Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

No-one wishes to open their machine and discover standing water but, don’t overreact just yet. You may have the means to fix the fault without having to call a plumber or invest in a new dishwasher.

Standing water in your machine could have a number of of causes a number of which are straightforward to fix. So, before you call a dishwasher repair service here is a lineup of probable things you can identify by yourself. A proportion of which are not even caused by the machine itself.

Ensure the dishwasher wasn’t stopped mid-program

It is probable that there is nothing preventing your machine from emptying. Alternatively, the program may have been stopped mid-way.

The program might have been cut short for any number of of reasons. Children pushing controls, mistakenly pushing on the control panel, a power surge or opening the dishwasher mid-cycle could all interrupt the cycle and mean your machine doesn’t drain.

If you suspect this may be the case, or you just want to be sure it’s not the issue start your dishwasher again on a short cycle.

A proportion dishwashers might have a drain cycle meaning it’s well worth consulting your owners manual or consulting google to make sure.

Inspect the garbage disposal

If you have a waste disposal inspect this before you move on as an obstructed waste disposal will prevent your machine from emptying. Turn on the waste disposal using plenty of water to ensure there are no issues.

If you do uncover an obstruction drain unclogger or a plunger may be employed to remove the obstruction and so this could solve the issue.

Check the sink waste for clogs

If you kitchen sink is draining inefficiently this may suggest an issue with the drains instead of an issue with your machine.

In the case that the kitchen sink is emptying slowly you may attempt putting some bicarbonate of soda and vinegar down the drain, leaving it for a few minutes, then washing it through with hot water.

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

This may be enough to permit the appliance to work again so start a quick rinse and empty cycle to check. If not you can remove the water by hand using a bowl and also a sponge and have a look at a few more areas.

Make sure you turn off the dishwasher to stay safe.

If during one of these examinations you believe you have found and repaired the fault you don’t need to go through the rest of the steps. Just complete an empty program to ensure your dishwasher is repaired.

Examine and clean the filters

Corn Kernels, paper from containers, film covers and broken glass, plus scraps of food, may all obstruct the dishwasher filter. Clear film can also be difficult to see if you don’t look closely.

Take out the filter and give it a thorough wash before putting it back in place. Not all filters are obvious and easy to remove so you may need to look at the owners manual for this.

Is the drain hose obstructed?

The next component to examine is the waste hose. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose could all prevent your machine from draining.

Depending on the position of the waste hose (normally the corrugated one) you could be able to look at it by taking off the kick plate alternatively you might need to move the machine away from under the counter.

Visually inspect the pipe first to find out if it has been crushed or kinked. You may have the means to manually straighten out any kinks which will most likely rectify the issue, however, it’s worth noting that once this has occurred it is significantly more inclined to happen again so you may need to buy a spare hose.

If you are unable to find an issue you may take off the waste water pipe from the machine and blow through it to discover any blockages. Make sure you put down newspaper or towels before you remove the hose as there might still be water in the pipe.

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

Remove the other end of the hose and then give it a good clean to get rid of the obstruction. If you are unable to shift the blockage or the waste pipe is slit or degraded acquire a brand-new one. If you may remove the obstruction then replace the hose and run a quick cycle to double check that you have fixed the error.

You could also examine where the waste hose connects under your sink. This is a common place for a build-up of gunk so if you happen to remove the pipe give this area a good clean as well.

Check the drain valve

You can check the drain valve by hand to ensure it isn’t seized. The drain valve will often be situated in the bottom of the machine on the valve bracket. Consult your instructions if you’re unsure.

Depressing the valve or giving it a wiggle will likely be enough to let you know if it’s stuck. If you are able to see any debris stopping it from moving get rid of this. If you can’t, this may be a good time to ring a plumber unless you are confident in purchasing and repairing the part on your own.

Check your pump is not broken

Your dishwasher pump makes use of impellers that may become obstructed by pieces of china or other debris. Check your pump isn’t obstructed by removing the cover and making sure the impellers can rotate freely.

Run your machine and listen for any unusual noises

If the dishwasher sounds unusual your dishwasher pump or motor might be broken and need replacing.

Call a plumber

If none of the above checks has solved the issue, or you suspect the pump, pump valve or motor are damaged, it could be the moment you need to call your local repair person.

At least having attempted to investigate what is wrong you have avoided needing to pay a hefty repair fee for a clogged filter.