Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

No-one is happy to open their dishwasher and discover standing water but, don’t overreact just yet. You may have the means to figure out the error without having to call a repair person or purchase a brand-new dishwasher.

Your dishwasher declining to drain can be bought about by any number of issues a number of which can be straightforward to figure out. Therefore, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service try this lineup of potential components you can troubleshoot on your own. Some of which are not even related to the dishwasher itself.

Ensure the cycle wasn’t interrupted

It is probable that there is nothing stopping your dishwasher from emptying. Alternatively, the cycle might have been interrupted.

The cycle could have been stopped mid-way for any number of of reasons. Little fingers pressing controls, mistakenly pushing against the controls, a power cut or opening the dishwasher mid-program may all interrupt the cycle and mean your machine doesn’t empty.

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

A proportion appliances could have a drain capacity meaning it’s well worth consulting your instructions or consulting google to make sure.

Inspect the garbage disposal

If your dishwasher is plumbed into the waste disposal check this before you do anything else as an obstructed garbage disposal will block your machine from emptying. Turn on the garbage disposal using lots of water to make sure there are no obstructions.

If you do discover an obstruction drain un-blocker or a natural alternative can be employed to clear the obstruction and so this might deal with the issue.

Check the sink for clogs

If you kitchen sink is draining reluctantly this could suggest an issue with the pipes as opposed to a problem with your machine.

If the kitchen sink is draining inefficiently you could try putting a little bicarb and vinegar down the plughole, letting it sit for a few minutes and then washing it away with hot water.

A plunger could also be employed to attempt to shift the blockage.

This might be enough to allow the machine to drain so start a short rinse and drain cycle to check. If this hasn’t solved the problem you can manually get rid of the water using a bowl and a sponge and have a look at the next few possible issues.

At this point make certain to disconnect the machine to stay safe.

If in the process of any one of these checks you believe you may have found and solved the issue you don’t need to go through the rest of the steps. Just start an empty cycle to ensure the machine is fixed.

Check and clean the filters

Corn Kernels, labels from jars, film covers and broken glass, as well as scraps of food, can all obstruct the machine filter. Clear glass may also be hard to spot if you aren’t looking for it.

Take out the filter then give it a thorough wash before putting it back in place. Not all filters are obvious and simple to remove so you could need to look at the instructions for this.

Is the waste hose obstructed?

The next area to check is the waste water 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 can all stop your machine from emptying.

Contingent upon the position of the hose (usually the corrugated one) you could have the means to look at it by lifting away the kick plate or you might be required to move the dishwasher away from the wall.

Have a look at the pipe first to see if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You could be able to fix these issues by hand which should resolve the issue, but it’s worth noting that once this has occurred the probability of it happening again is greatly increased so you might need to order a new hose.

If you can’t find any obvious kinks or obstructions you can disconnect the waste water hose from the machine and blow into it to figure out if there are any blockages. Be sure to line the floor with newspaper or towels before you remove the hose as even if you have emptied the machine there could still be water in the pipe.

If you are unable to blow through the pipe this may be the issue.

Remove the other end of the hose and then give it a thorough flush through to clear the blockage. If you can’t dislodge the obstruction or the hose is split or damaged buy a new one. If you could clear the obstruction then put the hose back and start a quick cycle to make sure you have fixed the fault.

You could also check where the waste pipe attaches to the waste disposal as well. This is a typical point for debris to build up so if you do take off the hose give this area a good clean as well.

Examine the drain valve

You could inspect the drain valve by hand to check it hasn’t got stuck. The drain valve will most often be situated at the base of the dishwasher on the valve bracket. Consult your manual if you’re unsure.

Depressing the valve or wiggling it a bit will likely be enough to let you know if it’s stuck. If you can see any debris stopping it from moving get rid of this. If you are unable to, this might be a good time to ring a repair person unless you are confident in ordering and replacing the component on your own.

Examine your pump is not broken

Your water pump uses impellers that can become blocked by broken china or other objects. Check your pump isn’t broken by removing the cover and making sure the impellers are free to move.

Run your dishwasher and listen for any unusual sounds

If your dishwasher sounds unusual your pump or motor could be damaged and need replacing.

Call a plumber

If you have been through the above list and the issue persists, or you think the pump, pump valve or motor are not working, it could be the right time to call a plumber.

At least having tried to troubleshoot you have avoided needing to pay a big call-out charge for a blocked hose.

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