Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining? | Santa Monica Appliance Repair

Although it’s always irritating to open a dishwasher and find out it hasn’t emptied properly, don’t overreact just yet. You could have the means to rectify the fault before you have to call a plumber or acquire a new machine.

Standing water in your machine may have any number of of causes some of which can be simple to rectify. So, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service try this lineup of potential things you may correct on your own. A number of which are not even related to the machine itself.

Check the program wasn’t stopped mid-way

It is probable that there is nothing preventing your dishwasher from draining. Instead, the program could have been stopped mid-way.

The cycle might have been interrupted for multiple of reasons. Kids pressing controls, inadvertently leaning against the buttons, a power outage or opening the machine mid-cycle may all prevent the program from completing and mean your dishwasher doesn’t empty.

If you believe this may be the case, or you just want to be sure it’s not the issue start your machine again on a quick program.

Some machines might have a drain function meaning it’s worth consulting your manual or consulting google to check.

Examine the waste disposal

If you have a waste disposal inspect this first as an obstructed disposal will block your machine from emptying. Turn on the disposal using plenty of water to make sure there are no obstructions.

If you do discover an obstruction drain un-blocker or a plunger may be sought after to unclog the blockage and so this might deal with the issue.

Check the sink waste for clogs

If you kitchen sink is emptying slowly this might suggest a plumbing issue instead of an error with your machine.

If the kitchen sink is draining slowly you may attempt putting a little bicarbonate of soda and vinegar down the plughole, letting it sit for a while and subsequently rinsing it away with boiling water.

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

This may be sufficient to let the dishwasher to drain so start a short rinse and empty program to check. If not you could remove the water by hand using a cup as well as a towel and check the next few possible issues.

Make certain to unplug the machine to prevent electrocution.

If during any of these examinations you think you may have discovered and solved the fault you don’t have to go through the remaining issues. Just complete an empty program to make sure the machine is now draining as it should.

Check and clean the filters

Popcorn, labels from food jars, plastic covers and broken glass, as well as food debris, can all block the dishwasher filter. Clear film may also be hard to see if you aren’t looking for it.

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

Is the waste hose obstructed?

The next component to inspect is the waste water hose. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose could all impede your dishwasher from draining.

Subject to the location of the waste pipe (normally the ribbed one) you might manage look at it by lifting away the base alternatively you could be required to pull the machine out from under the counter.

Have a look at the hose first to find out if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You might manage manually fix any kinks which should solve the issue, however, be aware that when this has happened it is significantly more likely to happen again so you could wish to purchase a new hose.

If you can’t find an issue you can disconnect the waste pipe from the machine and blow into it to discover any blockages. Make sure you put down newspaper or towels first as there may still be dirty water in the pipe.

If you can’t blow air through the waste pipe this could be the issue.

Take off the hose at the sink end and give it a thorough flush through to remove the obstruction. If you can’t remove the obstruction or the waste pipe is slit or worn invest in a brand-new one. If you could remove the obstruction then put the hose back and start a short cycle to find out if you have repaired the problem.

You may also examine where the pipe attaches to the waste disposal as well. This is a common spot for blockages to occur so if you happen to take off the hose give this connection a thorough clean as well.

Check the drain valve

You may check the drain valve by hand to check it hasn’t seized. The drain valve will most often be found in the bottom of the machine on the valve bracket. Consult your instruction manual if you’re unsure.

Depressing the valve or giving it a wiggle should be sufficient to tell you if it’s seized. If you are able to see an object stopping it from moving get rid of this. If you are unable to, this might be when you should get in touch with a repair person unless you are undaunted by purchasing and replacing the part on your own.

Inspect your pump is not broken

Your appliance pump makes use of impellers that could be obstructed by broken china or other objects. Check your impellers aren’t broken by taking off the cover and checking that the impellers can rotate freely.

Run your machine and listen for any unusual sounds

If it is making funny noises your dishwasher pump or motor might be faulty and need to be repaired.

Call a plumber

If none of the above checks has repaired the fault, or you have reason to believe the pump, pump valve or motor are not working, it might be a good time to call your local repair person.

This way though you will at least have the means to give them more information and have avoided needing to pay a big call-out fee for a blocked drain.