Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

Although it’s always irritating to open a machine and discover it is still full of water, don’t overreact just yet. You might manage fix the problem without having to call a repair person or buy a new dishwasher.

Standing water in your machine could be bought about by multiple components a proportion of which are easy to deal with. So, before you call a dishwasher repair service try this selection of probable components you could correct yourself. A proportion of which are not even a fault of the machine itself.

Ensure the dishwasher wasn’t stopped mid-cycle

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

The cycle may have been interrupted for any number of of reasons. Children pushing buttons, mistakenly pressing on the control panel, a power outage or opening the machine mid-cycle might all prevent the program from completing and mean your machine doesn’t drain.

If you suspect this could be the circumstance, or you just want to be sure it’s not the issue start your dishwasher again on a short program.

A few appliances may have an empty function so it’s worthwhile consulting your instruction manual or consulting google to make sure.

Check the waste disposal

If you have a garbage disposal check this first as an obstructed waste disposal will prevent your dishwasher from draining. Run the waste disposal using lots of water to check there are no obstructions.

If you do find an obstruction drain cleaner or a natural alternative may be sought after to unclog the blockage and so this might solve the problem.

Examine the sink for issues

If you sink is emptying slowly this may signify an issue with the plumbing rather than an issue with your dishwasher.

In the case that the sink is emptying reluctantly you could attempt putting a little bicarb and vinegar down the plughole, leaving it for a while and subsequently rinsing it through with boiling water.

A plunger could also be used to try and dislodge the obstruction.

This could be sufficient to permit your appliance to drain so run a quick program at this point. If not you can manually drain the dishwasher using a cup and a sponge and troubleshoot a few more areas.

At this point make certain to disconnect the dishwasher to prevent electrocution.

If during one of these examinations you believe you may have discovered and repaired the issue you don’t need to go through the rest of the issues. Just run an empty program to ensure the dishwasher is repaired.

Examine and clean the filters

Any number of things could block the filters including corn kernels, paper from tupperware, film covers and smashed glass. Clear film may also be difficult to see if you don’t look closely.

Remove the filter then give it a good clean before putting it back in place. Not all filters are obvious and simple to remove so you could need to consult the owners manual for this.

Is the waste water pipe blocked?

The next place to check is the drain hose. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose could all stop your machine from emptying.

Subject to the location of the hose (usually the corrugated one) you might manage view it simply by taking off the kick board or you might need to move the dishwasher out from the wall.

Visually inspect the pipe in the first instance to find out if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You could be able to fix these issues by hand which should solve the issue, but be aware that once this has occurred it is significantly more likely to happen again so you might need to order a spare hose.

If you can’t see any obvious kinks or obstructions you may remove the waste water hose from the dishwasher and blow into it to check for any blockages. Be sure to line the floor with newspaper or towels first as there may still be water in the pipe.

If you are unable to blow air through the hose this could be the issue.

Disconnect the hose at the sink end in order to give it a good clean to remove the obstruction. If you can’t shift the obstruction or the waste pipe is cracked or degraded acquire a brand-new one. If you can clear the obstruction then put the hose back and start a quick cycle to check that you have repaired the fault.

You can also inspect the point where the waste hose connects under your sink as well. This is a typical point for blockages to occur so if you do take off the hose give this point a good scrub as well.

Examine the drain valve

You could manually check the drain valve to make sure it hasn’t stopped working. The drain valve will often be found at the base of the machine on the valve bracket. Check your instruction 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 are able to see anything blocking it remove this. If you are unable to, this might be a good time to get in touch with a repair person unless you are undaunted by purchasing and replacing the part yourself.

Inspect your pump is not broken

Your dishwasher pump makes use of impellers that can become obstructed by broken glass or other objects. Check your pump isn’t obstructed by taking off the safety cover and checking that the impellers are free to move.

Listen to your dishwasher while it’s on

If your dishwasher sounds unusual your pump or motor could be faulty and need to be repaired.

Call a plumber

If none of the above examinations has solved the fault, or you have reason to believe the pump, pump valve or motor are not working, it could be the moment you need to get the professionals.

This way though you will at least manage give them more information and have prevented needing to pay a big call-out fee for a blocked hose.

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