Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining? | Gold Appliance Repair

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

Standing water in your dishwasher could be caused by multiple issues a proportion of which are straightforward to fix. So, before you call a dishwasher repair service here is a selection of potential issues you could troubleshoot on your own. A number of which are not even caused by the dishwasher itself.

Ensure the program wasn’t interrupted

It is probable that there is nothing stopping your machine from draining. Rather, the program may have been stopped mid-way.

The program may have been interrupted for a number of of reasons. Children pushing buttons, mistakenly pushing against the controls, a power cut or opening the machine mid-program may all stop the program from completing and mean your dishwasher doesn’t empty.

If you suspect this might be the circumstance, or you think it could be worthwhile checking start the machine again on a short cycle.

A number machines may have a drain cycle meaning it’s worthwhile having a look at your manual or doing a quick internet search to check.

Examine the waste disposal

If you have a disposal inspect this first as an obstructed garbage disposal will prevent your dishwasher from draining. Turn on the garbage disposal with lots of water to ensure there are no blockages.

If you do uncover a blockage drain cleaner or a plunger can be employed to remove the obstruction and so this might rectify the error.

Examine the sink waste for clogs

If you sink is emptying slowly this could indicate a plumbing issue as opposed to an error with your machine.

If the sink is draining inefficiently you can try putting a little bicarb and white vinegar down the plughole, leaving it for a while, then washing it away with hot water.

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

This may be enough to permit the appliance to work again so run a quick rinse and empty cycle at this point. If not you can remove the water by hand using a jug and a sponge and check the next few possible issues.

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

If in the process of any of these investigations you suspect you may have found and fixed the issue there is no need to continue to the next step. Just run an empty program to check your machine is repaired.

Check and wash the filters

Popcorn, paper from containers, film covers and smashed glass, plus food debris, could all block the dishwasher filter. Clear glass may also be difficult to see if you don’t look closely.

Remove the filter and clean it thoroughly before putting it back in place. Not all filters are obvious and straightforward to remove so you might need to refer to the instruction manual for this.

Is the waste hose obstructed?

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

Subject to the position of the waste hose (normally the ribbed one) you may manage look at it by means of taking off the kick plate or you could need to move the dishwasher away from the wall.

Visually examine the hose first to see if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You could have the means to fix these issues by hand which is likely to fix the issue, however, it’s worth noting that when this has happened the chance of it occurring again is massively increased so you may need to purchase a replacement hose.

If you can’t find an issue you could take off the waste pipe from the machine and blow through it to discover any blockages. Make sure you line the floor with newspaper or towels before you remove the hose as there may still be dirty water in the pipe.

If you are unable to blow air through the waste pipe this could be the reason your dishwasher isn’t emptying.

Remove the hose at the sink end and give it a thorough flush through to remove the blockage. If you are unable to shift the obstruction or the waste pipe is slit or damaged invest in a brand-new one. If you can clear the blockage then put the hose back and run a quick cycle to check that you have repaired the error.

You may also inspect the point where the waste hose attaches to the waste disposal. This is a common spot for blockages to occur so if you do take off the waste hose give this point a thorough clean as well.

Check the drain valve

You may check the drain valve by hand to ensure it isn’t got stuck. The drain valve will often be located at the base of the machine on the valve bracket. Consult your manual if you can’t see it.

Depressing the valve or wiggling it a bit will likely be adequate to tell you if it’s seized. If you can see an object blocking it remove this. If you are unable to, this could be a good time to call a plumber unless you are confident in ordering and swapping out the component on your own.

Check your pump is not blocked

Your dishwasher pump makes use of impellers that could become obstructed by pieces of glass or other objects. Check your impellers aren’t broken by taking off the safety cover and checking that the impellers can be easily rotated.

Listen to your dishwasher while it’s on

If the dishwasher doesn’t sound normal your dishwasher pump or motor could be damaged and need to be repaired.

Call a repair person

If you have been through the above list and the issue remains, or you think the pump, pump valve or motor are damaged, it might be a good time to call your local repair person.

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