Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

No-one wants to open their machine and discover standing water but, don’t lose it just yet. You may manage solve the problem without having to call a plumber or acquire a brand-new machine.

Your machine declining to empty may be bought about by any number of things a number of which are simple to solve. Therefore, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service try this list of potential issues you may correct on your own. A proportion of which are not even a fault of the machine itself.

Check the dishwasher wasn’t interrupted mid-program

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

The cycle might have been stopped mid-way for multiple of reasons. Children pushing buttons, mistakenly pressing on the controls, a power outage or opening the dishwasher mid-cycle could all interrupt the program and mean your machine doesn’t drain.

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

A few dishwashers may have an empty program meaning it’s well worth consulting your instruction manual or consulting google to check.

Examine the waste disposal

If you have a waste disposal inspect this before you do anything else as a blocked disposal will stop your machine from draining. Run the waste disposal using lots of water to check there are no obstructions.

If you do find an issue drain unclogger or a natural alternative may be used to remove the obstruction and this might resolve the problem.

Inspect the sink waste for clogs

If you sink is emptying reluctantly this could signify an issue with the pipes as opposed to an issue with your machine.

In the case that the kitchen sink is emptying reluctantly you could try putting some bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar down the plughole, leaving it for a few minutes and then washing it away with hot water.

A plunger could also be used to try and shift the blockage.

This might be all you need to do to allow the dishwasher to empty so run a quick program now. If not you could manually empty the dishwasher using a bowl as well as a towel and troubleshoot a few more likely causes.

Make sure you turn off the machine to prevent electrocution.

If during one of these checks you think you have found and fixed the issue there is no need to continue to the next step. Just start an empty cycle to ensure the machine is fixed.

Inspect and wash the filters

Any number of things could block the filters including corn kernels, paper from food jars, film lids and smashed glass. Clear glass could also be hard to spot if you aren’t looking for it.

Take out the filter and scrub it thoroughly before putting it back in place. Not all dishwashers have their filter in the same place so you could need to refer to the owners manual for this.

Is the drain hose obstructed?

The next area to check is the waste pipe. 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 may all impede your dishwasher from emptying.

Contingent upon the position of the waste hose (usually the ribbed one) you might manage look at it by taking off the base alternatively you may need to move the dishwasher away from under the counter.

Have a look at the hose in the first instance to see if it has been squashed or kinked. You could manage fix these issues by hand which will most likely resolve the issue, but it’s worth noting that once this has occurred the probability of it occurring again is massively increased so you may need to order a new hose.

If you are unable to see any obvious kinks or obstructions you may remove the drain hose from the pump and blow into it to figure out if there are any blockages. Be sure to put down newspaper or towels first as there may still be water in the pipe.

If you are unable to blow through the hose this may be the issue.

Remove the other end of the hose and give it a good clean to clear the blockage. If you are unable to get rid of the obstruction or the waste hose is split or degraded acquire a brand-new one. If you could remove the obstruction then put the hose back and start a quick program to double check that you have fixed the problem.

You could also examine the point where the hose attaches under your sink as well. This is a common spot for debris to build up so if you do remove the waste hose give this connection a thorough scrub as well.

Check the drain valve

You could manually inspect the drain valve to ensure it isn’t got stuck. The drain valve will usually be located in the bottom of the machine on the valve bracket. Check your instructions if you’re not sure.

Depressing the valve or wiggling it a bit will likely be sufficient to tell you if it’s stuck. If you are able to see anything stopping it from moving carefully extract this. If you can’t, this might be the right time to get in touch with a repair person unless you are happy in purchasing and replacing the component yourself.

Examine your pump is not blocked

Your appliance pump makes use of impellers that could become blocked by pieces of glass or other objects. Check your pump isn’t obstructed by removing the cover and making sure the impellers are free to move.

Run your machine and listen for any unusual noises

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

Call a plumber

If you have been through the above list and the fault remains, or you suspect the pump, pump valve or motor are broken, it could be time to call in the professionals.

This way though you will at least be able to give them more information and have avoided having to pay a big call-out fee for a blocked drain.

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