Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

No-one is happy to open their dishwasher and discover it hasn’t emptied properly but, try not to lose it just yet. You may have the means to fix the issue without having to call a repair person or acquire a brand-new machine.

Standing water in your machine could be induced by multiple components a number of which can be easy to rectify. So, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service try this selection of possible things you could troubleshoot on your own. A proportion of which aren’t even related to the dishwasher itself.

Ensure the cycle wasn’t interrupted

It is possible that there is nothing stopping your machine from draining. Rather, the program could have been interrupted.

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

If you think this might be the case, or you just want to be sure it’s not the issue run the machine again on a quick program.

Some appliances may have an empty program so it’s worthwhile consulting your instructions or consulting google to make sure.

Inspect the disposal

If you have a waste disposal check this first as a blocked disposal will stop the machine from draining. Turn on the garbage disposal with fast running water to check there are no obstructions.

If you do find an issue drain unclogger or a natural alternative may be sought after to remove the obstruction and so this may fix the error.

Check the plumbing for issues

If you kitchen sink is draining slowly this could signify an issue with the plumbing as opposed to a problem with your dishwasher.

If the sink is draining slowly you could attempt putting some bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar down the drain, leaving it for a few minutes and then rinsing it away with boiling water.

A sink plunger could also be employed to try and dislodge the blockage.

This might be sufficient to let the dishwasher to empty so start a short rinse and empty program to check. If this hasn’t sorted the issue you may manually remove the dirty water using a jug and a sponge and check the next few possible issues.

At this point make sure you turn off the dishwasher to avoid electrocution.

If during one of these checks you think you have detected and repaired the problem there is no need to continue to the next step. Just run an empty cycle to check the machine is fixed.

Check and wash the filters

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

Take out the filter then wash it thoroughly before replacing it. Not all filters are obvious and straightforward to remove so you could need to consult the instruction manual for this.

Is the waste water pipe blocked?

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

Subject to the location of the hose (normally the corrugated one) you may manage view it by means of removing the base alternatively you may be required to pull the machine away from under the counter.

Have a look at the hose first to discover if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You might manage manually straighten out any kinks which will most likely resolve the issue, however, be aware that once this has happened it is much more inclined to happen again so you could need to purchase a spare hose.

If you can’t see anything you can take off the waste water pipe from the dishwasher 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 could still be waste water in the pipe.

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

Remove the hose at the sink end and then give it a good clean to get rid of the obstruction. If you are unable to get rid of the obstruction or the hose is slit or damaged invest in a new one. If you may remove the obstruction then put the hose back and start a quick program to check that you have solved the problem.

You may also examine the point where the pipe attaches under your sink as well. This is a typical place for a build-up of gunk so if you happen to take off the hose give this area a thorough clean as well.

Examine the drain valve

You could check the drain valve by hand to make sure it hasn’t got stuck. The drain valve will usually be situated in the bottom of the machine on the valve bracket. Examine your manual if you’re not sure.

Pushing down on the valve or giving it a jiggle should be sufficient to tell you if it’s stuck. If you are able to see anything stopping it from moving get rid of this. If you can’t, this may be a good time to call a repair person unless you are confident in purchasing and swapping out the component on your own.

Inspect your pump is not blocked

Your water pump uses impellers that can become blocked by pieces of glass or other objects. Check your pump isn’t blocked by taking off the safety cover and making sure the impellers are free to move.

Listen to your dishwasher while it’s running

If the dishwasher is making funny noises your dishwasher pump or motor might be broken and need to be repaired.

Call a repair person

If none of the above examinations has fixed the issue, or you think the pump, pump valve or motor are damaged, it might 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 call-out charge for a blocked drain.