Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

No-one wishes to open their dishwasher and discover it hasn’t emptied properly but, don’t overreact just yet. You may manage deal with the issue before you have to call a plumber or buy a brand-new machine.

Your machine refusing to drain could be caused by multiple components a number of which are simple to deal with. So, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service here is a selection of probable things you can correct yourself. A number of which are not even related to the dishwasher itself.

Check the dishwasher wasn’t interrupted mid-cycle

It is possible that there is nothing stopping your machine from emptying. Instead, the cycle may have been interrupted.

The program could have been cut short for a number of of reasons. Children pressing controls, mistakenly pressing against the buttons, a power surge or opening the dishwasher mid-program could all stop the program from completing and mean your machine doesn’t drain.

If you suspect this might be the circumstance, or you feel it may be worthwhile checking run your machine again on a quick program.

A few appliances may have an empty function so it’s worthwhile having a look at your instruction manual or doing a quick internet search to make sure.

Examine the disposal

If you have a waste disposal examine this before you move on as an obstructed disposal will stop your machine from emptying. Run the disposal with lots of water to make sure there are no obstructions.

If you do find an obstruction drain cleaner or a plunger may be sought after to unclog the blockage and so this may fix the problem.

Inspect the sink waste for clogs

If you sink is emptying slowly this could suggest a plumbing issue as opposed to a problem with your dishwasher.

If the kitchen sink is draining inefficiently you can attempt putting some bicarbonate of soda and vinegar down the drain, letting it sit for a few minutes and then flushing it away with hot water.

A sink plunger could also be employed to try and dislodge the blockage.

This might be all you need to do to permit the dishwasher to work again so start a short cycle to check. If not you could remove the water by hand using a jug as well as a towel and check the next few possible issues.

At this point make certain to unplug the machine to stay safe.

If in the process of any of these investigations you think you have detected and repaired the fault you don’t have to go through the remaining steps. Just run an empty cycle to ensure the machine is fixed.

Examine and clean the filters

Any number of things could block the filters including corn kernels, labels from tupperware, film lids and smashed glass. Clear glass could also be hard to spot if you don’t look closely.

Take out the filter and scrub it thoroughly before putting it back in place. Not all filters are obvious and easy to remove so you could need to refer to the instructions for this.

Is the drain pipe blocked?

The next area to inspect is the drain pipe. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose could all impede your machine from emptying.

Contingent upon the position of the waste pipe (generally the ribbed one) you could manage look at it by means of taking off the kick board alternatively you may have to move the machine out from the wall.

Have a look at the hose in the first instance to see if it has been squashed or kinked. You may manage fix these issues by hand which will most likely solve the issue, but it’s worth noting that once this has occurred it is much more inclined to happen again so you might need to buy a new hose.

If you are unable to find anything you could disconnect the waste hose from the pump and blow through it to discover any blockages. Be sure to put down newspaper or towels before you remove the hose as even if you have emptied the machine there may still be water in the hose.

If you can’t blow through the pipe this might be the reason your dishwasher isn’t emptying.

Take off the hose at the sink end and then give it a good flush through to get rid of the blockage. If you can’t get rid of the blockage or the waste pipe is slit or degraded acquire a brand-new one. If you can remove the obstruction then replace the hose and start a quick program to find out if you have fixed the problem.

You could also examine the point where the waste pipe attaches to the waste disposal. This is a likely place for a build-up of gunk so if you happen to take off the pipe give this point a thorough clean as well.

Inspect the drain valve

You may examine the drain valve by hand to ensure it isn’t seized. The drain valve will usually be found in the bottom of the machine on the valve bracket. Consult your instruction manual if you can’t see it.

Depressing the valve or wiggling it a bit will likely be sufficient to find out if it’s stuck. If you are able to see an object stopping it from moving remove this. If you are unable to, this may be a good time to call a repair person unless you are happy in procuring and repairing the valve yourself.

Examine your pump is not broken

Your water pump uses impellers that could become blocked by broken china or other debris. Check your pump isn’t broken by removing the cover and checking that the impellers can be easily rotated.

Run your dishwasher and listen for any unusual noises

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

Call a repair person

If you have been through the above list and the issue persists, or you suspect the pump, pump valve or motor are not working, it may be time to call for help.

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