Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

Although it’s always irritating to open the dishwasher and discover it is still full of water, try not to overreact just yet. You might manage solve the problem before you have to call a repair person or buy a new machine.

Standing water in your dishwasher could have multiple of causes a few of which can be straightforward to resolve. So, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service try this lineup of potential issues you could correct yourself. A proportion of which aren’t even related to the machine itself.

Check the cycle wasn’t interrupted

It is probable that there is nothing stopping your machine from draining. Rather, the program may have been stopped mid-way.

The cycle might have been interrupted for a number of of reasons. Children pressing buttons, mistakenly leaning on the buttons, a power surge or opening the dishwasher mid-cycle could all interrupt the cycle and mean your dishwasher doesn’t empty.

If you think this might be the situation, or you feel it could be worthwhile checking run the dishwasher again on a quick program.

Some machines might have a drain capacity so it’s worthwhile checking your owners manual or checking online to check.

Check the waste disposal

If your dishwasher is attached to the waste disposal inspect this first as a blocked disposal will stop the dishwasher from draining. Run the garbage disposal with plenty of water to make sure there are no obstructions.

If you do uncover an issue drain unclogger or a plunger can be sought after to remove the blockage and this may fix the problem.

Check the sink for issues

If you kitchen sink is emptying slowly this may indicate an issue with the pipes as opposed to a fault with your machine.

In the case that the kitchen sink is emptying inefficiently you could attempt putting a little bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar down the drain, leaving it for a few minutes and then washing it through with boiling water.

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

This might be enough to allow the machine to work again so run a quick rinse and empty cycle at this point. If this hasn’t worked you can remove the dirty water by hand using a bowl as well as a sponge and troubleshoot a few more areas.

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

If while you are carrying out any of these checks you suspect you have discovered and repaired the issue you don’t need to go through the remaining steps. Just complete an empty cycle to make sure your machine is fixed.

Inspect and wash the filters

Popcorn, paper from food jars, plastic film lids and broken glass, plus food debris, could all obstruct the machine filter. Clear plastic lids may also be hard 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 straightforward to remove so you may need to look at the manual for this.

Is the waste water pipe obstructed?

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

Depending on the location of the waste hose (generally the corrugated one) you may be able to look at it by removing the kick plate alternatively you might need to move the dishwasher out from under the counter.

Look at the pipe first to find out if it has been squashed or kinked. You could manage manually fix any kinks which should rectify the issue, but it’s worth noting that once this has occurred the chance of it happening again is massively increased so you could need to purchase a new hose.

If you can’t find any obvious kinks or obstructions you can remove the waste water hose from the dishwasher and blow into it to discover any blockages. Make sure you line the floor with newspaper or towels first as even if you have emptied the machine there may still be dirty water in the hose.

If you can’t blow air through the hose this may be the issue.

Remove the other end of the hose in order to give it a good clean to get rid of the blockage. If you are unable to get rid of the obstruction or the hose is slit or degraded invest in a new one. If you may remove the blockage then re-attach the hose and start a quick cycle to find out if you have solved the fault.

You can also examine where the pipe connects under your sink. This is a typical point for a build-up of gunk so if you do take off the waste hose give this area a good clean as well.

Examine the drain valve

You could manually check the drain valve to check it hasn’t got stuck. The drain valve will often be located at the base of the dishwasher on the valve bracket. Consult your instructions if you’re not sure.

Depressing the valve or giving it a jiggle will likely be adequate to let you know if it’s seized. If you are able to see anything stopping it from moving carefully extract this. If you can’t, this might be when you should ring a repair person unless you are undaunted by ordering and replacing the component on your own.

Inspect your pump is not blocked

Your water pump uses impellers that can get obstructed by broken china or other objects. Check your pump isn’t blocked by removing the cover and ensuring that the impellers can rotate freely.

Listen to your dishwasher while it’s on

If the dishwasher is making funny noises your pump or motor may be broken and need replacing.

Call a repair person

If you have been through the above list and the problem persists, or you think the pump, pump valve or motor are broken, it might be time to call for help.

At least having done your best to fix the problem yourself you have prevented needing to pay a big repair charge for a blocked drain.