Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

No-one wishes to open their dishwasher and discover it hasn’t drained properly but, don’t panic just yet. You could have the means to figure out the issue without having to call a repair person or purchase a brand-new machine.

Your dishwasher refusing to empty could have any number of of causes a proportion of which can be straightforward to figure out. So, before you call a dishwasher repair service try this list of potential issues you could correct yourself. A proportion of which aren’t even a fault of the machine itself.

Check the dishwasher wasn’t stopped mid-cycle

It is probable that there is nothing preventing your dishwasher from emptying. Rather, the program might have been interrupted.

The cycle may have been stopped mid-way for any number of of reasons. Kids pushing controls, inadvertently pushing against the control panel, a power cut or opening the machine mid-program may all prevent the program from completing and mean your dishwasher doesn’t empty.

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

A number appliances might have a drain capacity meaning it’s well worth checking your manual or consulting google to find out.

Examine the disposal

If your dishwasher is attached to the garbage disposal examine this first as an obstructed waste disposal will block your dishwasher from draining. Run the garbage disposal with fast running water to make sure there are no obstructions.

If you do uncover an obstruction drain unclogger or a plunger could be sought after to clear the blockage and so this might deal with the fault.

Check the sink for clogs

If you sink is emptying reluctantly this may indicate a plumbing issue as opposed to a problem with your dishwasher.

If the sink is draining slowly you can attempt putting a little bicarb and white vinegar down the plughole, leaving it for a while and subsequently flushing it away with boiling water.

A sink plunger could also be utilized to try and dislodge the obstruction.

This may be all you need to do to allow your machine to empty so start a quick cycle at this point. If this hasn’t sorted the issue you can manually drain the dishwasher using a cup as well as a towel and check a few more areas.

Make certain to turn off the machine to avoid electrocution.

If in the process of one of these checks you think you have discovered and fixed the issue there is no need to continue to the next step. Just complete an empty program to check the dishwasher is repaired.

Examine and rinse the filters

Any number of things could block the filters including corn kernels, paper from food jars, film lids and smashed glass. Clear glass may also be hard to see if you don’t look closely.

Take out the filter and clean it thoroughly before putting it back in place. Not all filters are obvious and straightforward to remove so you could need to look at the owners manual for this.

Is the waste hose blocked?

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

Contingent upon the location of the waste hose (normally the ribbed one) you might manage look at it by means of lifting away the base alternatively you may be required to move the machine away from the wall.

Look at the hose first to find out if it has been squashed or kinked. You may have the means to manually fix any kinks which is likely to fix the issue, however, it’s worth noting that when this has occurred the chance of it happening again is massively increased so you might wish to buy a replacement hose.

If you are unable to see any obvious kinks or obstructions you could disconnect the waste pipe from the machine and blow through it to figure out if there are any blockages. Make sure you line the floor with newspaper or towels first as even if you have emptied the dishwasher there could still be waste water in the pipe.

If you are unable to blow air through the pipe this could be the reason your dishwasher isn’t draining.

Disconnect the other end of the hose and then give it a thorough clean to clear the blockage. If you can’t shift the blockage or the waste pipe is cracked or worn purchase a new one. If you could remove the obstruction then put the hose back and run a quick cycle to check that you have fixed the fault.

You may also checkthe point where the waste hose attaches to the waste disposal as well. This is a typical place for a build-up of gunk so if you happen to take off the hose give this connection a thorough scrub as well.

Check the drain valve

You may manually examine the drain valve to make sure it isn’t got stuck. The drain valve will most often be found in the bottom of the machine on the valve bracket. Consult your instructions if you’re not sure.

Pushing down on the valve or wiggling it a bit should be sufficient to tell you if it’s stuck. If you can see anything blocking it get rid of this. If you can’t, this could be the right time to call a plumber unless you are confident in ordering and replacing the valve yourself.

Inspect your pump is not blocked

Your dishwasher pump uses impellers that could be blocked by broken glass or other objects. Check your impellers aren’t broken by removing the safety cover and checking that the impellers are free to move.

Listen to your dishwasher while it’s on

If your dishwasher doesn’t sound normal your pump or motor may be broken and need to be repaired.

Call a plumber

If none of the above checks has solved the fault, or you suspect the pump, pump valve or motor are broken, it could be time to call for help.

At least having attempted to investigate what is wrong you have avoided having to pay a big call-out charge for a blocked hose.

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