What you are most likely looking at
When a Criterion dishwasher does nothing, check whether it is dead or merely refusing. A lit panel that will not begin a cycle is a very different fault from a machine with no lights at all. The checks are ordered so the cheap ones eliminate the expensive ones.
How it presents
- Nothing at all: no lights, no sound — A supply question, because one failed component rarely takes out everything at once. Give it a moment rather than glancing; the thing you are looking for is not always obvious.
- The panel lights but the cycle never begins — Power is present and the machine is waiting, usually for the door latch.
- The door needs pressing hard to make the machine respond — A latch that is marginal, which will also stop cycles part way once it gets worse. It takes less time than reading about it.
- The machine hums briefly and stops — Power reaches a motor and something prevents it running, which points at the pump rather than the supply. It is worth confirming twice before you act on it, since one observation can mislead.
What causes it, in order of likelihood
- A worn or misaligned door latch — First because the latch is both a wear part and a mandatory signal, and because a machine will not run a drop of water without it. Mention it when you book a visit; it changes which parts a technician brings.
- A delay start or child lock left active — The machine is behaving correctly, and this costs nothing to rule out before anything else is suspected. This is the cause people skip, and skipping it is why the diagnosis takes three visits.
- A failed start switch or touch panel — The keys used most wear first, which produces a panel that lights and a machine that will not begin. Write it down before anybody comes out; a described symptom is worth more than a remembered one.
- A control board fault — Last, because every cheaper cause above it looks the same from the front and only this one needs a part on a guess. It sits above the more dramatic explanations because it is the one you are statistically likelier to have.
Check in this order, and why
- Check the spur switch above the worktop — Built-in machines are usually fed from a switched spur, and it is the single most overlooked control in the kitchen. Nothing below this line is worth chasing until this one is ruled out.
- Look at the consumer unit for a tripped breaker — Reset once. It takes less time than reading about it.
- Close the door firmly and listen for the latch — A positive click is what the machine waits for; anything less and the cycle never begins. A cause in this position is worth eliminating before you spend anything.
The checks worth doing
- Clean the latch and the striker plate — Food debris on the striker stops the latch seating, and it is entirely reachable with a cloth. Do this before the check below it, because the answer changes what that one means.
Tools: clothAbout 15 min
- Cancel any delay start or child lock — Follow the manual for the button combination, then select a programme fresh rather than resuming. Do not force anything; the plastic in a modern appliance breaks rather than bends.
About 10 min
- Reset the breaker once and observe — If it holds, the trip was incidental; if it goes again, stop and treat it as an electrical fault. Do this before the check below it, because the answer changes what that one means.
About 10 min
- Stop at this point: what follows needs a meter on a live circuit — What is left is diagnosis rather than inspection, and diagnosis needs instruments.
What has to be off
Safety
Power down at the breaker first, and treat the cabinet as live until you have. An isolated appliance can still have charge in it, and that is the reason for the pause. Bail out a flooded tub with a jug rather than tipping the machine, which puts the load on the door hinge. Keep every safety switch in circuit, in the state the factory left it.
Where the owner side ends
What separates half an hour of your time from a service visit: you own everything outside the door, and a technician owns what is inside it. The split is worth respecting even when the part looks simple. Call rather than improvise if the machine has to come out of a fitted housing to reach the fault.
Nearest pages of this class
How specific this page is
What follows covers Criterion dishwashers broadly; it does not pretend to know which family you own.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
