Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining? | Tru Appliance Repair

Although it’s always irritating to open your dishwasher and find out it hasn’t emptied fully, don’t overreact just yet. You may manage solve the issue by yourself, without having to call a repair person or invest in a new machine.

Standing water in your dishwasher can be bought about by a number of components a number of which can be simple to resolve. So, before you call a dishwasher repair service try this list of potential components you can troubleshoot by yourself. Some of which aren’t even related to the dishwasher itself.

Ensure the dishwasher wasn’t interrupted mid-program

If you’re lucky the fact your dishwasher hasn’t emptied may not be a fault at all. Instead, the program might have been interrupted.

The cycle may have been interrupted for multiple of reasons. Kids pressing controls, accidentally pressing on the controls, a power cut or opening the machine mid-cycle may all interrupt the cycle and mean your machine doesn’t drain.

If you suspect this might be the circumstance, or you feel it could be worthwhile checking start your machine again on a short program.

Some dishwashers could have an empty cycle so it’s worth consulting your instructions or doing a quick internet search to check.

Examine the waste disposal

If you have a waste disposal examine this before you move on as an obstructed garbage disposal will block your machine from draining. Run the garbage disposal with fast running water to ensure there are no issues.

If you do find an issue drain un-blocker or a plunger can be used to remove the obstruction and this may rectify the issue.

Check the sink for clogs

If you sink is emptying inefficiently this could suggest a plumbing issue rather than a fault with your dishwasher.

In the case that the kitchen sink is draining slowly you could try putting some bicarb and white vinegar down the drain, letting it sit for a while, then washing it through with boiling water.

A sink plunger might also be utilized to try and remove the obstruction.

This might be enough to allow your appliance to work again so start a short rinse and drain program now. If not you could remove the standing water by hand using a bowl and also a sponge and have a look at a few more possible issues.

At this point make certain to turn off the machine to stay safe.

If during any one of these investigations you think you have discovered and fixed the problem there is no need to continue to the next issue. Just run an empty cycle to make sure the dishwasher is now draining as it used to.

Inspect and rinse the filters

Popcorn, paper from containers, film lids and broken glass, plus food debris, may all block the dishwasher filter. Clear glass could also be hard to see if you don’t look closely.

Remove the filter and give it a good wash before replacing it. Not all filters are obvious and straightforward to remove so you could need to look at the instructions for this.

Is the waste water hose obstructed?

The next component to examine is the drain 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 could all impede your machine from draining.

Depending on the position of the waste hose (usually the corrugated one) you could be able to look at it by taking off the kick board or you might be required to pull the dishwasher away from under the counter.

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

If you are unable to see an issue you may remove the drain pipe from the pump and blow through it to discover any blockages. Make sure you put down newspaper or towels first as even if you have emptied the dishwasher there might still be water in the pipe.

If you can’t blow air through the waste hose this might be the issue.

Disconnect the hose at the sink end and give it a thorough flush through to remove the obstruction. If you can’t dislodge the obstruction or the waste pipe is cracked or damaged buy a new one. If you could remove the blockage then put the hose back and start a quick cycle to find out if you have fixed the fault.

You may also check where the hose attaches to the sink. This is a likely spot for a build-up of gunk so if you do take off the hose give this point a thorough scrub as well.

Inspect the drain valve

You may check the drain valve by hand to ensure it hasn’t stopped working. The drain valve will generally be located at the base of the dishwasher on the valve bracket. Consult your instructions if you can’t see it.

Depressing the valve or giving it a wiggle will likely be sufficient to find out if it’s seized. If you are able to see anything blocking it carefully extract this. If you are unable to, this could be the right time to get in touch with a plumber unless you are undaunted by procuring and replacing the part on your own.

Examine your pump is not blocked

Your water pump uses impellers that could become blocked by broken glass or other objects. Check your pump isn’t obstructed by taking off the cover and making sure the impellers can be easily rotated.

Listen to your dishwasher while it’s on

If it sounds unusual your pump or motor could be faulty and need replacing.

Call a plumber

If you have been through the above list and the error persists, or you suspect the pump, pump valve or motor are broken, it might be a good time to get the professionals.

At least having tried to troubleshoot you have prevented needing to pay a big repair charge for a clogged filter.