Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

No-one wants to open their dishwasher and discover it hasn’t drained correctly but, don’t panic just yet. You may have the means to fix the fault without having to call a repair person or acquire a brand-new machine.

Standing water in your dishwasher could have multiple of causes a few of which are simple to deal with. So, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service try this selection of probable components you can correct on your own. A proportion of which are not even caused by the machine itself.

Ensure the dishwasher wasn’t interrupted mid-cycle

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

The cycle might have been stopped mid-way for a number of of reasons. Kids pressing controls, accidentally pushing against the controls, a power cut or opening the machine mid-cycle could all stop the program from completing and mean your machine doesn’t empty.

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

A few machines might have a drain capacity meaning it’s well worth consulting your manual or consulting google to make sure.

Check the garbage disposal

If your dishwasher is attached to the disposal examine this before you move on as an obstructed disposal will stop the machine from emptying. Turn on the garbage disposal using fast running water to make sure there are no issues.

If you do uncover an issue drain un-blocker or a plunger may be used to unclog the obstruction and so this could fix the problem.

Check the plumbing for clogs

If you kitchen sink is draining slowly this could suggest a plumbing issue instead of a problem with your dishwasher.

If the kitchen sink is draining inefficiently you could attempt putting some bicarb and vinegar down the drain, leaving it for a while, then flushing it through with hot water.

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

This may be enough to let your appliance to drain so run a quick program at this point. If this hasn’t worked you could remove the standing water by hand using a cup and also a towel and check a few more areas.

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

If in the process of any one of these investigations you think you have found and solved the problem you don’t have to go through the rest of the issues. Just run an empty program to make sure the machine is repaired.

Check and rinse the filters

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

Take out the filter and wash it thoroughly before putting it back in place. Not all filters are obvious and easy to remove so you may need to consult the manual for this.

Is the drain hose blocked?

The next area to examine is the waste water hose. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose can all impede your machine from emptying.

Depending on the position of the waste pipe (generally the corrugated one) you could manage look at it simply by removing the base or you might need to pull the machine away from the wall.

Visually inspect the hose first to find out if it has been squashed or kinked. You might manage manually remove any kinks which will most likely solve the issue, but it’s worth noting that when this has occurred it is significantly more inclined to happen again so you may need to buy a replacement hose.

If you can’t see any obvious kinks or obstructions you may take off the waste water hose from the machine and blow into it to check for any blockages. Be sure to put down newspaper or towels first as there may still be waste water in the hose.

If you can’t blow air through the waste pipe this may be the reason your dishwasher isn’t draining.

Disconnect the other end of the hose and then give it a thorough clean to remove the obstruction. If you are unable to dislodge the blockage or the pipe is split or worn invest in a new one. If you may get rid of the blockage then put the hose back and start a quick cycle to check that you have repaired the fault.

You may also inspect where the waste pipe attaches under your sink as well. This is a likely spot for blockages to occur so if you happen to remove the waste hose give this point a good clean as well.

Examine the drain valve

You may manually examine the drain valve to check it isn’t stopped working. The drain valve will often be found at the base of the dishwasher on the valve bracket. Examine your instruction manual if you’re not sure.

Pushing down on the valve or wiggling it a bit will likely be enough to tell you if it’s stuck. If you can see any debris stopping it from moving remove this. If you are unable to, this could be when you should call a plumber unless you are undaunted by procuring and repairing the component on your own.

Examine your pump is not blocked

Your dishwasher pump makes use of impellers that can become obstructed by broken glass or other objects. Check your pump isn’t obstructed by taking off the cover and making sure the impellers are free to move.

Run your machine and listen for any unusual noises

If the dishwasher sounds unusual your dishwasher pump or motor might be broken and need to be repaired.

Call a plumber

If none of the above examinations has solved the issue, or you have reason to believe the pump, pump valve or motor are broken, it could be the moment you need to call for help.

At least having attempted to troubleshoot you have managed to avoid needing to pay a hefty call-out charge for a clogged filter.