Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining? | Longmont Appliance Repair

No-one is happy to open their dishwasher and discover standing water but, try not to panic just yet. You may have the means to deal with the problem before you have to call a plumber or purchase a new machine.

Your machine failing to drain could have a number of of causes a proportion of which are simple to solve. So, before you call a dishwasher repair service here is a selection of possible components you may identify yourself. A number of which are not even a fault of the machine itself.

Check the dishwasher wasn’t stopped mid-program

If you’re lucky the fact your dishwasher hasn’t drained may not be a problem at all. Instead, the cycle could have been interrupted.

The cycle might have been stopped mid-way for a number of of reasons. Kids pushing buttons, mistakenly pushing against the control panel, a power surge or opening the dishwasher mid-program might all interrupt the program and mean your dishwasher doesn’t drain.

If you suspect this could be the case, or you think it might be worthwhile checking start your machine again on a quick program.

A few machines might have an empty program meaning it’s well worth having a look at your instructions or doing a quick internet search to find out.

Examine the disposal

If your dishwasher is attached to a waste disposal check this first as a blocked waste disposal will block the dishwasher from draining. Run the waste disposal with lots of water to ensure there are no blockages.

If you do uncover an issue drain cleaner or a plunger may be employed to remove the blockage and so this could deal with the problem.

Examine the plumbing for blockages

If you kitchen sink is draining reluctantly this might signify a plumbing issue as opposed to an error with your machine.

If the kitchen sink is emptying inefficiently you can attempt putting a little bicarb and white vinegar down the drain, leaving it for a few minutes, then washing it away with boiling water.

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

This may be enough to allow the dishwasher to drain so run a short program at this point. If this hasn’t worked you may manually remove the dirty water using a bowl and a sponge and troubleshoot the next few possible issues.

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

If during one of these examinations you suspect you may have found and repaired the issue you don’t have to go through the remaining steps. Just run an empty program to ensure the machine is repaired.

Inspect and rinse the filters

Any number of things could block the filters including corn kernels, paper from containers, plastic film lids and smashed glass. Clear plastic lids could also be hard to see if you aren’t looking for it.

Take out the filter then clean it thoroughly before putting it back in place. Not all filters are obvious and straightforward to remove so you could need to look at the owners manual for this.

Is the waste water pipe obstructed?

The next component to check is the drain hose. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose could all stop your machine from draining.

Contingent upon the position of the hose (generally the ribbed one) you may be able to view it simply by taking off the kick plate or you could have to move the machine away from under the counter.

Have a look at the pipe first to see if it has been squashed or kinked. You might have the means to fix these issues by hand which should fix the issue, but it’s worth noting that when this has happened it is significantly more inclined to happen again so you may wish to purchase a spare hose.

If you can’t find 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 first as even if you have emptied the machine there could still be waste water in the hose.

If you are unable to blow through the hose this could be the problem.

Disconnect the hose at the sink end and give it a good clean to clear the blockage. If you can’t dislodge the obstruction or the pipe is slit or degraded acquire a new one. If you may clear the blockage then re-attach the hose and run a quick program to check that you have fixed the error.

You may also inspect the point where the hose attaches under your sink. This is a likely point for a build-up of gunk so if you happen to remove the pipe give this point a thorough scrub as well.

Inspect the drain valve

You may manually check the drain valve to make sure it isn’t got stuck. The drain valve will generally be found at the base of the machine on the valve bracket. Examine your instructions if you can’t see it.

Pushing down on the valve or giving it a jiggle will likely be enough to find out if it’s seized. If you can see any debris stopping it from moving remove this. If you are unable to, this could be a good time to ring a repair person unless you are confident in purchasing and swapping out the part yourself.

Examine your pump is not blocked

Your water pump uses impellers that may get blocked by broken glass or other objects. Check your pump isn’t blocked by taking off the safety cover and making sure the impellers can be easily rotated.

Listen to your dishwasher while it’s on

If it doesn’t sound right your dishwasher pump or motor may be faulty and need replacing.

Call a plumber

If you have been through the above list and the issue persists, or you think the pump, pump valve or motor are damaged, it could be the right time to call for help.

At least having done your best to fix the problem yourself you have prevented needing to pay a big repair fee for a clogged filter.