Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining? | Gold Appliance Repair

Although it’s never a welcome sight to open your dishwasher and realize it hasn’t drained properly, try not to panic just yet. You could have the means to deal with the fault by yourself, without having to call a plumber or invest in a brand-new machine.

Your machine failing to empty could be bought about by a number of things a proportion of which can be easy to deal with. Therefore, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service here is a selection of possible issues you could troubleshoot yourself. A number of which are not even related to the dishwasher itself.

Ensure the cycle wasn’t stopped mid-way

It is probable that there is nothing stopping your machine from draining. Rather, the cycle might have been interrupted.

The program could have been cut short for a number of of reasons. Children pushing controls, accidentally pressing on the control panel, a power cut or opening the dishwasher mid-program could all interrupt the cycle and mean your dishwasher doesn’t empty.

If you believe this could be the circumstance, or you feel it could be a good idea to check run your dishwasher again on a quick cycle.

A few dishwashers might have a drain capacity so it’s worthwhile consulting your owners manual or doing a quick internet search to find out.

Examine the waste disposal

If you have a waste disposal check this before you do anything else as a blocked waste disposal will block your machine from emptying. Turn on the disposal using lots of water to check there are no blockages.

If you do uncover an obstruction drain un-blocker or a natural alternative may be employed to unclog the blockage and this could solve the error.

Check the plumbing for issues

If you kitchen sink is emptying inefficiently this could indicate a plumbing issue rather than a problem with your dishwasher.

In the case that the sink is emptying inefficiently you may attempt putting a little bicarbonate of soda and vinegar down the plughole, letting it sit for a few minutes, then rinsing it away with hot water.

A plunger might also be utilized to attempt to shift the obstruction.

This may be all you need to do to permit the machine to work again so run a quick program at this point. If not you may remove the water by hand using a jug and a sponge and check the next few possible issues.

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

If during one of these checks you believe you may have found and repaired the problem you don’t need to go through the remaining issues. Just run an empty cycle to check your machine is repaired.

Check and scrub the filters

Corn Kernels, labels from tupperware, plastic covers and smashed glass, as well as scraps of food, can all obstruct the dishwasher filter. Clear plastic lids can also be difficult to see if you aren’t looking for it.

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

Is the waste water hose blocked?

The next place to inspect 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 can all prevent your machine from draining.

Subject to the position of the waste pipe (usually the ribbed one) you might have the means to view it by means of removing the base or you could be required to pull the dishwasher away from the wall.

Look at the pipe in the first instance to find out if it has been squashed or kinked. You might manage manually fix any kinks which will most likely fix the issue, however, it’s worth noting that once this has happened it is significantly more likely to happen again so you may wish to order a replacement hose.

If you can’t find any obvious kinks or obstructions you could remove the waste water pipe from the pump and blow through it to discover any blockages. Make sure you line the floor with newspaper or towels first as there may still be dirty water in the hose.

If you are unable to blow through the waste hose this could be the issue.

Take off the hose at the sink end and give it a good flush through to remove the obstruction. If you can’t shift the obstruction or the waste pipe is slit or damaged acquire a brand-new one. If you could get rid of the obstruction then put the hose back and run a short cycle to double check that you have solved the error.

You can also inspect the point where the hose connects to the waste disposal. This is a typical point for a build-up of gunk so if you happen to remove the hose give this point a good scrub as well.

Examine the drain valve

You may manually inspect the drain valve to ensure it hasn’t stopped working. The drain valve will generally be found at the base of the machine on the valve bracket. Consult your instruction manual if you’re not sure.

Pressing down on the valve or giving it a wiggle will likely be sufficient to find out if it’s seized. If you can see any debris stopping it from moving get rid of this. If you can’t, this could be a good time to ring a plumber unless you are confident in ordering and repairing the component yourself.

Check your pump is not blocked

Your dishwasher pump uses impellers that can be blocked by broken glass or other objects. Check your impellers aren’t broken by removing the cover and making sure the impellers are free to move.

Run your dishwasher and listen for any unusual noises

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

Call a repair person

If none of the above examinations has solved the error, or you suspect the pump, pump valve or motor are not working, it may be time to call for help.

This way though you will at least have the means to give them more information and have managed to avoid having to pay a hefty repair charge for a blocked hose.