The short answer
On a built-in machine the latch is mechanical and it has been operated tens of thousands of times. Ranked first on this platform: The door not latching. The checks below follow that ranking, and the first of them need no tools and no panel removed.
What you observe
- The panel responds and nothing happens when the door is closed — A responsive machine that does not begin is waiting for permission.
- Nothing at all lights up — Total silence is a supply question before it is an appliance one.
- It accepts a cycle and sits there with no sound of filling — Silence at the fill step is a machine waiting for water.
- NEAR MISS — it starts and runs a very long cycle — Many cycles are far longer than people expect, particularly eco ones. Check the cycle length before assuming a fault.
Causes, most likely first on this platform
- The door not latching — A dishwasher will not begin until the door latch confirms it is shut. It ranks first on this platform because the machine will not begin until the latch confirms the door is shut, and a worn catch or a door that has dropped leaves an appliance that lights up, accepts a programme and does absolutely nothing.
- The supply — Built-in machines are frequently fed from a switched fused connection in the cupboard next door, and portable ones from whatever socket is nearest the sink. It ranks second here because a cabinet of this vintage has wear on everything at once, which changes the ranking: the parts that wear are far more likely than the parts that break.
- The supply valve closed — A machine with no water will start, wait and then stop, or simply sit there. It comes third in the order — a genuine cause here, behind the ones above it on frequency alone.
- The touch panel or its membrane — A membrane keypad wears where it is pressed. Ranked fourth: worth checking once the causes above have come back clean.
Check in this order, and why
- Push the door firmly closed and listen for the latch, then press start — Free, immediate, and it is the leading cause. It leads because it tests the top-ranked cause.
- Find the switched connection in the adjacent cupboard and check it is on — One look, and it is free. Tests the second-ranked cause.
- Find the valve under the sink and check it is fully open — Thirty seconds, and it is free. Tests the third-ranked cause.
What an owner can safely check
- Close the door firmly, check no basket or handle is fouling it, and press start — A machine that starts when you press the door in has told you the answer.
About 10 min
- Check the switched fused connection, the breaker and any protective device on that circuit — Test the outlet with something else if the machine is on a plug.
About 15 min
- STOP at the first panel that needs a tool, and write up what you found — A technician who arrives knowing which checks came back clean spends the visit fixing rather than repeating them.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the machine or switch off its breaker before removing any panel, and close the supply valve before touching a fitting.
When to call a technician
Call once the door, the supply, the controls and the water are all eliminated, because what is left is a latch assembly, a switch or a control board. Call without waiting if it trips a protective device when you press start, and leave it disconnected until then.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page is written for the Moffat dishwasher as a class, not for one family or one model line. Where a family- or model-specific page exists for your unit, that page is the more specific answer and the one to read first. Deliberately not here: part numbers, wiring colours and disassembly order, which differ by family.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
