Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

Although it’s never a welcome sight to open your dishwasher and realize it is still full of water, try not to lose it just yet. You may manage figure out the issue before you have to call a plumber or purchase a brand-new machine.

Standing water in your machine could have multiple of causes some of which can be straightforward to rectify. So, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service try this list of potential components you could troubleshoot yourself. A proportion of which are not even related to the dishwasher itself.

Check the cycle wasn’t interrupted

It is possible that there is nothing stopping your machine from draining. Instead, the program might have been stopped mid-way.

The cycle could have been stopped mid-way for multiple of reasons. Kids pressing controls, accidentally pressing on the control panel, a power cut or opening the dishwasher mid-program might all interrupt the program and mean your dishwasher doesn’t drain.

If you believe this could be the situation, or you just want to be sure it’s not the issue run your machine again on a quick program.

A few dishwashers may have an empty program meaning it’s worth having a look at your instruction manual or consulting google to find out.

Check the garbage disposal

If you have a waste disposal inspect this first as an obstructed disposal will prevent your machine from draining. Turn on the garbage disposal using lots of water to check there are no blockages.

If you do find an obstruction drain cleaner or a natural alternative can be employed to remove the blockage and this could rectify the fault.

Examine the sink waste for clogs

If you kitchen sink is draining inefficiently this may indicate a plumbing issue rather than a problem with your dishwasher.

If the sink is emptying inefficiently you can try putting a little bicarb and white vinegar down the plughole, leaving it for a while and then washing it through with hot water.

A sink plunger might also be employed to attempt to remove the blockage.

This may be all you need to do to allow your appliance to drain so run a short cycle at this point. If not you could remove the water by hand using a cup as well as a sponge and check the next few possible issues.

Make sure you turn off the dishwasher to stay safe.

If while you are carrying out one of these investigations you believe you have discovered and solved the problem there is no need to continue to the next step. Just complete an empty program to check your machine is fixed.

Check and wash the filters

Any number of things could block the filters including corn kernels, paper from food jars, film covers and smashed glass. Clear glass can also be difficult to see if you don’t look closely.

Take out the filter then clean it thoroughly before putting it back in place. Not all machines have their filter in the same place so you may need to refer to the owners manual for this.

Is the drain pipe blocked?

The next place to check is the waste water hose. Many things could cause a blockage including a build up of food debris, a kink in the hose, or a crushed hose. All of which could all stop your dishwasher from emptying.

Contingent upon the position of the hose (normally the ribbed one) you may manage view it by means of lifting away the base alternatively you may have to pull the machine away from under the counter.

Have a look at the pipe in the first instance to discover if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You could have the means to fix these issues by hand which should resolve the issue, however, it’s worth noting that when this has happened the chance of it happening again is greatly increased so you could need to purchase a replacement hose.

If you can’t find an issue you could disconnect the drain hose from the dishwasher and blow into it to discover any blockages. Make sure you line the floor with newspaper or towels before you remove the hose as even if you have emptied the dishwasher there might still be water in the pipe.

If you are unable to blow through the pipe this could be the reason your dishwasher isn’t draining.

Take off the hose at the sink end and give it a thorough clean to remove the blockage. If you are unable to shift the blockage or the waste pipe is slit or degraded acquire a brand-new one. If you could clear the blockage then put the hose back and start a short program to double check that you have solved the problem.

You may also check the point where the hose attaches to the sink. This is a typical spot for blockages to occur so if you do remove the waste pipe give this connection a thorough clean as well.

Examine the drain valve

You may manually check the drain valve to make sure it isn’t stopped working. The drain valve will usually be located in the bottom of the dishwasher on the valve bracket. Check your manual if you’re unsure.

Pushing down on the valve or wiggling it a bit should be adequate to tell you if it’s seized. If you can see anything stopping it from moving get rid of this. If you can’t, this could be when you should ring a plumber unless you are confident in ordering and replacing the component yourself.

Check your pump is not broken

Your appliance pump makes use of impellers that can become blocked by pieces of china or other debris. Check your impellers aren’t obstructed by removing the cover and checking that the impellers can rotate freely.

Listen to your dishwasher while it’s on

If the dishwasher doesn’t sound right your pump or motor could be broken and need replacing.

Call a repair person

If you have been through the above list and the error persists, or you think the pump, pump valve or motor are not working, it could be time to call for help.

This way though you will at least manage give them more information and have managed to avoid having to pay a hefty repair charge for a blocked drain.

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