Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

Although it’s always annoying to open the dishwasher and realize the machine is still full of water, don’t panic just yet. You could manage deal with the issue before you have to call a plumber or buy a new dishwasher.

Standing water in your dishwasher could be caused by any number of components a proportion of which are simple to resolve. So, before you call a dishwasher repair service try this list of possible components you may correct on your own. A number of which aren’t even caused by the machine itself.

Ensure the program wasn’t stopped mid-way

It is possible that there is nothing stopping your dishwasher from draining. Rather, the cycle may have been interrupted.

The program may have been stopped mid-way for a number of of reasons. Little fingers pressing controls, inadvertently pressing against the controls, a power surge or opening the machine mid-program may all stop the program from completing and mean your dishwasher doesn’t drain.

If you believe this might be the situation, or you just want to be sure it’s not the issue start the dishwasher again on a short program.

Some appliances might have an empty capacity meaning it’s worth having a look at your manual or doing a quick internet search to find out.

Inspect the disposal

If you have a garbage disposal inspect this before you do anything else as an obstructed waste disposal will prevent your dishwasher from draining. Run the disposal with plenty of water to make sure there are no blockages.

If you do find an obstruction drain unclogger or a plunger could be used to clear the obstruction and so this may solve the error.

Inspect the plumbing for issues

If you kitchen sink is emptying inefficiently this might signify a plumbing issue rather than an issue with your dishwasher.

In the case that the sink is draining inefficiently you could try putting some bicarb and vinegar down the plughole, letting it sit for a while, then flushing it through with boiling water.

A plunger might also be used to try and dislodge the blockage.

This could be enough to allow the machine to empty so start a quick rinse and empty cycle now. If not you can manually remove the dirty water using a bowl and also a towel and have a look at the next few possible issues.

Make certain to unplug the machine to stay safe.

If during any one of these examinations you suspect you may have discovered and repaired the error you don’t have to go through the remaining issues. Just complete an empty program to check the machine is fixed.

Check and rinse the filters

Any number of things could block the filters including corn kernels, labels from containers, plastic covers and smashed glass. Clear glass could also be hard to see if you aren’t looking for it.

Take out the filter and give it a good clean before putting it back in place. Not all dishwashers have their filter in the same location so you could need to refer to the instructions for this.

Is the drain pipe obstructed?

The next component to check is the waste water pipe. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose may all stop your machine from emptying.

Contingent upon the location of the hose (normally the ribbed one) you may manage view it simply by removing the kick board alternatively you could have to move the machine away from the wall.

Visually inspect the pipe first to discover if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You might manage manually fix any kinks which should fix the issue, but it’s worth noting that when this has occurred the chance of it occurring again is greatly increased so you may need to buy a spare hose.

If you can’t see any obvious kinks or obstructions you can remove the waste hose from the dishwasher and blow into it to figure out if there are any blockages. Make sure you put down newspaper or towels first as there may still be water in the hose.

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

Disconnect the other end of the hose and give it a thorough flush through to get rid of the obstruction. If you can’t shift the blockage or the pipe is slit or worn purchase a new one. If you may clear the obstruction then put the hose back and start a quick program to double check that you have solved the issue.

You may also examine where the waste hose attaches to the sink as well. This is a common point for a build-up of gunk so if you happen to take off the hose give this area a good scrub as well.

Check the drain valve

You may examine the drain valve by hand to check it isn’t got stuck. The drain valve will usually be situated at the base of the machine on the valve bracket. Examine your instructions if you’re unsure.

Pressing down on the valve or giving it a jiggle should be enough to tell you if it’s stuck. If you are able to see any debris stopping it from moving get rid of this. If you can’t, this could be the right time to call a repair person unless you are undaunted by ordering and swapping out the component yourself.

Check your pump is not blocked

Your appliance pump uses impellers that can be blocked by broken glass or other objects. Check your impellers aren’t broken by taking off the cover and checking that the impellers can rotate freely.

Run your dishwasher and listen for any unusual noises

If the dishwasher sounds unusual your dishwasher pump or motor could be damaged and need to be repaired.

Call a plumber

If none of the above examinations has repaired the fault, or you think the pump, pump valve or motor are broken, it may be a good time to call in the professionals.

This way though you will at least be able to give them more information and have avoided needing to pay a big repair fee for a clogged filter.