That dishwashers have float switch interlocks at the bottom of the enclosure which are often the cause of mysterious error messages and sulking. Furthermore, transient flooding problems (due to eg. too much soap) can be resolved simply by tipping them backwards to allow the water to drain out, and then cycling power.
What's even better is that I've learned this by proxy via IRC and Youtube, rather than having to get electric shocks while elbows-deep in sudsy schmoo on anyone's kitchen floor or anything, which is the usual format of my white goods learning experiences.