• Portable dishwashers are convenient appliances that allow you to wash dishes efficiently in any home. Instead of requiring permanent installation under a counter, portable dishwashers use flexible hoses and adapters to draw water from and drain water into your kitchen sink. A number of components on these appliances can fail and cause serious water leaks.
  
  

Faucet Adapter Problems

• Your portable dishwasher uses a specially designed adapter to connect to any normal kitchen faucet. If you don't use the adapter, or fail to attach it completely, water can leak out of the faucet or the fill hose, says Whirlpool. In many cases the screen and washer on the end of the kitchen faucet must be removed first, while others slip over the fully assembled faucet. Review your portable dishwasher's manual to ensure you are using the faucet adapter correctly. Even if the dishwasher fills, using the adapter improperly can lead to damage inside the dishwasher or to the fill hose.
  
  

Door Gasket

• Portable dishwashers use a flexible silicon or rubber gasket to seal the door tightly and prevent water from leaking out. If your appliance has cracks or rips in the door gasket, or it is pulling away from the door, it must be replaced says Repair Clinic. These gaskets have a limited life span due to constant exposure to moisture and heat. Inspecting the gasket regularly and replacing it promptly can prevent serious leaks.
  
  

Rubber Fill Hoses

• Most home appliances that require a regular flow of fresh water, such as clothes washers and dishwashers, use rubber fill hoses to connect the appliance to a water faucet. These rubber hoses can stretch from hot water or high pressure, according to ApplianceAid, which degrades the material. Blisters and worn spots can form and slowly leak or suddenly burst and flood your home. Portable dishwashers use rubber hoses because they are lightweight, flexible and fairly easy to attach to your kitchen faucet. Stainless steel fill hoses won't develop leaks from regular use. Accessing the fill hose in an installed dishwasher to inspect or replace it is a major challenge, but owners of a portable dishwasher can avoid these leaks by simply checking their fill hoses before each use.
  
  

Soapsuds

• Dishwasher detergent is carefully formulated to create just enough soapsuds to clean your dishes without overfilling the small open space inside the appliance. Water inside your dishwasher should only have a 1/4 inch of soapsuds at the top during the wash cycle, says the Appliance-Repair-It website. More than this can cause suds and water to leak out of the door of your portable dishwasher. Portable units are more susceptible to this problem than permanently installed models because they are smaller. Hand soap or liquid dish soap designed for hand washing dishes will cause leaks and flooding even if only a few drops are added to the portable dishwasher.