Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

Although it’s never a pleasant sight to open your dishwasher and realize the machine is still full of water, try not to lose it just yet. You may manage fix the error without having to call a repair person or invest in a brand-new machine.

Your machine refusing to empty could have any number of of causes some of which are simple to resolve. Therefore, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service here is a list of probable things you may correct by yourself. Some of which aren’t even related to the machine itself.

Ensure the dishwasher wasn’t stopped mid-cycle

If you’re fortunate the fact your dishwasher hasn’t drained may not be an issue at all. Instead, the cycle may have been stopped mid-way.

The cycle could have been cut short for a number of of reasons. Children pressing buttons, mistakenly leaning on the control panel, a power outage or opening the dishwasher mid-program might all interrupt the program and mean your machine doesn’t empty.

If you suspect this may be the circumstance, or you feel it might be worthwhile checking run the dishwasher again on a short program.

Some machines could have a drain program meaning it’s well worth having a look at your owners manual or doing a quick internet search to find out.

Examine the disposal

If your dishwasher is attached to a waste disposal examine this before you move on as a blocked waste disposal will block the machine from draining. Turn on the waste disposal using fast running water to check there are no blockages.

If you do discover a blockage drain unclogger or a natural alternative may be employed to clear the obstruction and so this might solve the error.

Inspect the sink for clogs

If you kitchen sink is emptying reluctantly this might suggest a plumbing issue rather than an issue with your machine.

If the kitchen sink is draining inefficiently you could attempt putting a little bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar down the drain, letting it sit for a few minutes and subsequently rinsing it through with boiling water.

A plunger could also be utilized to try and shift the obstruction.

This could be enough to allow your appliance to work again so start a short program at this point. If not you could remove the standing water by hand using a jug as well as a sponge and troubleshoot a few more areas.

Make sure you turn off the machine to avoid electrocution.

If during any of these investigations you believe you may have detected and solved the issue there is no need to continue to the next step. Just complete an empty program to check your dishwasher is once again emptying as it should.

Check and wash the filters

Corn Kernels, labels from containers, plastic covers and smashed glass, as well as scraps of food, may all block the dishwasher filter. Clear glass could also be difficult to spot if you aren’t looking for it.

Remove the filter and give it a good wash before putting it back in place. Not all dishwashers have their filter in the same place so you may need to consult the owners manual for this.

Is the waste water hose obstructed?

The next component to inspect is the drain hose. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose can all impede your dishwasher from draining.

Contingent upon the location of the waste pipe (normally the ribbed one) you could manage inspect it by taking off the base or you might have to move the dishwasher out from under the counter.

Have a look at the hose in the first instance to see if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You could manage manually straighten out any kinks which is likely to rectify the issue, however, it’s worth noting that once this has occurred the chance of it happening again is significantly increased so you could wish to purchase a spare hose.

If you are unable to see any obvious kinks or obstructions you can disconnect 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 may still be water in the pipe.

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

Take off the hose at the sink end and give it a thorough flush through to remove the blockage. If you can’t remove the obstruction or the hose is cracked or degraded acquire a brand-new one. If you could clear the obstruction then put the hose back and run a quick cycle to check that you have solved the error.

You could also examine where the pipe attaches under your sink as well. This is a likely spot for a build-up of gunk so if you do take off the pipe give this connection a thorough clean as well.

Inspect the drain valve

You can manually examine the drain valve to check it hasn’t seized. The drain valve will most often be found at the base of the dishwasher on the valve bracket. Examine your instructions if you can’t see it.

Pressing down on the valve or giving it a jiggle will likely be enough to find out if it’s stuck. If you are able to see something stopping it from moving remove this. If you are unable to, this may be the right time to get in touch with a plumber unless you are confident in purchasing and swapping out the valve yourself.

Check your pump is not blocked

Your dishwasher pump makes use of impellers that could get obstructed by pieces of glass or other debris. Check your impellers aren’t broken by removing the safety cover and making sure the impellers can be easily rotated.

Run your machine and listen for any unusual noises

If your dishwasher doesn’t sound right your dishwasher pump or motor may be broken and need replacing.

Call a plumber

If none of the above checks has fixed the error, or you suspect the pump, pump valve or motor are broken, it might be time to get the professionals.

This way though you will at least have the means to give them more information and have prevented having to pay a big repair charge for a blocked hose.