Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

Although it’s never a pleasant sight to open your dishwasher and discover the machine is still full of water, don’t lose it just yet. You could manage deal with the problem without having to call a repair person or buy a new dishwasher.

Your machine declining to empty could have any number of of causes a few of which can be straightforward to deal with. Therefore, before you call a dishwasher repair service try this selection of possible issues you may identify on your own. A few of which aren’t even related to the machine itself.

Ensure the dishwasher wasn’t stopped mid-cycle

It is probable that there is nothing preventing your dishwasher from draining. Instead, the program may have been stopped mid-way.

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

If you think this may be the situation, or you feel it might be a good idea to check run the machine again on a short program.

A number dishwashers could have a drain program so it’s worthwhile having a look at your instructions or consulting google to check.

Inspect the disposal

If you have a garbage disposal inspect this before you do anything else as an obstructed garbage disposal will prevent your machine from draining. Turn on the garbage disposal with lots of water to ensure there are no issues.

If you do find an issue drain cleaner or a natural alternative can be employed to unclog the blockage and so this might fix the problem.

Inspect the plumbing for issues

If you kitchen sink is draining reluctantly this could signify an issue with the drains as opposed to an error with your machine.

In the case that the sink is emptying slowly you can try putting a little bicarb and vinegar down the drain, letting it sit for a while, then washing it away with hot water.

A plunger could also be used to attempt to remove the blockage.

This may be sufficient to allow your appliance to empty so run a short rinse and drain program at this point. If this hasn’t solved the problem you could manually remove the standing water using a jug as well as a sponge and have a look at the next few possible issues.

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

If during any of these checks you believe you may have found and solved the problem there is no need to continue to the next issue. Just start an empty program to check the dishwasher is fixed.

Examine and scrub the filters

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

Take out the filter then scrub it thoroughly before putting it back in place. Not all filters are obvious and easy to remove so you may need to look at the instruction manual for this.

Is the waste pipe blocked?

The next place to examine is the drain pipe. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose may all prevent your machine from emptying.

Contingent upon the location of the waste pipe (usually the corrugated one) you may be able to inspect it by means of lifting away the base or you could have to pull the machine out from the wall.

Visually inspect the pipe first to find out if it has been crushed or kinked. You may manage manually remove any kinks which is likely to rectify the issue, but it’s worth noting that once this has occurred the probability of it happening again is significantly increased so you could need to order a replacement hose.

If you are unable to see an issue you could disconnect the drain pipe from the machine and blow through it to figure out if there are any blockages. Make sure you line the floor with newspaper or towels first as there may still be waste water in the hose.

If you can’t blow through the pipe this could be the reason your machine isn’t emptying.

Take off the hose at the sink end and give it a good flush through to clear the blockage. If you can’t dislodge the obstruction or the pipe is cracked or damaged purchase a brand-new one. If you could get rid of the obstruction then put the hose back and start a quick program to double check that you have solved the fault.

You may also check the point where the waste hose connects to the waste disposal as well. This is a common spot for a build-up of gunk so if you happen to remove the pipe give this point a thorough scrub as well.

Inspect the drain valve

You can manually inspect the drain valve to make sure it isn’t stopped working. The drain valve will usually be located in the bottom of the dishwasher on the valve bracket. Check your instruction manual if you can’t see it.

Pushing down on the valve or wiggling it a bit will likely be enough to let you know if it’s stuck. If you are able to see an object stopping it from moving get rid of this. If you are unable to, this might be when you should ring a repair person unless you are confident in procuring and replacing the valve yourself.

Inspect your pump is not broken

Your appliance pump uses impellers that could be obstructed by pieces of glass or other objects. Check your pump isn’t blocked by removing the safety cover and making sure the impellers can rotate freely.

Run your dishwasher and listen for any unusual noises

If your dishwasher sounds unusual your pump or motor might be damaged and need to be repaired.

Call a repair person

If you have been through the above list and the problem remains, or you have reason to believe the pump, pump valve or motor are not working, it might be the right time to call for help.

This way though you will at least be able to give them more information and have prevented needing to pay a hefty call-out charge for a blocked drain.