Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

Although it’s never a welcome sight to open your machine and realize it is still full of water, try not to panic just yet. You could have the means to fix the fault by yourself, without having to call a plumber or purchase a brand-new machine.

Your machine refusing to empty may be bought about by a number of issues a proportion of which are easy to fix. Therefore, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service try this list of potential things you may correct by yourself. A proportion of which are not even a fault of the machine itself.

Ensure the cycle wasn’t interrupted

It is probable that there is nothing preventing your machine from draining. Rather, the cycle may have been cut short.

The program could have been stopped mid-way for a number of of reasons. Kids pushing buttons, accidentally pressing against the controls, a power surge or opening the dishwasher mid-program might all interrupt the cycle and mean your dishwasher doesn’t drain.

If you believe this could be the case, or you just want to be sure it’s not the issue start the machine again on a short program.

A number appliances could have a drain capacity meaning it’s well worth having a look at your instructions or doing a quick internet search to check.

Check the disposal

If your dishwasher is attached to your waste disposal examine this before you do anything else as a blocked garbage disposal will block your dishwasher from draining. Turn on the waste disposal using lots of water to check there are no obstructions.

If you do uncover a blockage drain unclogger or a plunger could be employed to unclog the obstruction and so this could resolve the fault.

Examine the sink waste for clogs

If you kitchen sink is emptying slowly this could indicate a plumbing issue rather than a fault with your dishwasher.

In the case that the kitchen sink is emptying slowly you may attempt putting some bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar down the drain, letting it sit for a few minutes, then flushing it through with boiling water.

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

This may be enough to allow the dishwasher to empty so start a short rinse and empty cycle at this point. If this hasn’t worked you could remove the water by hand using a jug as well as a towel and have a look at a few more likely causes.

Make sure you unplug the machine to stay safe.

If in the process of any one of these investigations you suspect you may have detected and solved the issue there is no need to continue to the next issue. Just complete an empty program to make sure your machine is once again draining as it used to.

Examine and clean the filters

Corn Kernels, paper from tupperware, plastic lids and smashed glass, plus food debris, can all obstruct the machine filter. Clear glass could also be difficult to spot if you don’t look carefully.

Remove the filter and scrub it thoroughly before putting it back in place. Not all filters are obvious and easy to remove so you could need to look at the owners manual for this.

Is the waste water pipe obstructed?

The next area to examine is the waste hose. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose could all impede your machine from draining.

Subject to the position of the hose (usually the corrugated one) you may have the means to look at it by removing the kick plate or you could be required to move the dishwasher away from under the counter.

Visually examine the hose first to see if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You may manage fix these issues by hand which should fix the issue, but it’s worth noting that when this has occurred it is significantly more likely to happen again so you might need to order a replacement hose.

If you are unable to find an issue you may remove the drain 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 even if you have emptied the dishwasher there might still be dirty water in the hose.

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

Take off the other end of the hose in order to give it a thorough clean to get rid of the blockage. If you can’t shift the obstruction or the hose is slit or damaged invest in a new one. If you can get rid of the obstruction then put the hose back and start a short program to find out if you have fixed the issue.

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

Check the drain valve

You can manually examine the drain valve to ensure it isn’t seized. The drain valve will generally be located at the base of the machine on the valve bracket. Examine your instruction manual if you’re not sure.

Depressing the valve or wiggling it a bit should be enough to tell you if it’s seized. If you can see something blocking it remove this. If you are unable to, this may be the right time to call a repair person unless you are undaunted by ordering and swapping out the valve on your own.

Examine your pump is not broken

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

Run your dishwasher and listen for any unusual noises

If it is making funny noises your dishwasher pump or motor might be faulty and need to be repaired.

Call a repair person

If none of the above checks has solved the problem, or you think the pump, pump valve or motor are damaged, it might be a good time to call your local repair person.

This way though you will at least manage give them more information and have managed to avoid having to pay a big call-out charge for a blocked hose.

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