Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

Although it’s never a welcome sight to open the dishwasher and find out the machine hasn’t drained fully, try not to overreact just yet. You may be able to figure out the error before you have to call a plumber or invest in a brand-new dishwasher.

Standing water in your machine may have any number of of causes a few of which can be simple to solve. Therefore, before you call a dishwasher repair service try this list of potential components you may identify by yourself. A number of which are not even caused by the machine itself.

Ensure the dishwasher wasn’t interrupted mid-cycle.

If you’re lucky the standing water you have discovered may not be an issue at all. Rather, the cycle may have been stopped mid-way.

The cycle might have been interrupted for a number of of reasons. Little fingers pushing buttons, accidentally pushing against the buttons, a power cut or opening the dishwasher mid-cycle might all interrupt the program and mean your dishwasher doesn’t drain.

If you believe this could be the circumstance, or you feel it may be worthwhile checking run your machine again on a quick program.

A few dishwashers could have a drain program so it’s worth having a look at your instruction manual or consulting google to find out.

Examine the waste disposal

If your dishwasher is attached to a disposal examine this first as a blocked waste disposal will stop the machine from emptying. Run the waste disposal with plenty of water to make sure there are no blockages.

If you do find a blockage drain cleaner or a plunger may be used to remove the obstruction and so this may fix the error.

Check the plumbing for blockages

If you kitchen sink is emptying slowly this may indicate a plumbing issue instead of a problem with your dishwasher.

In the case that the sink is emptying inefficiently you may attempt putting some bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar down the drain, leaving it for a few minutes and subsequently flushing it away with hot water.

A plunger might also be used to attempt to dislodge the obstruction.

This may be enough to let your dishwasher to drain so run a short rinse and drain program to check. If not you could remove the water by hand using a bowl as well as a sponge and check a few more areas.

Make certain to unplug the dishwasher to prevent electrocution.

If in the process of any one of these checks you believe you have detected and repaired the fault you don’t need to go through the remaining steps. Just start an empty program to check the machine is fixed.

Examine and wash the filters

Any number of things could block the filters including corn kernels, labels from containers, plastic covers and smashed glass. Clear plastic lids can also be difficult to see if you don’t look carefully.

Remove the filter then wash it thoroughly before putting it back in place. Not all filters are obvious and simple to remove so you might need to consult the instruction manual for this.

Is the drain hose obstructed?

The next place to inspect is the waste hose. 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 pipe (usually the ribbed one) you might be able to look at it by means of removing the kick board or you might have to move the machine out from the wall.

Visually examine the pipe first to find out if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You might manage manually fix any kinks which will most likely resolve the issue, but be aware that once this has occurred the chance of it occurring again is significantly increased so you could wish to order a new hose.

If you are unable to find any obvious kinks or obstructions you can disconnect the drain pipe from the dishwasher and blow through it to check for any blockages. Be sure to line the floor with newspaper or towels first as even if you have emptied the dishwasher there might still be dirty water in the pipe.

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

Remove the other end of the hose and give it a thorough clean to get rid of the obstruction. If you are unable to dislodge the blockage or the waste hose is slit or worn buy a new one. If you could get rid of the blockage then put the hose back and start a quick program to make sure you have solved the fault.

You can also inspect the point where the hose connects to the waste disposal as well. This is a common point for debris to build up so if you happen to remove the waste hose give this area a thorough scrub as well.

Examine the drain valve

You can examine the drain valve by hand to check it isn’t stopped working. The drain valve will most often be located in the bottom of the machine on the valve bracket. Consult your instruction manual if you can’t see it.

Pressing down on the valve or wiggling it a bit should be enough to find out if it’s seized. If you can see something stopping it from moving carefully extract this. If you can’t, this might be a good time to call a repair person unless you are happy in ordering and repairing the component on your own.

Check your pump is not broken

Your water pump makes use of impellers that may get obstructed by broken china or other debris. Check your pump isn’t blocked by removing the safety cover and making sure the impellers can rotate freely.

Run your machine and listen for any unusual sounds

If it is making funny noises your dishwasher pump or motor could be damaged and need replacing.

Call a plumber

If none of the above checks has repaired the fault, 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 have the means to give them more information and have avoided having to pay a hefty repair charge for a blocked drain.