Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

Although it’s always irritating to open the machine and find out the machine is still full of water, try not to overreact just yet. You could manage solve the problem without having to call a plumber or purchase a new machine.

Standing water in your machine can have multiple of causes a few of which can be easy to deal with. Therefore, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service here is a lineup of potential things you can correct on your own. A number of which are not even caused by the machine itself.

Check the program wasn’t cut short

It is possible that there is nothing stopping your machine from draining. Rather, the cycle could have been stopped mid-way.

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

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

A few appliances might have an empty capacity so it’s well worth consulting your owners manual or consulting google to find out.

Inspect the waste disposal

If you have a waste disposal check this first as a blocked garbage disposal will stop the dishwasher from emptying. Turn on the disposal with fast running water to check there are no obstructions.

If you do uncover an issue drain cleaner or a plunger may be used to unclog the obstruction and so this may deal with the fault.

Examine the plumbing for issues

If you kitchen sink is emptying reluctantly this might signify a plumbing issue as opposed to an issue with your dishwasher.

In the case that the sink is draining inefficiently you may try putting some bicarbonate of soda and vinegar down the drain, leaving it for a while and subsequently washing it through with hot water.

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

This could be all you need to do to permit the dishwasher to work again so start a short program now. If not you could remove the dirty water by hand using a bowl as well as a towel and have a look at the next few possible issues.

At this point make certain to turn off the dishwasher to stay safe.

If during one of these investigations you think you have found and solved the error there is no need to continue to the next step. Just complete an empty program to check the machine is once again emptying as it used to.

Inspect and scrub the filters

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

Remove the filter then wash it thoroughly before replacing it. Not all machines have their filter in the same location so you could need to look at the instruction manual for this.

Is the drain hose blocked?

The next component to check is the waste hose. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose can all stop your machine from draining.

Depending on the position of the hose (normally the corrugated one) you might manage look at it by removing the kick board alternatively you may have to move the machine away from under the counter.

Visually inspect the hose in the first instance to discover if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You could manage manually fix any kinks which should deal with the issue, however, be aware that when this has occurred it is much more inclined to happen again so you could need to purchase a replacement hose.

If you are unable to find anything you may take off the waste water hose from the pump and blow into it to discover any blockages. Be sure to put down newspaper or towels first as there could still be water in the pipe.

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

Remove the hose at the sink end in order to give it a thorough clean to clear the obstruction. If you can’t shift the blockage or the waste pipe is slit or worn buy a new one. If you may clear the obstruction then re-attach the hose and start a short cycle to find out if you have fixed the problem.

You can also examine where the pipe connects under your sink. This is a likely point for blockages to occur so if you do remove the waste hose give this point a good scrub as well.

Inspect the drain valve

You could manually examine the drain valve to ensure it isn’t seized. The drain valve will most often be situated in the bottom of the machine on the valve bracket. Examine your instruction manual if you’re not sure.

Pressing down on the valve or wiggling it a bit will likely be enough to tell you if it’s stuck. If you can see anything blocking it get rid of this. If you can’t, this may be a good time to ring a repair person unless you are happy in purchasing and replacing the component yourself.

Examine your pump is not broken

Your appliance pump uses impellers that could get blocked by broken glass or other objects. Check your pump isn’t blocked by removing the cover and checking that the impellers can rotate freely.

Listen to your dishwasher while it’s on

If the dishwasher is making funny noises your dishwasher pump or motor might be damaged and need replacing.

Call a plumber

If you have been through the above list and the issue remains, or you suspect the pump, pump valve or motor are damaged, it might be the moment you need to call for help.

This way though you will at least manage give them more information and have avoided having to pay a hefty call-out fee for a clogged filter.

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