Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining? | Gilbert Appliance Repair

Although it’s never a welcome sight to open your machine and discover the machine is still full of water, try not to panic just yet. You may manage solve the issue before you have to call a plumber or acquire a new machine.

Standing water in your machine can be induced by multiple things a proportion of which are straightforward to fix. So, before you call a dishwasher repair service try this list of possible components you can correct by yourself. Some of which aren’t even a fault of the dishwasher itself.

Check the cycle wasn’t cut short

If you’re lucky the fact your dishwasher hasn’t emptied may not be a fault at all. Rather, the cycle may have been stopped mid-way.

The program may have been cut short for multiple of reasons. Kids pushing buttons, accidentally leaning on the buttons, a power cut or opening the dishwasher mid-cycle could all stop the cycle from completing and mean your dishwasher doesn’t drain.

If you think this might be the circumstance, or you just want to be sure it’s not the issue run your machine again on a quick program.

A number machines may have an empty capacity meaning it’s well worth checking your owners manual or consulting google to check.

Inspect the waste disposal

If you have a waste disposal inspect this before you do anything else as a blocked garbage disposal will stop your machine from draining. Run the disposal with lots of water to ensure there are no issues.

If you do uncover a blockage drain unclogger or a plunger could be used to clear the obstruction and this may solve the problem.

Check the sink for clogs

If you sink is emptying slowly this could suggest a plumbing issue instead of a fault with your dishwasher.

In the case that the kitchen sink is draining slowly you could try putting a little bicarb and vinegar down the drain, letting it sit for a few minutes and then washing it away with boiling water.

A plunger could also be employed to attempt to dislodge the blockage.

This may be sufficient to allow the appliance to drain so run a quick rinse and empty program to check. If not you could manually empty the dishwasher using a jug as well as a sponge and check a few more possible issues.

Make sure you disconnect the machine to stay safe.

If during any one of these investigations you believe you may have detected and solved the problem there is no need to continue to the next issue. Just start an empty program to make sure your machine is fixed.

Examine and rinse the filters

Any number of things could block the filters including popcorn, paper from jars, film lids and smashed glass. Clear glass can also be difficult to see if you don’t look carefully.

Take out the filter and wash it thoroughly before putting it back in place. Not all filters are obvious and easy to remove so you could need to consult the manual for this.

Is the waste water hose obstructed?

The next place to inspect is the waste pipe. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose could all impede your dishwasher from emptying.

Contingent upon the position of the hose (generally the ribbed one) you might be able to view it simply by taking off the kick plate or you might have to pull the dishwasher out from under the counter.

Have a look at the pipe first to discover if it has been squashed or kinked. You may manage manually straighten out any kinks which should deal with the issue, however, be aware that when this has happened it is significantly more inclined to happen again so you could wish to order a replacement hose.

If you can’t see any obvious kinks or obstructions you could remove the waste water hose from the pump and blow through it to figure out if there are any blockages. Be sure to line the floor with newspaper or towels first as there may still be waste water in the hose.

If you can’t blow air through the waste pipe this may be the issue.

Disconnect the hose at the sink end and then give it a good clean to get rid of the obstruction. If you can’t remove the obstruction or the waste pipe is slit or worn invest in a brand-new one. If you could remove the blockage then put the hose back and start a quick cycle to make sure you have fixed the error.

You may also checkthe point where the pipe connects under your sink. This is a likely point for debris to build up so if you do take off the hose give this point a good clean as well.

Inspect the drain valve

You may manually inspect the drain valve to make sure it hasn’t stopped working. The drain valve will often be situated in the bottom of the dishwasher on the valve bracket. Consult your instruction manual if you can’t see it.

Depressing the valve or wiggling it a bit should be enough to find out if it’s stuck. If you can see something blocking it carefully extract this. If you are unable to, this could be a good time to call a plumber unless you are undaunted by procuring and swapping out the part on your own.

Check your pump is not blocked

Your appliance pump uses impellers that can get blocked by broken glass or other objects. Check your impellers aren’t blocked by taking off the safety cover and checking that the impellers are free to move.

Listen to your dishwasher while it’s running

If your dishwasher sounds unusual your pump or motor may be broken and need to be repaired.

Call a plumber

If you have been through the above list and the error persists, or you suspect the pump, pump valve or motor are not working, it may be the moment you need to call in the professionals.

This way though you will at least manage give them more information and have prevented having to pay a hefty repair fee for a blocked hose.