Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

Although it’s always irritating to open the machine and find out the machine hasn’t drained properly, try not to panic just yet. You may have the means to solve the fault before you have to call a repair person or acquire a brand-new machine.

Your dishwasher failing to empty could be induced by any number of things a number of which are straightforward to figure out. So, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service try this lineup of probable issues you can correct on your own. Some of which are not even caused by the dishwasher itself.

Ensure the dishwasher wasn’t stopped mid-cycle

It is possible that there is nothing preventing your machine from emptying. Alternatively, the cycle might have been cut short.

The cycle could have been stopped mid-way for a number of of reasons. Little fingers pushing buttons, mistakenly leaning against the buttons, a power outage or opening the dishwasher mid-program may all stop the cycle from completing and mean your dishwasher doesn’t drain.

If you think this might be the situation, or you think it might be a good idea to check run your machine again on a quick program.

A few machines might have a drain cycle so it’s well worth checking your instructions or consulting google to find out.

Inspect the disposal

If your dishwasher is plumbed into a disposal check this before you do anything else as a blocked disposal will block your machine from emptying. Turn on the garbage disposal with lots of water to check there are no obstructions.

If you do find an obstruction drain un-blocker or a natural alternative could be employed to remove the obstruction and this might rectify the problem.

Check the sink for blockages

If you kitchen sink is emptying slowly this may signify a plumbing issue as opposed to a problem with your machine.

In the case that the sink is draining inefficiently you could attempt putting some bicarb and vinegar down the drain, leaving it for a while and subsequently washing it through with boiling water.

A plunger might also be employed to attempt to remove the obstruction.

This could be enough to permit your dishwasher to work again so start a quick program at this point. If this hasn’t solved the problem you may manually empty the dishwasher using a jug as well as a sponge and have a look at a few more likely causes.

At this point make sure you disconnect the dishwasher to avoid electrocution.

If in the process of one of these examinations you believe you have found and fixed the error you don’t need to go through the rest of the issues. Just start an empty program to ensure the dishwasher is fixed.

Examine and scrub the filters

Popcorn, paper from jars, film covers and smashed glass, plus food debris, could all block the dishwasher filter. Clear glass could also be hard to spot if you don’t look carefully.

Take out the filter then wash it thoroughly before replacing it. Not all machines have their filter in the same location so you could need to refer to the instructions for this.

Is the waste water hose blocked?

The next component to inspect is the waste water hose. Many things could cause a blockage including a build up of food debris, a kink in the hose, or a crushed hose. All of which can all impede your machine from draining.

Depending on the location of the hose (usually the corrugated one) you may manage look at it by lifting away the base or you could have to move the dishwasher out from under the counter.

Visually examine the pipe first to find out if it has been squashed or kinked. You might manage manually straighten out any kinks which should deal with the issue, but it’s worth noting that when this has happened the probability of it happening again is significantly increased so you might wish to buy a replacement hose.

If you are unable to see anything you could disconnect the drain pipe from the dishwasher and blow into it to figure out if there are any blockages. Make sure you line the floor with newspaper or towels before you remove the hose as even if you have emptied the machine there might still be dirty water in the pipe.

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

Remove the hose at the sink end and then give it a thorough flush through to get rid of the blockage. If you can’t get rid of the blockage or the hose is split or degraded acquire a new one. If you can clear the obstruction then replace the hose and run a quick program to find out if you have solved the problem.

You may also examine the point where the waste hose connects under your sink as well. This is a common place for blockages to occur so if you happen to take off the waste pipe give this connection a good scrub as well.

Examine the drain valve

You may manually examine the drain valve to make sure it hasn’t seized. The drain valve will often be found in the bottom of the dishwasher on the valve bracket. Consult your instruction manual if you can’t see it.

Pushing down on the valve or giving it a jiggle will likely be enough to find out if it’s seized. If you are able to see anything blocking it remove this. If you are unable to, this may be when you should get in touch with a repair person unless you are happy in procuring and swapping out the part yourself.

Examine your pump is not blocked

Your appliance pump makes use of impellers that can get blocked by broken glass or other objects. Check your impellers aren’t obstructed by taking off 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 pump or motor may be damaged and need to be repaired.

Call a repair person

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

At least having attempted to investigate what is wrong you have managed to avoid having to pay a hefty repair fee for a blocked drain.