Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

No-one wishes to open their dishwasher and discover it hasn’t emptied fully but, don’t lose it just yet. You could manage fix the problem before you have to call a repair person or acquire a new dishwasher.

Standing water in your dishwasher can have a number of of causes a few of which are simple to resolve. Therefore, before you call a dishwasher repair service try this lineup of potential components you may troubleshoot on your own. A number of which are not even a fault of the machine itself.

Check the cycle wasn’t stopped mid-way

If you’re lucky the fact your dishwasher hasn’t drained may not be an issue at all. Instead, the program might have been stopped mid-way.

The program may have been cut short for any number of of reasons. Children pressing controls, mistakenly leaning against the buttons, a power surge or opening the dishwasher mid-program may all prevent the program from completing and mean your machine doesn’t empty.

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

A proportion dishwashers may have an empty cycle so it’s well worth having a look at your owners manual or checking online to check.

Inspect the waste disposal

If you have a waste disposal inspect this before you move on as an obstructed garbage disposal will block your dishwasher from emptying. Turn on the garbage disposal using lots of water to make sure there are no blockages.

If you do discover an obstruction drain un-blocker or a natural alternative could be sought after to unclog the obstruction and this may solve the fault.

Inspect the plumbing for issues

If you sink is draining inefficiently this may signify an issue with the pipes instead of an error with your machine.

If the kitchen sink is draining reluctantly you may try putting some bicarb and white vinegar down the drain, leaving it for a while and subsequently rinsing it away with boiling water.

A plunger may also be employed to try and shift the blockage.

This might be all you need to do to permit your appliance to drain so run a short rinse and drain program now. If this hasn’t worked you may remove the dirty water by hand using a bowl and also a towel and troubleshoot a few more possible issues.

At this point make sure you turn off the machine to stay safe.

If in the process of one of these checks you suspect you have detected and repaired the fault there is no need to continue to the next step. Just complete an empty program to ensure your dishwasher is once again draining as it should.

Examine and rinse the filters

Any number of things could block the filters including corn kernels, labels from tupperware, film covers and smashed glass. Clear plastic lids can also be difficult to see if you don’t look carefully.

Remove the filter then give it a thorough scrub before putting it back in place. Not all machines have their filter in the same place so you might need to look at the instruction manual for this.

Is the waste pipe blocked?

The next place to examine is the drain 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 may all impede your machine from draining.

Contingent upon the position of the waste pipe (usually the ribbed one) you may have the means to view it by taking off the base or you may need to pull the machine out from under the counter.

Look at the hose first to discover if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You could manage manually fix any kinks which is likely to deal with the issue, but be aware that when this has happened it is significantly more likely to happen again so you may need to buy a spare hose.

If you can’t see any obvious kinks or obstructions you could take off the waste water hose from the pump and blow through it to check for any blockages. Be sure to put down newspaper or towels before you remove the hose as even if you have emptied the machine there could still be dirty water in the pipe.

If you can’t blow through the waste hose this may be the problem.

Take off the other end of the hose and then give it a thorough clean to remove the blockage. If you are unable to get rid of the blockage or the waste pipe is slit or worn acquire a brand-new one. If you may remove the obstruction then replace the hose and run a short program to check that you have repaired the fault.

You could also inspect where the hose connects under your sink. This is a typical spot for debris to build up so if you happen to remove the waste hose give this point a thorough scrub as well.

Check the drain valve

You can inspect the drain valve by hand to check it isn’t stopped working. The drain valve will often be situated in the bottom of the dishwasher on the valve bracket. Check your owners manual if you can’t see it.

Depressing the valve or wiggling it a bit will likely be enough to find out if it’s seized. If you are able to see something stopping it from moving carefully extract this. If you can’t, this might be when you should get in touch with a repair person unless you are undaunted by purchasing and swapping out the component on your own.

Inspect your pump is not blocked

Your water pump uses impellers that can be obstructed by broken glass or other debris. Check your pump isn’t blocked by taking off the cover and making sure the impellers can rotate freely.

Run your machine and listen for any unusual sounds

If it sounds unusual your pump or motor might be damaged and need replacing.

Call a repair person

If none of the above investigations has solved the issue, or you think the pump, pump valve or motor are not working, it could be the right time to call in the professionals.

This way though you will at least have the means to give them more information and have prevented needing to pay a hefty call-out charge for a clogged filter.

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