Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining? | Livonia Appliance Repair

Although it’s never a pleasant sight to open a machine and realize it is still full of water, don’t panic just yet. You might have the means to deal with the error by yourself, without having to call a plumber or invest in a new dishwasher.

Your machine declining to drain could have any number of of causes a number of which are easy to resolve. So, before you call a dishwasher repair service here is a lineup of possible components you can identify on your own. Some of which are not even caused by the machine itself.

Ensure the cycle wasn’t cut short

It is probable that there is nothing preventing your dishwasher from emptying. Instead, the cycle might have been cut short.

The cycle may have been stopped mid-way for any number of of reasons. Kids pressing buttons, mistakenly leaning on the buttons, a power surge or opening the machine mid-cycle could all prevent the cycle from completing and mean your dishwasher doesn’t empty.

If you suspect this could be the circumstance, or you just want to be sure it’s not the issue run your machine again on a short program.

Some appliances may have a drain program so it’s well worth consulting your manual or checking online to make sure.

Examine the disposal

If your dishwasher is attached to a disposal inspect this before you do anything else as an obstructed disposal will stop your machine from emptying. Turn on the disposal with fast running water to ensure there are no blockages.

If you do discover an issue drain unclogger or a natural alternative can be used to remove the blockage and so this might rectify the fault.

Inspect the sink waste for clogs

If you kitchen sink is draining reluctantly this could indicate an issue with the plumbing as opposed to an error with your dishwasher.

If the kitchen sink is emptying slowly you can try putting a little bicarb and vinegar down the plughole, leaving it for a while and then washing it through with hot water.

A sink plunger may also be employed to attempt to remove the obstruction.

This may be enough to allow your dishwasher to empty so run a short program at this point. If this hasn’t solved the problem you may manually remove the dirty water using a cup and also a towel and have a look at a few more areas.

Make certain to unplug the dishwasher to prevent electrocution.

If in the process of any one of these examinations you suspect you may have discovered and repaired the problem you don’t need to go through the remaining steps. Just run an empty cycle to make sure the machine is once again draining as it should.

Check and clean the filters

Corn Kernels, labels from tupperware, film lids and broken glass, as well as food debris, may all block the machine filter. Clear glass could also be difficult to spot if you don’t look closely.

Take out the filter and scrub it thoroughly before replacing it. Not all filters are obvious and simple to remove so you could need to consult the instruction manual for this.

Is the waste water pipe obstructed?

The next place to check is the drain pipe. Many things could cause an obstruction 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 location of the waste hose (generally the ribbed one) you could be able to view it by taking off the kick board alternatively you could be required to pull the machine out from under the counter.

Have a look at the hose first to discover if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You could have the means to fix these issues by hand which is likely to solve the issue, but be aware that when this has happened the chance of it occurring again is significantly increased so you may need to buy a new hose.

If you are unable to find an issue you can remove the drain hose from the pump and blow into it to figure out if there are any blockages. Be sure to put down newspaper or towels before you remove the hose as even if you have emptied the machine there may still be water in the hose.

If you can’t blow through the waste hose this may be the reason your machine isn’t draining.

Remove the other end of the hose and then give it a thorough flush through to get rid of the obstruction. If you can’t remove the obstruction or the waste pipe is slit or degraded buy a new one. If you could remove the obstruction then put the hose back and run a quick cycle to find out if you have solved the issue.

You could also checkthe point where the hose attaches under your sink. This is a common spot for blockages to occur so if you do remove the waste hose give this connection a good clean as well.

Check the drain valve

You could examine the drain valve by hand to ensure it hasn’t seized. The drain valve will generally be situated at the base of the dishwasher on the valve bracket. Consult your manual if you can’t see it.

Depressing the valve or wiggling it a bit should be adequate to let you know if it’s seized. If you are able to see an object stopping it from moving get rid of this. If you can’t, this could be the right time to get in touch with a repair person unless you are happy in procuring and replacing the part on your own.

Check your pump is not broken

Your appliance pump uses impellers that could be obstructed by pieces of glass or other debris. Check your pump isn’t broken by removing the cover and ensuring that the impellers are free to move.

Listen to your dishwasher while it’s running

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

Call a repair person

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

At least having tried to troubleshoot you have managed to avoid having to pay a big call-out fee for a clogged filter.