Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

No-one wishes to open their dishwasher and discover standing water but, don’t overreact just yet. You may manage rectify the fault before you have to call a plumber or invest in a brand-new dishwasher.

Standing water in your machine can have a number of of causes some of which are straightforward to fix. Therefore, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service try this list of possible components you could identify yourself. A number of which are not even related to the machine itself.

Ensure the program wasn’t cut short

If you’re fortunate the standing water you have discovered may not be a problem at all. Rather, the cycle might have been interrupted.

The cycle could have been interrupted for multiple of reasons. Little fingers pushing buttons, accidentally pressing against the control panel, a power cut or opening the dishwasher mid-cycle could all stop the cycle from completing and mean your dishwasher doesn’t drain.

If you suspect this may be the case, or you think it could be a good idea to check run the dishwasher again on a short program.

Some appliances could have a drain cycle so it’s well worth having a look at your instructions or checking online to check.

Examine the disposal

If your dishwasher is attached to your garbage disposal inspect this before you do anything else as an obstructed waste disposal will prevent the dishwasher from draining. Turn on the garbage disposal using lots of water to ensure there are no blockages.

If you do discover an obstruction drain un-blocker or a plunger could be sought after to clear the obstruction and this could solve the problem.

Inspect the sink waste for blockages

If you kitchen sink is emptying inefficiently this may signify an issue with the drains rather than a fault with your machine.

If the sink is emptying slowly you could try putting some bicarb and white vinegar down the drain, letting it sit for a few minutes, then rinsing it through with hot water.

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

This could be sufficient to allow your machine to drain so run a quick program to check. If this hasn’t sorted the issue you could manually drain the dishwasher using a jug as well as a sponge and have a look at a few more possible issues.

At this point make certain to disconnect the machine to prevent electrocution.

If in the process of one of these examinations you think you have found and solved the error there is no need to continue to the next issue. Just start an empty program to check your machine is fixed.

Inspect and wash the filters

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

Remove the filter and wash it thoroughly before replacing it. Not all dishwashers have their filter in the same location so you might need to consult the manual for this.

Is the waste water hose blocked?

The next place to inspect is the drain pipe. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose may all impede your machine from draining.

Subject to the location of the waste hose (normally the corrugated one) you might have the means to look at it simply by lifting away the kick board or you could need to move the dishwasher away from under the counter.

Have a look at the pipe in the first instance to find out if it has been squashed or kinked. You could have the means to manually fix any kinks which will most likely deal with the issue, however, be aware that when this has happened the probability of it happening again is significantly increased so you may wish to order a replacement hose.

If you can’t see an issue you could take off the waste water pipe from the pump and blow into 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 even if you have emptied the machine there may still be waste water in the pipe.

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

Disconnect the other end of the hose and then give it a good clean to clear the obstruction. If you can’t remove the obstruction or the waste hose is split or worn purchase a new one. If you could get rid of the obstruction then put the hose back and run a quick program to make sure you have repaired the error.

You can also inspect the point where the pipe attaches to the sink as well. This is a likely place for blockages to occur so if you do remove the pipe give this point a thorough scrub as well.

Check the drain valve

You could manually check the drain valve to check it hasn’t stopped working. The drain valve will often be situated in the bottom of the machine on the valve bracket. Examine your instructions if you can’t see it.

Pressing down on the valve or giving it a wiggle will likely be adequate to find out if it’s stuck. If you can see any debris blocking it get rid of this. If you are unable to, this may be when you should ring a plumber unless you are confident in procuring and swapping out the valve yourself.

Inspect your pump is not broken

Your dishwasher pump makes use of impellers that could get obstructed by pieces of glass or other objects. Check your impellers aren’t obstructed by removing the safety cover and checking that the impellers can be easily rotated.

Run your machine and listen for any unusual noises

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

Call a repair person

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

This way though you will at least manage give them more information and have prevented needing to pay a hefty call-out charge for a blocked drain.