No-one wishes to open their dishwasher and discover it hasn’t drained correctly but, don’t overreact just yet. You may have the means to deal with the problem without having to call a plumber or invest in a new dishwasher.
Your dishwasher refusing to empty may be caused by multiple things a proportion of which are easy to figure out. Therefore, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service try this list of probable issues you may troubleshoot yourself. A number of which aren’t even caused by the machine itself.
It is possible that there is nothing stopping your machine from emptying. Alternatively, the cycle may have been cut short.
The cycle may have been stopped mid-way for multiple of reasons. Kids pushing controls, mistakenly pressing on the control panel, a power surge or opening the machine mid-cycle may all interrupt the program and mean your dishwasher doesn’t empty.
If you think this might be the situation, or you feel it could be a good idea to check run your dishwasher again on a short program.
Some dishwashers could have a drain cycle so it’s worth consulting your instructions or checking online to find out.
If you have a disposal check this before you move on as a blocked garbage disposal will block the machine from emptying. Run the waste disposal using plenty of water to check there are no blockages.
If you do find an obstruction drain un-blocker or a natural alternative may be used to unclog the obstruction and so this may solve the fault.
If you kitchen sink is draining inefficiently this may signify an issue with the drains as opposed to a problem with your machine.
If the sink is draining inefficiently you can attempt putting some bicarbonate of soda and vinegar down the drain, letting it sit for a few minutes and subsequently flushing it through with hot water.
A plunger might also be utilized to try and remove the obstruction.
This could be all you need to do to permit your dishwasher to work again so run a quick rinse and empty cycle now. If this hasn’t sorted the issue you may remove the water by hand using a jug as well as a sponge and troubleshoot the next few possible issues.
Make certain to disconnect the dishwasher to avoid electrocution.
If in the process of any of these examinations you suspect you may have discovered and repaired the problem you don’t need to go through the remaining steps. Just complete an empty cycle to ensure your dishwasher is repaired.
Popcorn, paper from tupperware, plastic film covers and broken glass, as well as scraps of food, may all obstruct the dishwasher filter. Clear film could also be difficult to spot if you aren’t looking for it.
Take out the filter and give it a thorough scrub before replacing it. Not all filters are obvious and simple to remove so you could need to look at the instructions for this.
The next component to examine 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 could all stop your dishwasher from draining.
Subject to the location of the waste hose (normally the corrugated one) you might manage inspect it by means of lifting away the kick board or you may have to pull the dishwasher out from under the counter.
Have a look at the hose first to see if it has been crushed or kinked. You might be able to fix these issues by hand which should deal with the issue, but be aware that once this has happened it is much more likely to happen again so you could wish to order a replacement hose.
If you can’t see anything you can disconnect the drain hose from the dishwasher and blow into it to figure out if there are any blockages. Be sure to put down newspaper or towels first as even if you have emptied the dishwasher there might still be water in the hose.
If you are unable to blow through the hose this could be the issue.
Remove the other end of the hose and then give it a thorough clean to remove the obstruction. If you can’t shift the blockage or the hose is cracked or damaged buy a new one. If you may remove the blockage then put the hose back and run a quick program to check that you have solved the problem.
You can also inspect the point where the hose connects to the sink as well. This is a likely place for debris to build up so if you happen to take off the waste pipe give this point a thorough clean as well.
You could inspect the drain valve by hand to ensure it isn’t got stuck. The drain valve will often be situated at the base of the dishwasher on the valve bracket. Examine your manual if you can’t see it.
Pushing down on the valve or giving it a jiggle will likely be sufficient to find out if it’s seized. If you can see something stopping it from moving carefully extract this. If you are unable to, this could be when you should call a repair person unless you are happy in purchasing and repairing the part on your own.
Your dishwasher pump makes use of impellers that can be obstructed by broken china or other objects. Check your pump isn’t blocked by taking off the cover and making sure the impellers can be easily rotated.
If your dishwasher is making funny noises your pump or motor may be faulty and need to be repaired.
If none of the above investigations has repaired the error, or you suspect the pump, pump valve or motor are damaged, it might be the right time to call for help.
At least having attempted to investigate what is wrong you have avoided having to pay a big call-out fee for a blocked hose.
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