Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

No-one is happy to open their machine and discover it hasn’t emptied fully but, try not to panic just yet. You could be able to fix the error before you have to call a plumber or acquire a brand-new dishwasher.

Standing water in your dishwasher may have a number of of causes a proportion of which can be simple to deal with. So, before you call a dishwasher repair service try this selection of possible issues you may troubleshoot yourself. A number of which aren’t even related to the machine itself.

Check the cycle wasn’t interrupted

If you’re lucky the standing water you have discovered may not be a fault at all. Instead, the program may have been cut short.

The program might have been interrupted for a number of of reasons. Kids pressing controls, inadvertently pushing on the buttons, a power outage or opening the dishwasher mid-program may all prevent the program from completing and mean your machine doesn’t drain.

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

Some machines could have a drain program meaning it’s well worth consulting your manual or consulting google to find out.

Examine the disposal

If you have a garbage disposal examine this first as an obstructed waste disposal will prevent your machine from draining. Turn on the disposal with plenty of water to ensure there are no obstructions.

If you do find an issue drain unclogger or a plunger may be sought after to clear the obstruction and this could rectify the fault.

Examine the plumbing for issues

If you kitchen sink is emptying slowly this may suggest an issue with the drains as opposed to an error with your machine.

If the sink is emptying slowly you can try putting a little bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar down the plughole, leaving it for a while and then flushing it through with hot water.

A sink plunger may also be employed to try and dislodge the obstruction.

This may be all you need to do to let the dishwasher to empty so start a quick program at this point. If this hasn’t sorted the issue you could manually remove the water using a cup and a towel and troubleshoot a few more possible issues.

Make certain to disconnect the machine to avoid electrocution.

If in the process of any one of these examinations you believe you have detected and repaired the error you don’t have to go through the remaining steps. Just start an empty program to check your machine is fixed.

Check and rinse the filters

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

Remove 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 might need to refer to the instruction manual for this.

Is the waste water pipe obstructed?

The next area to check is the drain hose. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose may all impede your machine from emptying.

Depending on the location of the waste hose (usually the corrugated one) you may have the means to look at it simply by lifting away the base alternatively you might need to move the machine out from under the counter.

Have a look at the hose first to discover if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You could be able to manually remove any kinks which is likely to fix the issue, however, be aware that when this has occurred the probability of it happening again is massively increased so you might need to order a spare hose.

If you are unable to find anything you can take off the drain hose from the dishwasher and blow into it to discover any blockages. Be sure to put down newspaper or towels first as there could still be waste water in the hose.

If you can’t blow air through the hose this could be the reason your dishwasher isn’t draining.

Take off the other end of the hose and then give it a thorough flush through to remove the obstruction. If you are unable to get rid of the blockage or the waste hose is cracked or degraded buy a brand-new one. If you could get rid of the blockage then replace the hose and run a quick cycle to double check that you have solved the fault.

You can also examine the point where the waste pipe attaches to the sink. This is a typical point for a build-up of gunk so if you happen to take off the pipe give this connection a good scrub as well.

Check the drain valve

You could inspect the drain valve by hand to check it hasn’t seized. The drain valve will usually be situated at the base of the machine on the valve bracket. Check your owners manual if you’re unsure.

Depressing the valve or wiggling it a bit will likely be enough to let you know if it’s stuck. If you can see something blocking it carefully extract this. If you are unable to, this may be the right time to ring a repair person unless you are happy in purchasing and repairing the part on your own.

Examine your pump is not blocked

Your water pump makes use of impellers that may get blocked by pieces of china or other objects. Check your impellers aren’t broken by removing the safety cover and ensuring that the impellers can rotate freely.

Listen to your dishwasher while it’s on

If it sounds unusual your pump or motor may be damaged and need replacing.

Call a plumber

If you have been through the above list and the error persists, or you suspect the pump, pump valve or motor are not working, it may be the right time to call a plumber.

This way though you will at least have the means to give them more information and have managed to avoid needing to pay a big call-out charge for a blocked hose.