Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

Although it’s never a welcome sight to open a dishwasher and realize it is still full of water, don’t lose it just yet. You might manage rectify the error before you have to call a repair person or buy a new machine.

Your dishwasher failing to drain could be bought about by any number of things a proportion of which are straightforward to fix. Therefore, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service try this list of probable things you can troubleshoot on your own. Some of which are not even related to the dishwasher itself.

Ensure the dishwasher wasn’t interrupted mid-program

If you’re fortunate the standing water you have discovered may not be a problem at all. Instead, the cycle could have been stopped mid-way.

The cycle might have been cut short for any number of of reasons. Little fingers pushing buttons, mistakenly pushing on the controls, a power surge or opening the dishwasher mid-cycle may all interrupt the program and mean your dishwasher doesn’t empty.

If you suspect this could be the case, or you think it might be worthwhile checking run your machine again on a quick program.

A proportion appliances may have an empty cycle so it’s worth consulting your owners manual or consulting google to make sure.

Check the garbage disposal

If you have a disposal inspect this before you move on as an obstructed waste disposal will prevent the machine from draining. Run the garbage disposal using lots of water to ensure there are no obstructions.

If you do find a blockage drain unclogger or a natural alternative may be used to clear the obstruction and this could deal with the issue.

Inspect the plumbing for issues

If you sink is emptying reluctantly this could signify an issue with the drains as opposed to a fault with your machine.

In the case that the kitchen sink is draining inefficiently you may attempt putting some bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar down the plughole, letting it sit for a while, then flushing it through with hot water.

A plunger might also be utilized to try and shift the obstruction.

This could be enough to allow the appliance to drain so start a quick program now. If not you could manually remove the dirty water using a cup and also a sponge and troubleshoot the next few possible issues.

At this point make certain to unplug the machine to avoid electrocution.

If while you are carrying out one of these checks you think you may have found and solved the issue there is no need to continue to the next step. Just run an empty cycle to ensure your dishwasher is fixed.

Examine and rinse the filters

Corn Kernels, labels from jars, plastic lids and smashed glass, plus scraps of food, could all obstruct the dishwasher filter. Clear plastic lids may also be difficult to spot if you aren’t looking for it.

Take out the filter and give it a good wash before putting it back in place. Not all filters are obvious and simple to remove so you might need to look at the instruction manual for this.

Is the drain hose blocked?

The next area 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 dishwasher from draining.

Depending on the position of the waste pipe (generally the ribbed one) you could be able to inspect it simply by taking off the kick board or you may need to move the dishwasher away from under the counter.

Visually examine the hose first to see if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You could manage fix these issues by hand which should rectify the issue, however, it’s worth noting that when this has happened it is much more inclined to happen again so you could wish to buy a new hose.

If you can’t find anything you can disconnect the waste water pipe from the machine and blow through it to figure out if there are any blockages. Make sure you line the floor with newspaper or towels before you remove the hose as there could still be water in the hose.

If you can’t blow through the waste pipe this may be the reason your machine isn’t emptying.

Disconnect the hose at the sink end and then give it a good clean to remove the blockage. If you can’t dislodge the blockage or the waste hose is cracked or degraded buy a brand-new one. If you could clear the blockage then put the hose back and run a quick program to check that you have solved the issue.

You could also inspect the point where the pipe attaches to the waste disposal as well. This is a likely spot for blockages to occur so if you do remove the hose give this point a thorough scrub as well.

Inspect the drain valve

You could inspect the drain valve by hand to check it isn’t got stuck. The drain valve will usually be found at the base of the machine on the valve bracket. Examine your manual if you’re not sure.

Depressing the valve or giving it a jiggle should be enough to let you know if it’s seized. If you are able to see anything blocking it get rid of this. If you can’t, this could be when you should ring a repair person unless you are confident in procuring and repairing the valve yourself.

Check your pump is not blocked

Your appliance pump makes use of impellers that can get blocked by broken glass or other debris. Check your pump isn’t broken by taking off the cover and making sure the impellers are free to move.

Run your machine and listen for any unusual noises

If it is making funny noises your pump or motor may be faulty and need replacing.

Call a plumber

If none of the above checks has fixed the fault, or you think the pump, pump valve or motor are damaged, it might be the moment you need to call for help.

At least having tried to fix the problem yourself you have avoided having to pay a big call-out fee for a blocked hose.