosis, and it is applied to the repair when you approve it, so you do not pay for the visit twice. After the diagnosis you get one firm price for the part and the labor, and that price does not change once the work starts. If the dishwasher is not worth repairing, we say so and you pay only the $79.

Repair	Typical price, parts and labor
Drain pump	$200 to $350
Water inlet valve	$180 to $300
Door latch or switch	$170 to $300
Float switch or leak sensor	$150 to $250
Heating element or heat pump	$200 to $350
Door springs and cables	$170 to $280
Door gasket	$160 to $280
Wash or circulation pump motor	$300 to $550
Control board or user interface	$300 to $600

Typical Orange County ranges for parts and labor on common models; the service call is $79 and is applied to any of them. Built-in, professional and commercial units, and parts that have to come from the manufacturer, can run higher. You get the exact written price after the diagnosis and before any work starts.

What the repair itself costs depends on the part. On most dishwashers the door latch, float switch, inlet valve, drain pump and heating element are the affordable end. Circulation pumps, control boards and touch panels cost more, and on Bosch, Miele and Thermador the parts themselves are pricier than on mass-market brands. We tell you where your repair sits before you decide.

Seniors and veterans get 20% off, and repeat customers get 15% off. Mention it when you book.

Repair or replace?

A dishwasher under about eight years old with one failed part is nearly always worth repairing, and a Bosch, KitchenAid, Miele or Thermador is worth repairing for much longer than that. A machine that needs a control board and a pump at the same time, or has a rusted tub or rack, is usually not. We give you the number and the honest recommendation together, and the decision is yours.

How a dishwasher repair visit goes

Book. Call (949) 544-5550 or book online. Same-day appointments are available across Orange County, Monday to Saturday.
Diagnose. The technician runs the fill, wash, drain and dry stages, reads the fault memory and finds the actual cause. The $79 diagnostic is applied to the repair.
Approve. You get a firm price for parts and labor before anything is replaced.
Repair. The common dishwasher parts for the major brands are on the van, so most repairs are completed on the first visit. If a part has to be ordered, it is usually installed the next business day.
Warranty. Parts and labor on the repair are under warranty. If the same problem comes back within 90 days, the return visit has no diagnostic fee.

Dishwasher brands we repair

Bosch, Thermador, Gaggenau, Miele, Asko, KitchenAid, Whirlpool, Maytag, GE, GE Profile, GE Monogram, Café, Samsung, LG, Frigidaire, Electrolux, Kenmore, Fisher & Paykel, Viking, Sub-Zero/Wolf (Cove), JennAir, Dacor, Amana, Haier and Hisense. Brand pages: Bosch, KitchenAid, Samsung, LG, Frigidaire, Maytag and Kenmore.

Dishwasher repair across Orange County

We are based in Irvine and cover the whole county. Recent dishwasher jobs came from Irvine, San Clemente, Newport Beach and Lake Forest. We also take dishwasher calls every week in Tustin, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Anaheim, Orange, Huntington Beach, Mission Viejo and Fullerton. See all 34 cities we serve.

Dishwasher repair FAQ

How much does dishwasher repair cost in Orange County?

The diagnostic visit is $79 and is applied to the repair. The repair price depends on the part: latches, floats, inlet valves, drain pumps and heaters are the affordable end, while circulation pumps and control boards cost more. You get a firm price before any work starts.

Why is there water in the bottom of my dishwasher?

Most often a clogged filter, a blocked drain hose or air gap, or a failed drain pump. Clean the filter and run the garbage disposal first. If water still stands after a drain cycle, the pump is the usual cause.

Do you repair Bosch, Miele and Thermador dishwashers?

Yes. We repair Bosch, Thermador, Gaggenau, Miele and Asko dishwashers regularly, including their leak-protection systems and condensation drying. See our Bosch repair page.

Can you come today?

Usually, yes. We schedule same-day visits across Orange County when a slot is open, otherwise the next day, Monday to Saturday.

Why are my glasses cloudy or filmy?

In Orange County it is almost always hard-water film, not a machine fault. Use rinse aid, run a citric-acid dishwasher cleaner monthly, and make sure the dishwasher is heating the water. If the film is etched into the glass it will not come off, but new glasses will stay clear once the dosing is right.

My dishwasher will not start and the lights are blinking. What does it mean?

Usually a door latch that is not registering, a tripped leak sensor in the base, or a control fault. Check the child lock, press the door until it clicks, and turn the breaker off for five minutes. If it still will not start, book a visit.

Is it worth repairing a dishwasher?

For machines under about eight years old with a single failed part, almost always. Bosch, KitchenAid, Miele and Thermador are worth repairing for much longer. We give you the price and an honest recommendation before you decide.

What warranty do you give on a dishwasher repair?

Parts and labor on the repair are under warranty. If the same problem returns within 90 days, the return visit has no diagnostic fee.