GE Dishwasher Door Is Stuck Shut

Safety Lock Feature

• The GE dishwasher’s door may be stuck shut because the safety lock has been activated. Some GE models have a child lockout feature to prevent children from opening the appliance. The lockout feature can be easily -- and perhaps inadvertently -- activated by quickly tapping twice in the area above the control panel. Fortunately, according to GE, the same steps can disable the lockout feature.

Start/Reset Issues

• It is possible that the GE dishwasher’s door is stuck shut because the start button has been pressed more than once. On some GE models, pressing the start button twice is equivalent to resetting the dishwasher. However, on particularly quiet models, some consumers are unable to tell if they have actually started the appliance, and will press the start button more than once -- but each subsequent depression activates the restart button -- and the lengthy restart process -- over and over again, while keeping the door locked.

Energy Saver Drying

• The door may be stuck shut because the dishwasher is in energy-saver mode. Some GE models include this feature, which allows dishes to be dried naturally, as opposed to using the standard heat-drying method. However, energy-saver drying takes considerably longer -- and dishes washed in the evening hours may remain in this cycle until the next morning. In the meantime, the door will remain locked during the extended drying process.

Door Problems

• A problem with the door may also cause it to be stuck shut. If the door handle is loose or broken, it will be hard -- if not impossible -- to pull the dishwasher’s door open. In addition, the door seal may be sticking, or the wires to the control and door lock switches may be faulty, which will also make the door hard to open.