Often lauded for its sturdy build and optimal performance, it’s hard to imagine that a Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher won’t start and clean dishes. But the unit might fail for one reason or the other.
Your Frigidaire dishwasher won’t because of a corroded ribbon cable, an open door, bad power connection, a blown thermal fuse, or a faulty main control board. Water supply issues, incorrect dishwasher settings, and power supply problems can also cause the dishwasher to fail to start.
In this guide, I look at the possible reasons why your Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher won’t start and recommend quick DIY fixes for each problem.
Why is My Frigidaire Gallery Dishwasher Not Starting?
Your Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher won’t start for a number of reasons. And it’s important that I highlight and explain all of them so that you can have an easy time troubleshooting the problems.
If you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick summary table for problems and fixes:
| Problem | Quick Fix | |
| 1. | Faulty main control board | Check if there are loose connections to the board and fix them. Otherwise, you should replace the main control board if it’s faulty. |
| 2. | Lack of power supply | Check to make sure you’ve connected the unit to a working power outlet. Don’t use an extension. And make sure few appliances are active when the dishwasher is working. Also, reposition the circuit breaker if it tripped. |
| 3. | Problem with the door latch | Try closing the door to see if it latches. Replace the door latch with a new one if the current is faulty. |
| 4. | Wrong dishwasher settings | Reset the dishwasher, select the right settings, and run a new wash cycle. |
| 5. | Problem with thermal fuse | The thermal fuse has brown and therefore needs a new replacement. |
| 6. | Issues with water supply | Make sure the water inlet valve isn’t faulty. Also, check to make sure water gets into the dishwasher at the right pressure. |
| 7. | Faulty control panel | Reset the control panel to fix glitches. Otherwise, get a new control panel for replacement. |
| 8. | Control lock active | You need to deactivate the kids lock feature to get the Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher to start and run a wash cycle. |
1. Faulty Main Control Board
I recommend that you start your Frigidaire dishwasher troubleshooting by looking at the main control board. The main control board is the engine of the unit, which means it powers other components, including the control panel.
The control board can fail to work because of heat damages. Or there might be just loose connections that require quick fixes.
First, inspect the main control board for loose connection and, if you find any, fix them. However, if in your inspection you notice that the control board is faulty, get a new control board for replacement.
2. No Power Supply
One of the obvious reasons why Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher won’t start is the lack of power supply. If your dishwasher does not have any lights or other indicators that the unit is receiving power:
- Make sure you connect the dishwasher to an electrical outlet.
- Check to make sure the switch on the electrical outlet is on.
- Make sure there aren’t any kinks or other evidence of damage in the power cord. If the cable is broken in any way, get a new one for replacement.
- To determine if the electrical outlet is the problem, try troubleshooting by inserting another device into the same outlet.
You also need to avoid extension cables.
Extension cables pose a threat to the unit since they are unable to deliver an adequate amount of energy to your dishwasher. More often than not, the extension cable will overheat, melt, and eventually stop working properly, causing the dishwasher not to start.
Keep in mind that an extension cord is not good for the performance of your dishwasher, and it might start a fire if it gets too hot.
Move the dishwasher to a different located that water supply can reach. And then instead of using an extension cable, plug your Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher directly to a power outlet.
Another important rule when it comes to water supply is that you should avoid using many appliances all at once.
It is possible to blow a fuse in the kitchen if too many appliances are in use at the same time since the rate of power consumption would be too high. Appliances such as air fryers have the potential to overload an electrical circuit when a dishwasher is in use.
3. Unlatched Door
Your Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher has a safety mechanism that stops the appliance from operating in the event of a faulty door latch.
Before you start washing dishes with the Frigidaire dishwasher, the door latch sensor checks if the door properly closed. Then, it sends a signal to the control panel depending on whether the latch is in place or otherwise.
If the sensor detects that you’ve properly closed and latched the door, the sensor will communicate to the control panel that the dishwasher can start running a wash cycle.
However, if the sensor notices that you’ve closed the door but the latch isn’t in proper place, the machine won’t start.
When you close the dishwasher’s door, does it feel like the latch is clicking into place as it normally would? If that is not the case, there may be a problem with the latching mechanism, so you’ll need to get a new Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher door latch for replacement.
4. Wrong Dishwasher Settings
Another function that has the potential to cause the dishwasher not to start is the possible selection of wrong dishwasher settings.
Check all of your options to make sure that you selected nothing out of the usual and then save your changes. If necessary, make the necessary adjustments to your dishwasher settings and restart the unit.
5. Blown Thermal Fuse
A dishwasher’s thermal fuse is a component located in the interior door panel of the dishwasher itself.
The work of the thermal fuse is to protect your Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher from exposure to high temperatures. If thermal fuse detects that the temperatures reach an unsafe level, the fuse turns dishwasher off.
When the wire is slack, it can cause the thermal fuse to explode. In that scenario, it would be best to check if any of the wires dislodged. In addition, the persistent weight placed on some dishwashers might cause them to overheat. It might be helpful to give your dishwasher a break between loads of dishes.
Make sure that the thermal fuse has continuity by testing it with a multimeter. If there is no continuity, this indicates that the fuse has blown, and in order for the dishwasher to start up again, you will need to get a new thermal fuse for replacement.
6. Lack of Water Supply
If your Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher has power supply but it still won’t turn on, the next thing you should check is the water supply.
To ensure that water is able to flow freely throughout your kitchen, turn on a sink faucet. If the sink in your kitchen has running water, you should inspect the water valve on the dishwasher.
Check to see that the valve is correctly connected and that there are no kinks or blockages in the connection. Reconnect the valve, and if necessary, address any blockages or irregularities that may have developed.
If the valve is functioning properly and there is running water in your kitchen, check the water pressure using a water pressure gauge. If the pressure is low, the dishwasher will not start.
If the water pressure in your home is low, you should try to avoid taking showers or letting the faucet run for an extended period while the dishwasher is operating.
7. Problem with the Control Panel
If the control panel on your dishwasher is illuminated, there is a good chance that the problem is not with the power source.
Checking the control panel is the first thing you should do before looking into other issues, especially ones that demand more work on your part.
If you’re having trouble getting your dishwasher to work again, the remedy may be as easy as adjusting a couple of the settings.
Also, it’s possible that the control panel jammed, and resetting it can go a long way to get the dishwasher to start.
8. The Control (Or Kids) Lock is Active
Another common reason why your Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher won’t start is that you have the control lock activated.
The control lock is an important component that bars kids from interfering with the current dishwasher wash cycle or starting a new one.
As a safety mechanism, the control lock can also help to control possible flooding of the kitchen and accidental falls, especially for kids that love to open doors of everything they come across.
As good as the control lock feature is, expect it to cause the Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher not to start even if it has power.
If you believe that your dishwasher won’t start because the control lock feature is on, simply deactivate this feature and try restarting the dishwasher again.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How Do You Reset a Frigidaire Gallery Dishwasher?
You can reset your Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher by pressing and holding down the cancel button for about three seconds. The light display will change or disappear to indicate that you have had the unit fully reset.
Alternatively, you can do a hard reset. For this, you’ll need to disconnect power from the dishwasher by unplugging the unit from the power source.
2. How Can I Get My Frigidaire Gallery Dishwasher to Start?
You can start or resume a pre-selected wash cycle by closing the door an pressing the START button on the control panel of the dishwasher.
Keep in mind that you have to close the door and make sure it latches. Otherwise, the unit will not start and the cycle won’t run.
3. Why is My Frigidaire Gallery Dishwasher Blinking and Not Starting?
Your dishwasher won’t start despite the control panel blinking because there’s a problem with the drain pump.
The drain pump, which uses an impeller to push water out of the unit into the drain hose, may be faulty. If that’s the case, you should get a new one for replacement.
Conclusion
Your Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher won’t jam up all the time, but it’s important to know what to do when it can’t start even when it has power.
I have shared with you the most common issues that would make the dishwasher not start. I’ve equally included recommended fixes to help you solve each problem. So it should be easy to get your head around this problem if you ever face it.