Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

No-one is happy to open their machine and discover standing water but, don’t overreact just yet. You could have the means to figure out the fault without having to call a repair person or invest in a new dishwasher.

Standing water in your machine could be bought about by a number of components a number of which are straightforward to fix. Therefore, before you call a dishwasher repair service here is a lineup of potential issues you could troubleshoot by yourself. A number of which aren’t even related to the machine itself.

Ensure the dishwasher wasn’t interrupted mid-program

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

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

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

Some appliances could have a drain function so it’s well worth consulting your owners manual or checking online to make sure.

Inspect the disposal

If you have a disposal inspect this first as an obstructed disposal will block your machine from draining. Turn on the disposal using lots of water to check there are no obstructions.

If you do discover an obstruction drain un-blocker or a plunger may be employed to clear the obstruction and so this may deal with the problem.

Check the plumbing for blockages

If you sink is emptying reluctantly this could indicate an issue with the plumbing rather than an error with your dishwasher.

In the case that the kitchen sink is emptying reluctantly you can attempt putting a little bicarb and vinegar down the plughole, leaving it for a few minutes and subsequently rinsing it through with hot water.

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

This might be enough to permit the dishwasher to drain so start a short cycle at this point. If not you may remove the dirty water by hand using a cup and also a towel and have a look at the next few possible issues.

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

If in the process of any one of these checks you think you may have detected and fixed the problem there is no need to continue to the next issue. Just start an empty program to ensure the machine is now emptying as it should.

Examine and scrub the filters

Popcorn, labels from tupperware, plastic lids and broken glass, as well as scraps of food, could all obstruct the dishwasher filter. Clear glass may also be hard to spot if you aren’t looking for it.

Take out the filter and clean it thoroughly before replacing it. Not all filters are obvious and simple to remove so you may need to refer to the manual for this.

Is the waste water pipe blocked?

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

Contingent upon the position of the waste hose (normally the corrugated one) you might be able to view it by removing the base alternatively you could have to move the machine away from the wall.

Look at the pipe in the first instance to find out if it has been crushed or kinked. You might have the means to manually fix any kinks which should resolve the issue, however, it’s worth noting that when this has occurred it is significantly more inclined to happen again so you could need to order a new hose.

If you can’t find any obvious kinks or obstructions you could remove the waste hose from the pump and blow through it to check for any blockages. Make sure you line the floor with newspaper or towels before you remove the hose as there could still be waste water in the pipe.

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

Disconnect the hose at the sink end and give it a good flush through to get rid of the blockage. If you are unable to get rid of the obstruction or the hose is slit or degraded purchase a brand-new one. If you could clear the blockage then put the hose back and run a quick cycle to find out if you have solved the error.

You could also examine the point where the waste pipe attaches to the sink. This is a likely point for a build-up of gunk so if you happen to remove the pipe give this connection a good clean as well.

Examine the drain valve

You may manually examine the drain valve to check it isn’t got stuck. The drain valve will most often be located in the bottom of the machine on the valve bracket. Consult your manual if you can’t see it.

Pushing down on the valve or wiggling it a bit should be enough to let you know if it’s stuck. If you are able to see any debris stopping it from moving carefully extract this. If you are unable to, this could be a good time to get in touch with a repair person unless you are undaunted by ordering and replacing the component yourself.

Check your pump is not blocked

Your water pump makes use of impellers that may become blocked by pieces of glass or other debris. Check your pump isn’t blocked by taking off the safety cover and making sure the impellers can be easily rotated.

Run your machine and listen for any unusual sounds

If your dishwasher is making funny noises your dishwasher pump or motor may be broken and need to be repaired.

Call a repair person

If you have been through the above list and the issue remains, or you suspect the pump, pump valve or motor are not working, it could be a good time to get the professionals.

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

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