Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining? | Glendale Appliance Repair

Although it’s always irritating to open a machine and discover it is still full of water, try not to lose it just yet. You may have the means to solve the issue without having to call a repair person or buy a new machine.

Standing water in your dishwasher may be induced by multiple components a number of which can be straightforward to resolve. Therefore, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service try this selection of possible things you may troubleshoot yourself. A number of which aren’t even a fault of the machine itself.

Ensure the program wasn’t interrupted

It is possible that there is nothing preventing your dishwasher from emptying. Alternatively, the cycle might have been stopped mid-way.

The program could have been interrupted for any number of of reasons. Little fingers pressing buttons, accidentally pressing on the controls, a power cut or opening the dishwasher mid-program might all interrupt the program and mean your machine doesn’t empty.

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

A few dishwashers could have an empty capacity so it’s worth checking your instruction manual or consulting google to find out.

Check the garbage disposal

If you have a disposal inspect this before you move on as a blocked garbage disposal will prevent your machine from draining. Run the waste disposal with plenty of water to make sure there are no obstructions.

If you do find a blockage drain cleaner or a plunger may be sought after to remove the blockage and this could deal with the error.

Inspect the sink waste for blockages

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

In the case that the sink is emptying slowly you could attempt putting a little bicarb and white vinegar down the plughole, letting it sit for a while and subsequently rinsing it away with boiling water.

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

This may be sufficient to permit your machine to empty so start a short cycle at this point. If this hasn’t worked you may manually get rid of the dirty water using a jug as well as a sponge and have a look at the next few possible issues.

Make certain to turn off the dishwasher to avoid electrocution.

If in the process of any of these checks you believe you may have detected and solved the fault you don’t need to go through the rest of the steps. Just start an empty cycle to ensure the machine is repaired.

Inspect and rinse the filters

Popcorn, paper from containers, plastic film covers and broken glass, as well as scraps of food, could all obstruct the machine filter. Clear film may also be difficult to spot if you aren’t looking for it.

Remove the filter and wash it thoroughly before putting it back in place. Not all filters are obvious and simple to remove so you may need to consult the owners manual for this.

Is the waste water hose obstructed?

The next area to inspect is the waste pipe. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose may all stop your dishwasher from emptying.

Contingent upon the position of the waste hose (normally the corrugated one) you might be able to look at it by removing the kick plate or you may have to pull the machine away from under the counter.

Look at the hose in the first instance to find out if it has been crushed or kinked. You may have the means to manually remove any kinks which will most likely rectify the issue, but be aware that once this has happened it is much more likely to happen again so you may wish to buy a spare hose.

If you can’t see anything you can disconnect the waste water hose from the machine and blow into it to check for any blockages. Be sure to put down newspaper or towels first as even if you have emptied the dishwasher there might still be water in the pipe.

If you are unable to blow through the hose this might be the reason your machine isn’t emptying.

Disconnect the hose at the sink end and give it a good clean to get rid of the blockage. If you are unable to get rid of the blockage or the waste pipe is slit or degraded purchase a new one. If you can clear the obstruction then re-attach the hose and start a short program to make sure you have repaired the error.

You can also examine where the waste hose connects to the waste disposal. This is a likely point for debris to build up so if you do remove the hose give this point a thorough scrub as well.

Inspect the drain valve

You can manually inspect the drain valve to check it isn’t got stuck. The drain valve will generally be situated in the bottom of the dishwasher on the valve bracket. Examine your owners manual if you can’t see it.

Depressing the valve or wiggling it a bit should be adequate to let you know if it’s stuck. If you are able to see something blocking it remove this. If you are unable to, this could be a good time to call a plumber unless you are undaunted by purchasing and swapping out the valve on your own.

Examine your pump is not broken

Your appliance pump uses impellers that may be obstructed by pieces of glass or other objects. Check your pump isn’t broken by taking off the safety cover and making sure the impellers can rotate freely.

Run your machine and listen for any unusual sounds

If it sounds unusual your pump or motor may be faulty and need to be repaired.

Call a repair person

If none of the above checks has solved the error, or you have reason to believe the pump, pump valve or motor are not working, it may be a good time to call your local repair person.

At least having done your best to troubleshoot you have managed to avoid having to pay a big call-out fee for a blocked drain.