Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

Although it’s never a pleasant sight to open the dishwasher and discover the machine is still full of water, don’t lose it just yet. You might be able to solve the fault by yourself, without having to call a plumber or acquire a brand-new dishwasher.

Your dishwasher refusing to drain can have a number of of causes a number of which are easy to solve. Therefore, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service here is a selection of possible components you could troubleshoot yourself. A proportion of which aren’t even related to the dishwasher itself.

Check the cycle wasn’t cut short

If you’re fortunate the fact your dishwasher hasn’t emptied may not be a fault at all. Rather, the cycle might have been interrupted.

The program might have been interrupted for a number of of reasons. Children pressing controls, inadvertently leaning against the control panel, a power surge or opening the machine mid-program may all interrupt the cycle and mean your dishwasher doesn’t empty.

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

Some dishwashers may have a drain program meaning it’s well worth checking your manual or checking online to make sure.

Examine the waste disposal

If you have a waste disposal inspect this before you do anything else as an obstructed disposal will block your machine from emptying. Turn on the waste disposal using lots of water to make sure there are no issues.

If you do discover an obstruction drain cleaner or a plunger can be employed to unclog the obstruction and so this might fix the problem.

Inspect the sink waste for clogs

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

In the case that the sink is emptying reluctantly you may try putting some bicarbonate of soda and vinegar down the plughole, letting it sit for a few minutes and subsequently washing it away with boiling water.

A plunger might also be utilized to try and shift the obstruction.

This may be sufficient to allow the appliance to work again so run a quick program to check. If this hasn’t solved the problem you may remove the standing water by hand using a bowl and a sponge and have a look at the next few possible issues.

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

If while you are carrying out any one of these checks you think you have discovered and solved the error you don’t need to go through the remaining issues. Just complete an empty cycle to ensure the machine is repaired.

Examine and rinse the filters

Popcorn, labels from containers, plastic lids and broken glass, as well as scraps of food, may all block the machine filter. Clear glass may also be hard to see if you don’t look carefully.

Remove the filter and give it a good clean before putting it back in place. Not all filters are obvious and easy to remove so you might need to consult the instructions for this.

Is the waste water hose blocked?

The next component to check is the waste hose. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose can all prevent your dishwasher from emptying.

Depending on the location of the waste hose (normally the ribbed one) you may manage inspect it by taking off the base alternatively you may be required to move the machine out from under the counter.

Visually inspect the pipe first to see if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You could manage fix these issues by hand which is likely to resolve the issue, but it’s worth noting that when this has occurred it is significantly more inclined to happen again so you may need to order a replacement hose.

If you are unable to find any obvious kinks or obstructions you can take off the drain pipe from the machine and blow into it to check for any blockages. Be sure to line the floor with newspaper or towels before you remove the hose as there may still be waste water in the pipe.

If you are unable to blow air through the pipe this could be the problem.

Disconnect the other end of the hose and give it a good flush through to get rid of the obstruction. If you are unable to shift the obstruction or the pipe is split or damaged acquire a new one. If you may remove the obstruction then put the hose back and run a short cycle to make sure you have repaired the error.

You could also examine the point where the pipe attaches to the sink. This is a common point for debris to build up so if you happen to take off the waste pipe give this point a good scrub as well.

Check the drain valve

You could check the drain valve by hand to check it isn’t stopped working. The drain valve will generally be situated 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 jiggle should be sufficient to let you know if it’s seized. If you are able to see an object stopping it from moving get rid of this. If you can’t, this could be a good time to call a plumber unless you are undaunted by ordering and swapping out the part on your own.

Check your pump is not blocked

Your water pump uses impellers that can get blocked by pieces of china or other objects. Check your pump isn’t broken by removing the safety cover and checking that the impellers can rotate freely.

Listen to your dishwasher while it’s running

If your dishwasher sounds unusual your dishwasher pump or motor could be faulty and need replacing.

Call a plumber

If none of the above checks has solved the problem, or you think the pump, pump valve or motor are not working, it might be the right time to call for help.

At least having attempted to troubleshoot you have avoided having to pay a big repair charge for a blocked drain.