Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

Although it’s always irritating to open your dishwasher and discover it hasn’t drained properly, don’t overreact just yet. You may manage deal with the fault by yourself, without having to call a repair person or buy a brand-new machine.

Your dishwasher failing to drain may have a number of of causes a number of which can be simple to figure out. Therefore, before you call a dishwasher repair service here is a selection of possible components you could correct yourself. Some of which aren’t even a fault of the dishwasher itself.

Check the dishwasher wasn’t interrupted mid-cycle

It is possible that there is nothing stopping your machine from emptying. Alternatively, the program might have been cut short.

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

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

A proportion appliances might have an empty function so it’s well worth checking your manual or checking online to check.

Check the garbage disposal

If you have a garbage disposal examine this before you do anything else as a blocked disposal will stop the dishwasher from draining. Turn on the disposal with lots of water to ensure there are no blockages.

If you do discover a blockage drain unclogger or a natural alternative may be used to unclog the obstruction and so this might deal with the issue.

Examine the sink for clogs

If you kitchen sink is emptying inefficiently this might indicate an issue with the plumbing instead of an error with your machine.

If the sink is emptying reluctantly you can try putting a little bicarb and vinegar down the drain, leaving it for a few minutes and then rinsing it away with hot water.

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

This may be all you need to do to permit the appliance to empty so start a quick rinse and empty cycle now. If not you may manually drain the dishwasher using a cup and also a sponge and have a look at a few more likely causes.

At this point make certain to disconnect the machine to stay safe.

If while you are carrying out any of these examinations you think you may have discovered and solved the fault you don’t have to go through the rest of the issues. Just complete an empty cycle to make sure the dishwasher is now emptying as it should.

Examine and rinse the filters

Any number of things could block the filters including popcorn, paper from containers, plastic film covers and smashed glass. Clear plastic lids can also be difficult to see if you don’t look carefully.

Remove the filter then give it a thorough wash before putting it back in place. Not all filters are obvious and easy to remove so you may need to refer to the manual for this.

Is the drain pipe obstructed?

The next place to check is the drain hose. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose may all prevent your machine from emptying.

Contingent upon the location of the waste hose (usually the ribbed one) you may have the means to view it simply by removing the kick plate alternatively you might need to pull the dishwasher out from the wall.

Have a look at the pipe in the first instance to see if it has been squashed or kinked. You might be able to manually straighten out any kinks which will most likely solve the issue, however, it’s worth noting that once this has happened it is much more likely to happen again so you might need to buy a spare hose.

If you can’t see an issue you can disconnect the drain hose from the machine and blow through it to figure out if there are any blockages. Be sure to line the floor with newspaper or towels before you remove the hose as even if you have emptied the dishwasher there might still be dirty water in the pipe.

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

Remove the hose at the sink end and give it a thorough flush through to get rid of the obstruction. If you are unable to remove the blockage or the hose is cracked or damaged buy a brand-new one. If you may clear the obstruction then re-attach the hose and run a short cycle to find out if you have repaired the error.

You could also examinethe point where the waste hose attaches under your sink as well. This is a common spot for debris to build up so if you do take off the waste pipe give this connection a good clean as well.

Examine the drain valve

You can manually inspect the drain valve to ensure it hasn’t stopped working. The drain valve will generally be situated at the base of the machine on the valve bracket. Consult your instructions if you’re unsure.

Pressing down on the valve or wiggling it a bit should be adequate to find out if it’s stuck. If you can see any debris blocking it get rid of this. If you can’t, this may be the right time to ring a plumber unless you are undaunted by procuring and swapping out the component on your own.

Examine your pump is not broken

Your appliance pump uses impellers that can become blocked by broken china or other debris. Check your pump isn’t broken by taking off the cover and making sure the impellers can rotate freely.

Run your machine and listen for any unusual noises

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

Call a plumber

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

At least having done your best to troubleshoot you have prevented needing to pay a hefty call-out fee for a blocked drain.