Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

No-one wants to open their dishwasher and discover standing water but, try not to overreact just yet. You might manage fix the problem without having to call a plumber or invest in a brand-new machine.

Your dishwasher refusing to empty could be induced by multiple components a proportion of which are easy to fix. Therefore, before you call a dishwasher repair service try this lineup of probable things you can identify on your own. A few of which aren’t even caused by the machine itself.

Ensure the dishwasher wasn’t stopped mid-cycle

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

The program might have been cut short for a number of of reasons. Kids pushing controls, inadvertently pressing on the control panel, a power surge or opening the machine mid-cycle may all stop the program from completing and mean your machine doesn’t drain.

If you believe this might be the circumstance, or you just want to be sure it’s not the issue run your dishwasher again on a quick cycle.

A proportion appliances could have an empty program meaning it’s well worth checking your instructions or consulting google to make sure.

Examine the disposal

If your dishwasher is attached to the garbage disposal inspect this before you move on as a blocked disposal will stop the dishwasher from draining. Run the garbage disposal with lots of water to ensure there are no issues.

If you do discover an obstruction drain unclogger or a natural alternative may be sought after to remove the obstruction and so this may fix the problem.

Check the sink for issues

If you sink is draining inefficiently this may suggest an issue with the plumbing as opposed to a fault with your dishwasher.

In the case that the sink is emptying reluctantly you may attempt putting a little bicarbonate of soda and vinegar down the plughole, leaving it for a few minutes and subsequently washing it through with hot water.

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

This could be sufficient to permit the appliance to work again so start a short cycle at this point. If this hasn’t worked you may manually remove the water using a bowl as well as a towel and check the next few possible issues.

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

If in the process of one of these examinations you suspect you may 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 now emptying as it used to.

Check and scrub the filters

Any number of things could block the filters including corn kernels, labels from tupperware, plastic covers and broken glass. Clear plastic lids could also be hard to see 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 straightforward to remove so you could need to refer to the manual for this.

Is the waste water pipe obstructed?

The next place to check is the drain 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.

Subject to the location of the waste hose (usually the ribbed one) you could be able to view it by lifting away the base or you might need to pull the machine out from under the counter.

Have a look at the pipe first to see if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You might be able to manually remove any kinks which should rectify the issue, but be aware that when this has happened the chance of it happening again is massively increased so you may wish to order a new hose.

If you are unable to see an issue you may remove the waste pipe from the pump and blow through 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 there may still be water in the hose.

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

Disconnect the other end of the hose in order to give it a good flush through to remove the obstruction. If you can’t get rid of the obstruction or the waste pipe is cracked or worn buy a brand-new one. If you can clear the blockage then re-attach the hose and start a short cycle to check that you have solved the error.

You can also check the point where the hose connects to the sink. This is a likely place for debris to build up so if you do remove the waste pipe give this point a thorough scrub as well.

Examine the drain valve

You could manually examine the drain valve to ensure it isn’t stopped working. The drain valve will usually be found 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 wiggling it a bit will likely be enough to let you know if it’s seized. If you are able to see an object stopping it from moving carefully extract this. If you are unable to, this may be a good time to call a repair person unless you are confident in procuring and replacing the component on your own.

Examine your pump is not broken

Your water pump makes use of impellers that may be blocked by broken china or other objects. Check your impellers aren’t broken by removing the safety cover and ensuring that the impellers are free to move.

Run your dishwasher and listen for any unusual sounds

If your dishwasher doesn’t sound right your dishwasher pump or motor might be damaged and need to be repaired.

Call a repair person

If none of the above checks has repaired the problem, or you have reason to believe the pump, pump valve or motor are damaged, it may be the right time to call a plumber.

At least having tried to troubleshoot you have managed to avoid having to pay a big call-out fee for a blocked hose.