Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

No-one wants to open their dishwasher and discover it hasn’t emptied correctly but, try not to overreact just yet. You may manage rectify the error without having to call a repair person or acquire a new machine.

Your machine refusing to drain could have a number of of causes a few of which can be straightforward to solve. Therefore, before you call a dishwasher repair service here is a list of possible things you may identify by yourself. Some of which are not even related to the machine itself.

Check the cycle wasn’t cut short

If you’re lucky the standing water you have discovered may not be an issue at all. Rather, the cycle may have been interrupted.

The cycle may have been stopped mid-way for a number of of reasons. Children pressing controls, inadvertently leaning on the buttons, a power surge or opening the machine mid-program might all interrupt the program and mean your machine doesn’t drain.

If you think this could be the situation, or you just want to be sure it’s not the issue start your dishwasher again on a quick cycle.

A few dishwashers may have a drain program so it’s worth consulting your instruction manual or doing a quick internet search to make sure.

Examine the garbage disposal

If your dishwasher is plumbed into a disposal inspect this first as a blocked garbage disposal will stop your machine from draining. Run the disposal using lots of water to check there are no obstructions.

If you do find an obstruction drain un-blocker or a natural alternative could be employed to clear the obstruction and this could fix the fault.

Check the sink for blockages

If you kitchen sink is emptying slowly this might suggest an issue with the drains as opposed to a fault with your dishwasher.

If the kitchen sink is emptying inefficiently you can attempt putting some bicarb and white vinegar down the plughole, leaving it for a while and then flushing it through with boiling water.

A plunger could also be utilized to attempt to dislodge the obstruction.

This may be enough to allow the machine to drain so start a quick rinse and drain cycle to check. If this hasn’t solved the problem you can manually drain the dishwasher using a cup and also a towel and check the next few possible issues.

Make certain to turn off the machine to stay safe.

If while you are carrying out any of these investigations you believe you have detected and repaired the problem there is no need to continue to the next step. Just complete an empty cycle to ensure the machine is fixed.

Inspect and wash the filters

Any number of things could block the filters including corn kernels, paper from food jars, film lids and smashed glass. Clear film may also be difficult to spot if you aren’t looking for it.

Remove the filter then clean it thoroughly before putting it back in place. Not all dishwashers have their filter in the same location so you could need to consult the owners manual for this.

Is the drain pipe blocked?

The next area to examine is the drain pipe. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose can all prevent your dishwasher from emptying.

Contingent upon the location of the hose (generally the ribbed one) you could manage look at it simply by removing the kick plate or you may have to move the dishwasher away from the wall.

Visually examine the hose in the first instance to find out if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You might manage manually remove any kinks which will most likely deal with the issue, however, it’s worth noting that when this has happened it is much more inclined to happen again so you could need to purchase a spare hose.

If you can’t find any obvious kinks or obstructions you can disconnect the waste hose from the machine and blow into it to check for any blockages. Be sure to line the floor with newspaper or towels before you remove the hose as there might still be dirty water in the pipe.

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

Remove the other end of the hose in order to give it a thorough flush through to remove the blockage. If you can’t remove the blockage or the pipe is slit or degraded buy a brand-new one. If you could remove the blockage then put the hose back and start a quick cycle to double check that you have fixed the error.

You may also inspect where the pipe connects to the waste disposal. This is a common point for debris to build up so if you happen to take off the pipe give this connection a thorough clean as well.

Inspect the drain valve

You can examine the drain valve by hand to make sure it isn’t stopped working. The drain valve will generally be situated at the base of the dishwasher on the valve bracket. Examine your instructions if you’re unsure.

Pressing down on the valve or wiggling it a bit will likely be enough to find out if it’s seized. If you are able to see anything stopping it from moving carefully extract this. If you can’t, this may be when you should ring a repair person unless you are confident in purchasing and repairing the part on your own.

Check your pump is not blocked

Your appliance pump uses impellers that could be obstructed by broken glass or other debris. Check your impellers aren’t obstructed by removing the safety cover and ensuring that the impellers are free to move.

Run your machine and listen for any unusual sounds

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

Call a plumber

If you have been through the above list and the fault persists, or you have reason to believe the pump, pump valve or motor are broken, it may be the right time to call for help.

At least having attempted to troubleshoot you have managed to avoid having to pay a big call-out charge for a blocked drain.