Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining? | Perry Appliance Repair

No-one wishes to open their machine and discover standing water but, try not to overreact just yet. You could have the means to deal with the fault by yourself, without having to call a repair person or acquire a brand-new dishwasher.

Standing water in your machine can have any number of of causes a few of which are easy to solve. So, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service try this selection of potential things you may correct yourself. A few of which aren’t even a fault of the machine itself.

Ensure the dishwasher wasn’t stopped mid-cycle

If you’re fortunate the standing water you have discovered may not be a fault at all. Rather, the program may have been interrupted.

The program could have been interrupted for multiple of reasons. Little fingers pressing controls, accidentally leaning against the buttons, a power cut or opening the machine mid-cycle could all interrupt the program and mean your dishwasher doesn’t drain.

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

A few dishwashers might have a drain program meaning it’s well worth consulting your instruction manual or doing a quick internet search to make sure.

Examine the disposal

If you have a waste disposal inspect this before you move on as a blocked garbage disposal will stop the dishwasher from draining. Turn on the waste disposal using plenty of water to check there are no issues.

If you do uncover an issue drain unclogger or a natural alternative may be sought after to unclog the blockage and so this might rectify the issue.

Check the plumbing for blockages

If you sink is draining inefficiently this could indicate an issue with the drains as opposed to a fault with your machine.

In the case that the kitchen sink is draining inefficiently you may try putting some bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar down the drain, letting it sit for a while and then flushing it through with hot water.

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

This may be sufficient to allow your dishwasher to drain so run a quick cycle now. If this hasn’t worked you can manually remove the standing water using a jug as well as a sponge and have a look at the next few possible issues.

Make certain to turn off the machine to avoid electrocution.

If during one of these investigations you suspect you may have discovered and solved the problem you don’t need to go through the rest of the issues. Just run an empty program to check your dishwasher is fixed.

Examine and rinse the filters

Any number of things could block the filters including corn kernels, labels from containers, plastic film lids and broken glass. Clear plastic lids could also be difficult to see if you aren’t looking for it.

Remove the filter and wash it thoroughly before putting it back in place. Not all machines have their filter in the same place so you may need to look at the manual for this.

Is the drain hose blocked?

The next component to check is the waste water pipe. 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 can all impede your dishwasher from draining.

Contingent upon the position of the hose (generally the corrugated one) you might manage inspect it simply by taking off the kick board or you may need to pull the machine out from under the counter.

Look at the hose in the first instance to discover if it has been crushed or kinked. You might manage manually fix any kinks which should deal with the issue, but it’s worth noting that when this has happened the chance of it happening again is greatly increased so you may need to buy a new hose.

If you can’t see an issue you can remove the waste water hose from the pump and blow into it to figure out if there are any blockages. Be sure to line the floor with newspaper or towels first as even if you have emptied the machine there may still be waste water in the hose.

If you can’t blow through the pipe this may be the problem.

Remove the hose at the sink end in order to give it a thorough clean to clear the obstruction. If you are unable to get rid of the obstruction or the hose is cracked or worn buy a brand-new one. If you may clear the obstruction then put the hose back and run a quick cycle to double check that you have fixed the problem.

You could also inspectthe point where the hose attaches under your sink. This is a common spot for blockages to occur so if you happen to take off the waste pipe give this area a good clean as well.

Check the drain valve

You can manually examine the drain valve to make sure it hasn’t got stuck. The drain valve will often be situated in the bottom of the machine on the valve bracket. Check your manual if you can’t see it.

Depressing the valve or giving it a wiggle will likely be sufficient to let you know if it’s seized. If you are able to see any debris stopping it from moving carefully extract this. If you are unable to, this might be when you should ring a repair person unless you are undaunted by procuring and replacing the part on your own.

Check your pump is not broken

Your appliance pump makes use of impellers that may become blocked by broken glass or other debris. Check your impellers aren’t obstructed by taking off the cover and making sure the impellers can be easily rotated.

Run your machine and listen for any unusual sounds

If the dishwasher is making funny noises your pump or motor may be damaged and need replacing.

Call a repair person

If you have been through the above list and the error remains, or you think the pump, pump valve or motor are broken, it might be a good time to call a plumber.

This way though you will at least manage give them more information and have prevented having to pay a big repair fee for a blocked drain.