Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

Although it’s always annoying to open a dishwasher and find out the machine is still full of water, don’t lose it just yet. You could have the means to rectify the error before you have to call a repair person or acquire a new machine.

Standing water in your dishwasher may be bought about by multiple things a proportion of which are straightforward to deal with. Therefore, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service here is a selection of probable issues you could identify yourself. Some of which aren’t even related to the dishwasher itself.

Ensure the dishwasher wasn’t interrupted mid-cycle

It is possible that there is nothing preventing your dishwasher from draining. Alternatively, the program might have been interrupted.

The cycle might have been interrupted for multiple of reasons. Little fingers pushing buttons, mistakenly pushing against the control panel, a power surge or opening the machine mid-program may all stop the cycle from completing and mean your machine doesn’t drain.

If you think this could be the circumstance, or you feel it might be worthwhile checking run the dishwasher again on a short cycle.

A few dishwashers might have an empty cycle meaning it’s worth consulting your instruction manual or checking online to make sure.

Check the garbage disposal

If your dishwasher is connected to the waste disposal examine this before you do anything else as a blocked disposal will prevent the machine from emptying. Run the garbage disposal using fast running water to ensure there are no obstructions.

If you do discover a blockage drain cleaner or a natural alternative may be sought after to clear the obstruction and this may resolve the fault.

Inspect the plumbing for issues

If you sink is draining slowly this might suggest a plumbing issue as opposed to a fault with your dishwasher.

In the case that the sink is emptying reluctantly you can attempt putting some bicarbonate of soda and vinegar down the plughole, leaving it for a while and then rinsing it through with boiling water.

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

This may be sufficient to permit your appliance to work again so run a quick rinse and drain cycle to check. If not you may remove the dirty water by hand using a bowl and also a sponge and troubleshoot a few more areas.

At this point make certain to disconnect the machine to stay safe.

If during any of these examinations you think you have found and repaired the error there is no need to continue to the next step. Just complete an empty cycle to make sure your dishwasher is fixed.

Check and clean the filters

Corn Kernels, labels from tupperware, plastic lids and smashed glass, plus food debris, could all block the dishwasher filter. Clear plastic lids could also be hard to see if you don’t look carefully.

Remove the filter and clean it thoroughly before replacing it. Not all filters are obvious and straightforward to remove so you may need to consult the manual for this.

Is the waste water hose blocked?

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

Depending on the location of the waste hose (generally the ribbed one) you might manage inspect it by means of removing the base alternatively you may need to move the machine out from under the counter.

Visually inspect the hose in the first instance to find out if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You may be able to fix these issues by hand which should fix the issue, but it’s worth noting that when this has occurred the probability of it occurring again is greatly increased so you could need to purchase a new hose.

If you can’t find any obvious kinks or obstructions you can remove the waste hose from the pump and blow into it to discover any blockages. Be sure to put down newspaper or towels before you remove the hose as even if you have emptied the dishwasher there could still be water in the hose.

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

Remove the other end of the hose in order to give it a thorough clean to clear the obstruction. If you can’t get rid of the obstruction or the hose is split or worn invest in a brand-new one. If you can clear the obstruction then replace the hose and start a quick program to make sure you have repaired the error.

You can also inspect the point where the pipe connects to the sink as well. This is a likely spot for blockages to occur so if you do remove the waste hose give this area a thorough scrub as well.

Inspect the drain valve

You could manually check the drain valve to make sure it hasn’t got stuck. The drain valve will often be situated in the bottom of the machine on the valve bracket. Examine your manual if you can’t see it.

Pressing down on the valve or giving it a wiggle should be adequate to find out if it’s seized. If you can see any debris blocking it get rid of this. If you are unable to, this might be when you should ring a repair person unless you are happy in procuring and repairing the valve yourself.

Inspect your pump is not broken

Your dishwasher pump makes use of impellers that may become blocked by pieces of glass or other debris. Check your impellers aren’t obstructed by taking off 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 might be broken and need replacing.

Call a repair person

If you have been through the above list and the error persists, or you suspect the pump, pump valve or motor are broken, it might be the right time to get the professionals.

At least having tried to investigate what is wrong you have prevented having to pay a hefty call-out fee for a blocked drain.

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