Although it’s never a welcome sight to open your machine and discover the machine is still full of water, don’t panic just yet. You might be able to deal with the issue by yourself, without having to call a plumber or buy a new dishwasher.
Standing water in your dishwasher may have multiple of causes a number of which are simple to resolve. Therefore, before you call a dishwasher repair service here is a lineup of probable things you can troubleshoot yourself. A proportion of which aren’t even caused by the dishwasher itself.
Ensure the program wasn’t interrupted
If you’re lucky the fact your dishwasher hasn’t drained may not be a fault at all. Alternatively, the program may have been interrupted.
The cycle could have been cut short for any number of of reasons. Little fingers pushing controls, mistakenly pressing against the buttons, a power cut or opening the machine mid-program might all interrupt the program and mean your dishwasher doesn’t empty.
If you think this could be the case, or you just want to be sure it’s not the issue run your machine again on a quick cycle.
A number machines could have an empty function so it’s worth consulting your owners manual or consulting google to find out.
Check the disposal
If your dishwasher is attached to your garbage disposal check this before you do anything else as an obstructed garbage disposal will block the machine from draining. Run the disposal with plenty of water to ensure there are no blockages.
If you do uncover an obstruction drain unclogger or a plunger can be used to remove the obstruction and so this might rectify the issue.
Check the sink for clogs
If you kitchen sink is draining inefficiently this might signify an issue with the pipes rather than an issue with your dishwasher.
If the sink is draining slowly you can attempt putting some bicarbonate of soda and vinegar down the drain, leaving it for a few minutes and subsequently flushing it through with boiling water.
A sink plunger might also be employed to attempt to shift the blockage.
This may be enough to allow the dishwasher to work again so start a short program to check. If not you can manually empty the dishwasher using a bowl and a sponge and have a look at the next few possible issues.
At this point make certain to unplug the dishwasher to prevent electrocution.
If in the process of any one of these examinations you suspect you have discovered and solved the problem you don’t need to go through the remaining steps. Just run an empty program to ensure the machine is now draining as it used to.
Inspect and wash the filters
Popcorn, labels from containers, plastic covers and broken glass, plus scraps of food, may all obstruct the dishwasher filter. Clear film can also be hard to see if you aren’t looking for it.
Take out the filter and clean it thoroughly before putting it back in place. Not all dishwashers have their filter in the same location so you may need to refer to the instruction manual for this.
Is the waste hose blocked?
The next area to examine is the waste water hose. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose could all impede your machine from emptying.
Contingent upon the location of the hose (usually the corrugated one) you could have the means to view it simply by taking off the base or you could be required to move 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 deal with the issue, however, it’s worth noting that when this has occurred the probability of it occurring again is massively increased so you may wish to order a spare hose.
If you can’t find an issue you can take off the waste pipe from the pump and blow through it to check for any blockages. Make sure you put down newspaper or towels before you remove the hose as there might still be water in the pipe.
If you are unable to blow through the waste hose this might be the issue.
Remove the hose at the sink end in order to give it a good flush through to get rid of the blockage. If you are unable to get rid of the obstruction or the waste pipe is split or worn purchase a brand-new one. If you can clear the obstruction then put the hose back and start a short program to make sure you have repaired the problem.
You could also inspect where the pipe connects to the waste disposal as well. This is a typical point for debris to build up so if you happen to take off the waste hose give this connection a thorough clean as well.
Check the drain valve
You could inspect the drain valve by hand to check it hasn’t stopped working. The drain valve will generally be located at the base of the machine on the valve bracket. Check your instruction manual if you’re unsure.
Pushing down on the valve or wiggling it a bit should be enough to tell you if it’s stuck. If you are able to see an object stopping it from moving get rid of this. If you can’t, this might be when you should ring a plumber unless you are undaunted by purchasing and swapping out the valve yourself.
Examine your pump is not blocked
Your dishwasher pump makes use of impellers that can get blocked by pieces of china or other objects. Check your impellers aren’t obstructed by taking off the safety cover and checking that the impellers can rotate freely.
Run your machine and listen for any unusual sounds
If your dishwasher doesn’t sound right your dishwasher pump or motor could be broken and need to be repaired.
Call a plumber
If none of the above checks has repaired the error, or you think the pump, pump valve or motor are broken, it may be time to call your local repair person.
At least having done your best to troubleshoot you have managed to avoid having to pay a big call-out fee for a clogged filter.
More Dishwasher Problems:
- Dishwasher Being Loud
- Dishwasher Not Turning On
- Dishwasher Leaking
- Dishwasher Not Drying