Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining? | Sunrise Appliance Repair

No-one wants to open their dishwasher and discover it hasn’t emptied fully but, don’t lose it just yet. You might manage solve the error before you have to call a repair person or invest in a new machine.

Your machine failing to drain may be bought about by multiple things some of which can be simple to resolve. Therefore, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service here is a lineup of probable things you can correct by yourself. A number of which are not even a fault of the dishwasher itself.

Ensure the program wasn’t stopped mid-way

If you’re fortunate the fact your dishwasher hasn’t emptied may not be a fault at all. Alternatively, the cycle might have been stopped mid-way.

The program might have been cut short for any number of of reasons. Children pushing buttons, accidentally leaning on the buttons, a power outage or opening the dishwasher mid-cycle might all stop the program from completing and mean your dishwasher doesn’t drain.

If you suspect this might be the situation, or you feel it might be worthwhile checking start the machine again on a quick program.

A few dishwashers could have an empty cycle meaning it’s worth consulting your instructions or checking online to check.

Examine the waste disposal

If your dishwasher is plumbed into a waste disposal inspect this before you do anything else as an obstructed disposal will stop your dishwasher from draining. Turn on the disposal using plenty of water to check there are no issues.

If you do discover a blockage drain cleaner or a natural alternative may be used to remove the obstruction and so this could fix the fault.

Examine the plumbing for clogs

If you kitchen sink is draining reluctantly this could indicate a plumbing issue as opposed to an issue with your machine.

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

A sink plunger might also be used to try and dislodge the obstruction.

This might be all you need to do to let your machine to work again so start a quick cycle now. If not you could manually drain the dishwasher using a bowl and a towel and troubleshoot the next few possible issues.

Make sure you disconnect the machine to avoid electrocution.

If during any of these examinations you believe you may have found and fixed the fault you don’t need to go through the remaining issues. Just start an empty cycle to check your dishwasher is repaired.

Inspect and scrub the filters

Corn Kernels, paper from food jars, plastic covers and smashed glass, plus food debris, can all obstruct the machine filter. Clear film could also be difficult to spot if you don’t look carefully.

Take out the filter then wash it thoroughly before replacing it. Not all dishwashers have their filter in the same place so you might need to refer to the instructions for this.

Is the waste water pipe obstructed?

The next component to check is the waste pipe. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose could all stop your dishwasher from emptying.

Depending on the location of the waste hose (usually the ribbed one) you may manage view it by means of lifting away the base or you might have to pull the machine out from the wall.

Have a look at the hose first to find out if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You might be able to manually remove any kinks which will most likely deal with the issue, but it’s worth noting that once this has occurred it is much more inclined to happen again so you might wish to purchase a spare hose.

If you are unable to see an issue you may remove the waste water hose from the machine and blow through it to check for any blockages. Be sure to line the floor with newspaper or towels before you remove the hose as there might still be dirty water in the hose.

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

Disconnect the other end of the hose and give it a good clean to clear the blockage. If you are unable to remove the obstruction or the waste pipe is split or worn acquire a brand-new one. If you may get rid of the obstruction then put the hose back and run a quick program to find out if you have fixed the error.

You can also check where the pipe connects to the waste disposal as well. This is a likely place for a build-up of gunk so if you happen to remove the pipe give this area a thorough clean as well.

Check the drain valve

You may inspect the drain valve by hand to check it isn’t got stuck. The drain valve will generally be located at the base of the dishwasher on the valve bracket. Check your manual if you’re not sure.

Pushing down on the valve or wiggling it a bit should be enough 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 can’t, this might be a good time to call a repair person unless you are happy in ordering and repairing the part on your own.

Examine your pump is not broken

Your water pump uses impellers that could become blocked by broken glass or other objects. Check your impellers aren’t obstructed by removing the cover and ensuring that the impellers are free to move.

Listen to your dishwasher while it’s on

If the dishwasher sounds unusual your dishwasher pump or motor might be damaged and need replacing.

Call a repair person

If none of the above investigations has solved the fault, or you have reason to believe the pump, pump valve or motor are not working, it may be a good time to call for help.

This way though you will at least manage give them more information and have avoided having to pay a hefty repair fee for a blocked hose.