Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

No-one is happy to open their dishwasher and discover standing water but, try not to overreact just yet. You could be able to figure out the fault by yourself, without having to call a plumber or invest in a brand-new dishwasher.

Standing water in your dishwasher could be induced by any number of things a number of which can be straightforward to resolve. Therefore, before you call a dishwasher repair service try this list of possible issues you may identify yourself. A proportion of which aren’t even a fault of the dishwasher itself.

Ensure the cycle wasn’t stopped mid-way

It is probable that there is nothing preventing your machine from emptying. Alternatively, the program may have been cut short.

The cycle could have been stopped mid-way for a number of of reasons. Children pushing controls, inadvertently leaning on the control panel, a power cut or opening the machine mid-cycle may all stop the cycle from completing and mean your dishwasher doesn’t empty.

If you believe this could be the circumstance, or you think it could be a good idea to check start your dishwasher again on a short program.

Some dishwashers may have a drain function so it’s worth consulting your instructions or checking online to find out.

Check the garbage disposal

If your dishwasher is attached to your garbage disposal inspect this before you do anything else as an obstructed waste disposal will prevent your dishwasher from emptying. Turn on the garbage disposal using plenty of water to make sure there are no issues.

If you do discover a blockage drain cleaner or a plunger may be employed to unclog the obstruction and so this might rectify the error.

Inspect the sink for blockages

If you kitchen sink is emptying inefficiently this may indicate a plumbing issue rather than an error with your dishwasher.

In the case that the sink is emptying slowly you may attempt putting a little bicarbonate of soda and vinegar down the drain, letting it sit for a while, then rinsing it away with boiling water.

A plunger might also be utilized to try and remove the blockage.

This may be sufficient to let your appliance to drain so start a short rinse and empty cycle to check. If this hasn’t sorted the issue you can remove the standing water by hand using a cup and a towel and check the next few possible issues.

At this point make certain to disconnect the machine to stay safe.

If in the process of one of these examinations you suspect you may have found and solved the fault you don’t need to go through the remaining steps. Just start an empty cycle to check the dishwasher is now draining as it used to.

Examine and scrub the filters

Any number of things could block the filters including corn kernels, labels from food jars, film lids and broken glass. Clear film may also be hard to spot if you don’t look carefully.

Take out the filter then give it a good clean before replacing it. Not all machines have their filter in the same location so you may need to look at the owners manual for this.

Is the drain hose obstructed?

The next place to check is the drain hose. Many things could cause an obstruction including a build up of food debris, a kink in the hose, or a crushed hose. All of which can all stop your dishwasher from emptying.

Subject to the location of the waste hose (usually the corrugated one) you might be able to view it by taking off the base alternatively you may have to move the dishwasher out from the wall.

Have a look at the pipe first to find out if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You could be able to fix these issues by hand which should fix the issue, however, be aware that when this has happened it is much more likely to happen again so you might need to buy a spare hose.

If you are unable to find any obvious kinks or obstructions you may take off the waste water pipe from the machine and blow into it to figure out if there are any blockages. Make sure you line the floor with newspaper or towels first as there might still be water in the pipe.

If you can’t blow air through the waste hose this may be the reason your machine isn’t draining.

Remove the other end of the hose and then give it a good flush through to clear the obstruction. If you can’t get rid of the blockage or the hose is cracked or damaged invest in a new one. If you can remove the obstruction then put the hose back and run a short cycle to make sure you have solved the error.

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

Check the drain valve

You may inspect the drain valve by hand to make sure it isn’t seized. The drain valve will generally be found at the base of the machine on the valve bracket. Consult your instructions if you’re unsure.

Pushing down on the valve or wiggling it a bit should be sufficient to find out if it’s stuck. If you are able to see anything blocking it remove this. If you can’t, this could be the right time to call a plumber unless you are happy in procuring and repairing the part on your own.

Examine your pump is not broken

Your appliance pump uses impellers that could become obstructed by pieces of china or other objects. Check your pump isn’t blocked by taking off the safety cover and making sure the impellers can be easily rotated.

Listen to your dishwasher while it’s on

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

Call a plumber

If you have been through the above list and the error remains, or you suspect the pump, pump valve or motor are not working, it may be a good time to call for help.

At least having done your best to investigate what is wrong you have prevented having to pay a big repair charge for a blocked drain.