Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

No-one is happy to open their machine and discover standing water but, don’t panic just yet. You might be able to deal with the error without having to call a repair person or buy a new dishwasher.

Standing water in your dishwasher could be bought about by any number of issues a proportion of which can be straightforward to solve. Therefore, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service here is a lineup of possible issues you may correct on your own. A few of which aren’t even related to the dishwasher itself.

Ensure the dishwasher wasn’t stopped mid-cycle

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

The cycle might have been interrupted for any number of of reasons. Little fingers pressing controls, accidentally pressing on the buttons, a power cut or opening the machine mid-cycle could all interrupt the cycle and mean your machine doesn’t empty.

If you believe this may be the case, or you feel it may be worthwhile checking start your dishwasher again on a quick program.

A proportion machines might have an empty cycle so it’s worthwhile having a look at your instructions or consulting google to check.

Inspect the waste disposal

If your dishwasher is connected to your disposal inspect this before you do anything else as a blocked disposal will stop your machine from emptying. Run the disposal using lots of water to ensure there are no obstructions.

If you do uncover an issue drain un-blocker or a plunger can be employed to clear the blockage and so this could solve the issue.

Check the sink for blockages

If you kitchen sink is emptying reluctantly this may suggest a plumbing issue as opposed to an issue with your machine.

In the case that the sink is draining reluctantly you could attempt putting some bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar down the drain, letting it sit for a few minutes and then rinsing it away with boiling water.

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

This could be sufficient to permit the dishwasher to drain so run a short program at this point. If this hasn’t worked you could remove the dirty water by hand using a bowl as well as a towel and have a look at a few more possible issues.

Make sure you disconnect the machine to stay safe.

If while you are carrying out any of these investigations you suspect you have discovered and repaired the problem there is no need to continue to the next step. Just start an empty cycle to make sure the dishwasher is repaired.

Examine and clean the filters

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

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

Is the waste water pipe obstructed?

The next area to examine is the waste water pipe. Many things could cause a blockage including a build up of food debris, a kink in the hose, or a crushed hose. All of which could all prevent your dishwasher from emptying.

Contingent upon the location of the waste pipe (normally the corrugated one) you might manage view it by taking off the base alternatively you might have to move the machine away from the wall.

Visually inspect the hose in the first instance to discover if it has been crushed or kinked. You may have the means to fix these issues by hand which is likely to fix the issue, but it’s worth noting that once this has occurred it is significantly more likely to happen again so you might need to buy a new hose.

If you can’t find anything you may take off the drain hose from the pump and blow through it to check for any blockages. Make sure you put down newspaper or towels before you remove the hose as there may still be dirty water in the hose.

If you can’t blow through the waste hose this could be the issue.

Disconnect the hose at the sink end and give it a thorough flush through to get rid of the obstruction. If you are unable to remove the obstruction or the hose is cracked or worn acquire a new one. If you may clear the blockage then re-attach the hose and run a short program to double check that you have fixed the problem.

You may also check the point where the hose attaches under your sink. This is a common point for debris to build up so if you happen to take off the pipe give this point a thorough clean as well.

Inspect the drain valve

You can inspect the drain valve by hand to make sure it hasn’t got stuck. The drain valve will often be situated at the base of the dishwasher on the valve bracket. Examine your manual if you can’t see it.

Pushing down on the valve or giving it a wiggle will likely be adequate 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 may be when you should get in touch with a repair person unless you are undaunted by ordering and repairing the valve yourself.

Examine your pump is not blocked

Your water pump uses impellers that can get blocked by pieces of china or other debris. Check your pump isn’t broken by removing the safety cover and checking that the impellers can be easily rotated.

Run your machine and listen for any unusual noises

If the dishwasher sounds unusual your dishwasher pump or motor might be damaged and need replacing.

Call a repair person

If none of the above examinations has repaired the fault, or you have reason to believe the pump, pump valve or motor are not working, it may be time to get the professionals.

This way though you will at least have the means to give them more information and have avoided needing to pay a big call-out charge for a blocked drain.

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