Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining? | Boca Raton Appliance Repair

Although it’s always irritating to open a dishwasher and realize the machine is still full of water, don’t overreact just yet. You might manage solve the error without having to call a repair person or acquire a brand-new dishwasher.

Standing water in your dishwasher could have any number of of causes a number of which can be easy to resolve. Therefore, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service here is a lineup of possible things you can identify by yourself. A number of which aren’t even caused by the dishwasher itself.

Check the cycle wasn’t interrupted

It is possible that there is nothing preventing your dishwasher from draining. Alternatively, the cycle may have been stopped mid-way.

The program may have been cut short for multiple of reasons. Children pressing buttons, accidentally leaning against the buttons, a power cut or opening the dishwasher mid-cycle could all interrupt the program and mean your dishwasher doesn’t empty.

If you think this might be the case, or you feel it could be worthwhile checking run the machine again on a quick cycle.

A number machines may have an empty function meaning it’s worthwhile consulting your owners manual or consulting google to find out.

Inspect the garbage disposal

If your dishwasher is attached to a disposal examine this before you do anything else as an obstructed waste disposal will block your dishwasher from emptying. Turn on the garbage disposal with fast running water to make sure there are no blockages.

If you do find a blockage drain cleaner or a natural alternative can be used to unclog the obstruction and this may fix the fault.

Examine the sink for issues

If you kitchen sink is emptying reluctantly this could signify a plumbing issue as opposed to an error with your machine.

If the kitchen sink is draining inefficiently you could try putting a little bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar down the drain, letting it sit for a while and then rinsing it away with hot water.

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

This could be sufficient to let the dishwasher to empty so run a quick rinse and drain program to check. If this hasn’t solved the problem you could remove the dirty water by hand using a cup as well as a sponge and have a look at a few more areas.

At this point make sure you unplug the machine to prevent electrocution.

If in the process of one of these examinations you believe you have found and repaired the problem you don’t have to go through the rest of the steps. Just start an empty cycle to check the dishwasher is once again draining as it should.

Check and scrub the filters

Popcorn, paper from tupperware, plastic film lids and broken glass, plus food debris, can all obstruct the machine filter. Clear glass can also be difficult to see if you aren’t looking for it.

Remove the filter then give it a thorough clean before putting it back in place. Not all dishwashers have their filter in the same location so you might need to refer to the manual for this.

Is the waste pipe obstructed?

The next place to check is the waste water pipe. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose can all impede your machine from emptying.

Contingent upon the location of the hose (usually the ribbed one) you may manage inspect it by means of taking off the base alternatively you may have to move the dishwasher away from under the counter.

Visually inspect the hose in the first instance to see if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You might manage fix these issues by hand which will most likely solve the issue, but it’s worth noting that once this has occurred the probability of it happening again is greatly increased so you could wish to buy a spare hose.

If you are unable to find any obvious kinks or obstructions you may take off the waste pipe from the machine and blow through it to figure out if there are any blockages. Make sure you put down newspaper or towels before you remove the hose as even if you have emptied the dishwasher there could still be waste water in the pipe.

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

Take off the hose at the sink end and give it a thorough flush through to remove the blockage. If you can’t remove the obstruction or the waste pipe is cracked or degraded purchase a brand-new one. If you can remove the obstruction then re-attach the hose and start a short program to double check that you have solved the fault.

You may also examine where the pipe attaches under your sink. This is a likely point for a build-up of gunk so if you do remove the waste pipe give this point a good clean as well.

Examine the drain valve

You may examine the drain valve by hand to ensure it isn’t stopped working. The drain valve will most often be found at the base of the machine on the valve bracket. Examine your owners manual if you’re not sure.

Pushing down on the valve or giving it a jiggle should be sufficient to let you know if it’s seized. If you can see something stopping it from moving get rid of this. If you can’t, this might be when you should call a repair person unless you are happy in ordering and repairing the part on your own.

Examine your pump is not broken

Your dishwasher pump uses impellers that can be obstructed by pieces of china or other objects. Check your impellers aren’t obstructed by taking off the safety cover and making sure the impellers are free to move.

Listen to your dishwasher while it’s on

If the dishwasher doesn’t sound right your pump or motor might be faulty and need replacing.

Call a plumber

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

This way though you will at least be able to give them more information and have prevented having to pay a hefty call-out fee for a blocked drain.