Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

Although it’s always annoying to open your dishwasher and discover the machine is still full of water, don’t panic just yet. You could manage figure out the problem by yourself, without having to call a plumber or acquire a brand-new machine.

Your machine declining to empty can be induced by multiple components a few of which can be easy to rectify. Therefore, before you call a dishwasher repair service here is a lineup of possible components you may troubleshoot on your own. A proportion of which aren’t even a fault of the machine itself.

Check the program wasn’t interrupted

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

The program may have been interrupted for multiple of reasons. Little fingers pushing controls, mistakenly pushing on the buttons, a power surge or opening the dishwasher mid-program could all prevent the program from completing and mean your dishwasher doesn’t drain.

If you believe this could be the situation, or you feel it could be a good idea to check run the machine again on a quick program.

A number appliances could have a drain capacity meaning it’s worth checking your instructions or consulting google to find out.

Inspect the garbage disposal

If you have a garbage disposal inspect this before you do anything else as an obstructed disposal will block the machine from draining. Run the garbage disposal using plenty of water to make sure there are no blockages.

If you do discover an obstruction drain un-blocker or a natural alternative can be employed to remove the obstruction and so this may resolve the problem.

Check the sink for issues

If you kitchen sink is draining slowly this may signify an issue with the plumbing rather than an error with your machine.

In the case that the sink is emptying slowly you can try putting a little bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar down the plughole, leaving it for a while, then rinsing it away with hot water.

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

This might be enough to allow your machine to work again so start a quick rinse and empty program to check. If this hasn’t sorted the issue you can manually drain the dishwasher using a jug and also a sponge and troubleshoot a few more possible issues.

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

If in the process of any one of these examinations you suspect you may have detected and solved the error you don’t need to go through the rest of the issues. Just start an empty program to ensure the machine is repaired.

Examine and rinse the filters

Any number of things could block the filters including popcorn, paper from food jars, plastic film lids and smashed glass. Clear glass could also be difficult to see if you don’t look carefully.

Take out the filter then give it a thorough scrub before replacing it. Not all filters are obvious and easy to remove so you might need to consult the owners manual for this.

Is the waste pipe obstructed?

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

Subject to the position of the waste hose (normally the corrugated one) you could manage look at it by lifting away the base or you might have to pull the machine out from under the counter.

Visually inspect the pipe in the first instance to see if it has been crushed or kinked. You may manage manually remove any kinks which will most likely fix the issue, however, be aware that when this has occurred the probability of it happening again is massively increased so you might wish to purchase a replacement hose.

If you can’t find any obvious kinks or obstructions you can take off the waste water hose from the machine and blow through it to discover any blockages. Make sure you put down newspaper or towels first as there may still be dirty water in the hose.

If you are unable to blow air through the waste pipe this might be the issue.

Disconnect the hose at the sink end and then give it a thorough flush through to get rid of the blockage. If you can’t dislodge the obstruction or the waste hose is cracked or worn purchase a new one. If you may get rid of the blockage then re-attach the hose and start a short cycle to double check that you have solved the problem.

You may also check where the waste hose attaches to the waste disposal. This is a common point for blockages to occur so if you do remove the waste pipe give this connection a good scrub as well.

Inspect the drain valve

You may manually check the drain valve to ensure it hasn’t seized. The drain valve will most often be situated in the bottom of the dishwasher on the valve bracket. Consult your instructions if you can’t see it.

Pressing down on the valve or giving it a jiggle should be adequate to find out if it’s stuck. If you are able to see something stopping it from moving get rid of this. If you are unable to, this could be a good time to get in touch with a repair person unless you are undaunted by purchasing and replacing the component yourself.

Inspect your pump is not blocked

Your water pump makes use of impellers that can become blocked by pieces of china or other debris. 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 noises

If your dishwasher doesn’t sound right your dishwasher pump or motor could be damaged and need replacing.

Call a repair person

If none of the above checks has solved the error, or you think the pump, pump valve or motor are broken, it may be the right time to call for help.

This way though you will at least be able to give them more information and have managed to avoid having to pay a big call-out fee for a clogged filter.