LG dishwasher LDPH5554D not drying dishes — interior stays wet after cycle

Hi, I’m Mike, your home appliance troubleshooting virtual expert—do you have rinse aid filled and are you running cycles with Extra Dry or Night Dry enabled?

At the end of a cycle, when you open the door immediately, do you feel heat or see steam?

Are you using detergent pods or liquid, and is your household water on the hard side?

Do you hear a small fan/vent noise during the last 20–30 minutes of the cycle?

Thanks—that helps. Based on what you shared, the most likely causes are:

• Limited rinse aid effectiveness with hard water, which hurts sheeting and condensation dry.
• Dry options not maximizing dry time/heat for your loads (some cycles reduce dry to save energy).
• No heat in the final rinse/dry, pointing to a heater or temperature sensor (thermistor)/control issue (no steam felt).
• A non‑running drying fan/vent (no fan sound), so moisture can’t evacuate.
• Load mix heavy on plastics, which inherently stay wetter in condensation systems.
• Low inlet water temperature at start, reducing overall dry performance. If you’d like, I can walk you through a few safe checks to narrow it down.

Great—here are safe, simple checks you can do:

• Settings and consumables: Confirm the most aggressive dry option is selected (e.g., Extra Dry/Night Dry) and the rinse aid reservoir is full with the dispenser set to a higher dose for hard water.
• Water temperature: Before starting a load, run the hot tap at the sink until it’s good and hot, then start the dishwasher; this helps ensure a hot final rinse, which is critical for drying.
• End-of-cycle heat check: Right when the cycle ends, carefully open the door—watch for hot steam and surfaces—and feel for warmth; if it’s cool and there’s never heat/steam, the heater/thermistor/control may not be energizing and will likely need a technician’s diagnosis.
• Fan/vent function: During the last 20–30 minutes of a cycle, listen at the top of the door for a low fan/airflow sound; if it’s consistently silent and the interior stays damp, the drying fan or vent path may be failed or obstructed and will need service.
• Load factors: Expect plastics to stay wetter; angle concave items so water can run off, and separate densely nested items to improve airflow.
• Water quality: With hard water, use a detergent formulated for hard water plus rinse aid at a higher setting to improve sheeting and reduce droplets. If you find there’s no heat or the fan never runs, I recommend scheduling a service visit to test the heater circuit, thermistor, and fan/vent assembly; avoid any internal disassembly, as there are live circuits and sharp edges inside.