Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

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

Your dishwasher declining to empty may have any number of of causes a number of which are simple to fix. So, before you call a dishwasher repair service try this selection of probable issues you can troubleshoot yourself. A few of which aren’t even caused by the dishwasher itself.

Ensure the cycle wasn’t interrupted

If you’re lucky the fact your dishwasher hasn’t drained may not be a fault at all. Rather, the cycle could have been stopped mid-way.

The cycle might have been interrupted for multiple of reasons. Little fingers pressing buttons, inadvertently leaning against the buttons, a power surge or opening the machine mid-cycle could all stop the cycle from completing and mean your dishwasher doesn’t drain.

If you believe this might be the case, or you think it may be a good idea to check run the dishwasher again on a short program.

A proportion appliances might have a drain function meaning it’s worthwhile checking your instructions or consulting google to make sure.

Check the garbage disposal

If you have a disposal inspect this first as an obstructed disposal will prevent the machine from emptying. Turn on the disposal with lots of water to make sure there are no issues.

If you do find a blockage drain unclogger or a plunger could be sought after to clear the blockage and this might rectify the error.

Examine the sink for clogs

If you kitchen sink is emptying inefficiently this could suggest an issue with the plumbing instead of a problem with your dishwasher.

In the case that the kitchen sink is emptying reluctantly you could attempt putting a little bicarbonate of soda and vinegar down the drain, leaving it for a while, then rinsing it through with hot water.

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

This could be all you need to do to allow your appliance to work again so start a short cycle to check. If this hasn’t sorted the issue you could manually remove the standing water using a bowl and also a towel and troubleshoot a few more areas.

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

If while you are carrying out any one of these investigations you suspect you may have found and solved the problem there is no need to continue to the next issue. Just start an empty cycle to make sure the dishwasher is now draining as it should.

Inspect and clean the filters

Corn Kernels, paper from containers, plastic film lids and broken glass, plus scraps of food, could all block the dishwasher filter. Clear plastic lids may also be hard to see if you don’t look carefully.

Remove the filter and give it a good wash before replacing it. Not all machines have their filter in the same location so you could need to consult the owners manual for this.

Is the drain pipe obstructed?

The next place to examine is the waste water hose. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose may all impede your dishwasher from emptying.

Contingent upon the location of the waste pipe (usually the corrugated one) you may be able to inspect it simply by lifting away the kick board or you could be required to move the machine away from the wall.

Look at the pipe first to discover if it has been squashed or kinked. You may be able to manually remove any kinks which is likely to fix the issue, however, it’s worth noting that when this has happened the chance of it happening again is massively increased so you might wish to buy a new hose.

If you can’t find any obvious kinks or obstructions you can take off the waste hose from the pump and blow into it to figure out if there are any blockages. Be sure to put down newspaper or towels before you remove the hose as there could still be water in the hose.

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

Disconnect the hose at the sink end and then give it a thorough clean to clear the obstruction. If you are unable to get rid of the blockage or the waste hose is split or degraded purchase a brand-new one. If you may clear the obstruction then re-attach the hose and run a short cycle to check that you have solved the error.

You can also examine the point where the waste pipe connects to the sink as well. This is a typical place for blockages to occur so if you happen to take off the pipe give this connection a thorough scrub as well.

Check the drain valve

You can inspect the drain valve by hand to ensure it isn’t got stuck. The drain valve will often be located in the bottom of the dishwasher on the valve bracket. Consult your owners manual if you can’t see it.

Pushing down on the valve or giving it a wiggle should be sufficient to let you know if it’s stuck. If you can see any debris stopping it from moving get rid of this. If you can’t, this could be a good time to get in touch with a plumber unless you are happy in purchasing and repairing the valve on your own.

Inspect your pump is not blocked

Your water pump uses impellers that could get obstructed by pieces of china or other objects. Check your pump isn’t blocked by removing the safety cover and ensuring that the impellers are free to move.

Run your dishwasher and listen for any unusual noises

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

Call a plumber

If none of the above checks has repaired the error, or you suspect the pump, pump valve or motor are not working, it may be time to call a plumber.

This way though you will at least have the means to give them more information and have prevented needing to pay a big call-out fee for a clogged filter.