Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

Although it’s never a pleasant sight to open the dishwasher and find out the machine hasn’t emptied properly, don’t overreact just yet. You might be able to fix the issue before you have to call Champion Appliance Repair or buy a new dishwasher.

Standing water in your dishwasher can be induced by a number of things a number of which are easy to resolve. Therefore, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service try this lineup of possible components you could troubleshoot yourself. A number of which aren’t even related to the machine itself.

Ensure the program wasn’t stopped mid-way

If you’re fortunate the standing water you have discovered may not be a fault at all. Alternatively, the cycle may have been cut short.

The cycle could have been stopped mid-way for multiple of reasons. Kids pressing controls, mistakenly pushing against the buttons, a power outage or opening the dishwasher mid-program may all prevent the cycle from completing and mean your dishwasher doesn’t drain.

If you believe this might be the case, or you think it could be worthwhile checking run your dishwasher again on a short program.

A few machines may have a drain cycle meaning it’s worth checking your instructions or consulting google to check.

Inspect the waste disposal

If your dishwasher is attached to your garbage disposal inspect this before you move on as a blocked waste disposal will block your machine from draining. Turn on the waste disposal using fast running water to check there are no obstructions.

If you do discover an issue drain cleaner or a natural alternative can be employed to remove the obstruction and so this may fix the problem.

Inspect the plumbing for blockages

If you kitchen sink is emptying inefficiently this may suggest a plumbing issue as opposed to an error with your machine.

If the kitchen sink is draining slowly you could attempt putting some bicarb and vinegar down the plughole, letting it sit for a few minutes and subsequently rinsing it away with boiling water.

A plunger may also be employed to attempt to shift the obstruction.

This could be all you need to do to let your appliance to empty so run a short program to check. If this hasn’t worked you could manually remove the water using a jug and also a towel and have a look at the next few possible issues.

At this point make certain to disconnect the machine to prevent electrocution.

If during one of these checks you suspect you have discovered and repaired the issue you don’t have to go through the rest of the steps. Just complete an empty program to ensure the dishwasher is now draining as it should.

Inspect and rinse the filters

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

Remove the filter and give it a thorough clean before replacing it. Not all dishwashers have their filter in the same location so you might need to refer to the 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 stop your machine from draining.

Subject to the position of the waste pipe (usually the ribbed one) you could have the means to view it by means of taking off the base alternatively you might be required to move the dishwasher out from under the counter.

Visually inspect the pipe in the first instance to discover if it has been squashed or kinked. You could manage fix these issues by hand which will most likely deal with the issue, however, it’s worth noting that once this has occurred the probability of it occurring again is massively increased so you might wish to order a replacement hose.

If you can’t find any obvious kinks or obstructions you could remove the waste hose 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 dishwasher there might still be water in the pipe.

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

Take off the other end of the hose and give it a good clean to remove the obstruction. If you are unable to remove the blockage or the waste pipe is cracked or worn acquire a brand-new one. If you could remove the obstruction then put the hose back and start a quick program to make sure you have solved the problem.

You could also examine where the pipe connects to the sink. This is a likely point for debris to build up so if you happen to remove the waste hose give this area a thorough scrub as well.

Examine the drain valve

You could manually examine the drain valve to make sure it isn’t stopped working. The drain valve will most often be found at the base of the dishwasher on the valve bracket. Check your instruction manual if you can’t see it.

Depressing the valve or giving it a jiggle will likely be adequate to find out if it’s seized. If you are able to see anything stopping it from moving carefully extract this. If you can’t, this could be a good time to call a repair person unless you are happy in purchasing and swapping out the valve on your own.

Inspect your pump is not broken

Your water pump uses impellers that could become blocked by pieces of china or other objects. Check your pump isn’t obstructed by removing the cover and making sure the impellers can rotate freely.

Listen to your dishwasher while it’s on

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

Call a plumber

If none of the above examinations has repaired the fault, or you think the pump, pump valve or motor are broken, it may be the moment you need to call your local repair person.

This way though you will at least manage give them more information and have avoided needing to pay a hefty repair fee for a clogged filter.