Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

Although it’s always irritating to open your machine and discover the machine hasn’t drained fully, don’t panic just yet. You might manage rectify the fault without having to call a repair person or acquire a new dishwasher.

Your machine failing to empty may have a number of of causes a number of which are straightforward to deal with. Therefore, before you call a dishwasher repair service try this list of possible components you can identify by yourself. A proportion of which aren’t even a fault of the dishwasher itself.

Ensure the program wasn’t stopped mid-way

If you’re lucky the fact your dishwasher hasn’t emptied may not be an issue at all. Alternatively, the cycle might have been cut short.

The program could have been stopped mid-way for multiple of reasons. Children pressing buttons, inadvertently leaning against the controls, a power surge or opening the machine mid-program may all stop the program from completing and mean your dishwasher doesn’t empty.

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

A number machines may have an empty capacity meaning it’s worthwhile checking your manual or consulting google to find out.

Inspect the garbage disposal

If your dishwasher is plumbed into a waste disposal examine this before you do anything else as a blocked waste disposal will stop the machine from draining. Run the waste disposal using lots of water to make sure there are no blockages.

If you do discover an obstruction drain un-blocker or a plunger can be sought after to unclog the obstruction and so this may fix the problem.

Inspect the sink waste for clogs

If you sink is emptying inefficiently this might indicate an issue with the plumbing rather than a problem with your machine.

In the case that the sink is draining slowly you can try putting some bicarb and white vinegar down the drain, leaving it for a while, then flushing it away with boiling water.

A sink plunger may also be utilized to attempt to shift the blockage.

This may be all you need to do to let the machine to drain so start a short cycle at this point. If not you may remove the water by hand using a cup and a towel and check a few more likely causes.

At this point make certain to turn off the machine to prevent electrocution.

If while you are carrying out any of these checks you suspect you have discovered and repaired the error you don’t need to go through the rest of the steps. Just run an empty cycle to check the dishwasher is once again emptying as it should.

Check and clean the filters

Popcorn, paper from jars, film lids and smashed glass, as well as scraps of food, can all block the dishwasher filter. Clear glass may also be hard to spot if you aren’t looking for it.

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

Is the drain hose obstructed?

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

Subject to the position of the waste pipe (usually the ribbed one) you could be able to inspect it simply by removing the kick board or you might need to move the dishwasher out from under the counter.

Look at the pipe first to discover if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You may manage fix these issues by hand which is likely to resolve the issue, but be aware that when this has happened the chance of it happening again is greatly increased so you might wish to buy a replacement hose.

If you can’t find anything you can take off the waste water pipe from the pump and blow into it to discover any blockages. Make sure you line the floor with newspaper or towels first as there could still be water in the hose.

If you can’t blow through the pipe this could be the reason your dishwasher isn’t emptying.

Disconnect the hose at the sink end and give it a thorough flush through to clear the blockage. If you can’t remove the obstruction or the waste hose is split or worn invest in a new one. If you could clear the obstruction then put the hose back and run a quick cycle to make sure you have solved the problem.

You may also inspect where the pipe connects to the waste disposal as well. This is a typical spot for a build-up of gunk so if you happen to remove the waste pipe give this connection a good scrub as well.

Examine the drain valve

You can inspect the drain valve by hand to check it isn’t seized. The drain valve will generally be located in the bottom of the machine on the valve bracket. Examine your instruction manual if you’re not sure.

Depressing the valve or giving it a wiggle should be sufficient to let you know if it’s stuck. If you are able to see an object blocking it carefully extract this. If you are unable to, this might be the right time to call a plumber unless you are happy in ordering and replacing the valve on your own.

Check your pump is not blocked

Your dishwasher pump makes use of impellers that may become obstructed by pieces of china or other objects. Check your impellers aren’t obstructed by taking off the cover and ensuring that the impellers can rotate freely.

Run your dishwasher and listen for any unusual sounds

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

Call a repair person

If none of the above checks has repaired the problem, or you suspect the pump, pump valve or motor are broken, it could be the right time to get the professionals.

At least having tried to troubleshoot you have managed to avoid needing to pay a hefty repair charge for a clogged filter.