Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

Although it’s always irritating to open the machine and realize it is still full of water, try not to panic just yet. You may manage rectify the error by yourself, without having to call a plumber or buy a brand-new dishwasher.

Standing water in your dishwasher may be bought about by a number of things a number of which are easy to deal with. So, before you call a dishwasher repair service try this selection of probable issues you could troubleshoot yourself. A number of which are not even related to the dishwasher itself.

Check the dishwasher wasn’t interrupted mid-cycle

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

The program could have been interrupted for a number of of reasons. Kids pressing buttons, mistakenly pressing on the control panel, a power outage or opening the machine mid-program might all stop the program from completing and mean your machine doesn’t empty.

If you think this could be the situation, or you just want to be sure it’s not the issue run the dishwasher again on a short program.

A proportion appliances might have a drain capacity so it’s well worth consulting your instruction manual or consulting google to check.

Check the disposal

If your dishwasher is attached to your disposal inspect this before you do anything else as an obstructed garbage disposal will stop your dishwasher from draining. Turn on the waste disposal using fast running water to make sure there are no obstructions.

If you do discover an obstruction drain cleaner or a natural alternative may be used to unclog the blockage and so this may solve the issue.

Check the sink for blockages

If you sink is draining reluctantly this could indicate a plumbing issue rather than a fault with your dishwasher.

In the case that the sink is draining inefficiently you could try putting some bicarb and white vinegar down the plughole, leaving it for a while and then flushing it away with boiling water.

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

This might be enough to permit your dishwasher to work again so start a short program now. If this hasn’t sorted the issue you can remove the standing water by hand using a bowl and a towel and check a few more likely causes.

Make certain to turn off the dishwasher to stay safe.

If during any of these examinations you think you may have detected and repaired the fault you don’t have to go through the remaining steps. Just complete an empty program to make sure your machine is once again emptying as it used to.

Inspect and clean the filters

Popcorn, paper from food jars, plastic lids and smashed glass, plus food debris, can all obstruct the dishwasher filter. Clear plastic lids can also be hard to spot if you don’t look closely.

Remove the filter and clean it thoroughly before replacing it. Not all machines have their filter in the same location so you may need to consult the instructions for this.

Is the waste water pipe obstructed?

The next place to inspect is the waste 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 impede your machine from emptying.

Subject to the location of the waste pipe (generally the ribbed one) you may be able to inspect it by taking off the base alternatively you could need to pull the machine out from under the counter.

Visually inspect the hose in the first instance to see if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You might be able to fix these issues by hand which is likely to fix the issue, however, it’s worth noting that once this has happened it is much more likely to happen again so you might need to order a new hose.

If you are unable to see any obvious kinks or obstructions you can remove the waste hose from the pump and blow into it to check for any blockages. Make sure you line the floor with newspaper or towels first as even if you have emptied the dishwasher there may still be water in the hose.

If you can’t blow through the pipe this could be the issue.

Disconnect the other end of the hose in order to give it a good clean to clear the obstruction. If you are unable to remove the blockage or the waste pipe is slit or degraded invest in a brand-new one. If you can clear the obstruction then re-attach the hose and start a short program to check that you have solved the issue.

You can also check the point where the hose attaches to the sink. This is a typical place for blockages to occur so if you do take off the waste hose give this area a good scrub as well.

Check the drain valve

You may check the drain valve by hand to check it isn’t seized. The drain valve will most often be situated in the bottom of the dishwasher on the valve bracket. Consult your manual if you’re not sure.

Depressing the valve or wiggling it a bit will likely be adequate to let you know if it’s seized. If you can see something stopping it from moving remove this. If you are unable to, this could be the right time to call a repair person unless you are happy in procuring and swapping out the part on your own.

Check your pump is not blocked

Your water pump makes use of impellers that may get blocked by broken glass or other objects. Check your impellers aren’t broken by taking off the safety cover and ensuring that the impellers can be easily rotated.

Run your dishwasher and listen for any unusual noises

If it sounds unusual your pump or motor could be damaged and need to be repaired.

Call a plumber

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

At least having tried to investigate what is wrong you have prevented needing to pay a hefty repair charge for a blocked drain.