No-one wishes to open their dishwasher and discover standing water but, try not to overreact just yet. You might be able to rectify the problem by yourself, without having to call a plumber or invest in a new dishwasher.
Standing water in your machine could be bought about by any number of issues a number of which can be simple to deal with. Therefore, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service try this selection of possible things you could troubleshoot on your own. A proportion of which aren’t even caused by the dishwasher itself.
Check the program wasn’t cut short
It is possible that there is nothing preventing your machine from draining. Instead, the program could have been interrupted.
The program may have been cut short for multiple of reasons. Little fingers pushing controls, mistakenly pushing on the buttons, a power cut or opening the dishwasher mid-cycle may all interrupt the program and mean your machine doesn’t drain.
If you believe this may be the situation, or you feel it could be worthwhile checking run the dishwasher again on a quick program.
A proportion dishwashers might have a drain cycle so it’s well worth consulting your manual or checking online to check.
Inspect the disposal
If you have a garbage disposal inspect this first as an obstructed disposal will block your machine from draining. Turn on the waste disposal with fast running water to check there are no blockages.
If you do uncover an issue drain un-blocker or a natural alternative may be sought after to remove the obstruction and so this could solve the error.
Inspect the sink waste for clogs
If you sink is emptying inefficiently this could suggest an issue with the drains instead of a fault with your dishwasher.
In the case that the sink is emptying slowly you may attempt putting some bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar down the drain, letting it sit for a few minutes and then flushing it away with hot water.
A sink plunger might also be utilized to attempt to dislodge the obstruction.
This may be all you need to do to permit your appliance to drain so run a short program now. If this hasn’t solved the problem you may manually empty the dishwasher using a cup as well as a towel and check the next few possible issues.
Make certain to turn off the dishwasher to avoid electrocution.
If while you are carrying out one of these examinations you believe you may have discovered and repaired the problem there is no need to continue to the next step. Just start an empty program to check the dishwasher is fixed.
Check and scrub the filters
Any number of things could block the filters including popcorn, labels from tupperware, plastic film covers and smashed glass. Clear film could also be hard to spot if you aren’t looking for it.
Take out the filter then wash it thoroughly before replacing it. Not all filters are obvious and easy to remove so you may need to refer to the instructions for this.
Is the waste water pipe obstructed?
The next component to check is the drain hose. Stuck food, a kink in the hose or a crushed hose may all prevent your dishwasher from emptying.
Depending on the location of the hose (generally the ribbed one) you could be able to view it by means of removing the base or you might be required to move the machine out from under the counter.
Have a look at the pipe first to see if it has been squashed or kinked. You might be able to manually fix any kinks which will most likely deal with the issue, but be aware that once this has happened it is much more likely to happen again so you might need to purchase a spare hose.
If you can’t find anything you may disconnect the waste water pipe from the dishwasher 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 dirty water in the hose.
If you are unable to blow through the waste pipe this could be the reason your dishwasher isn’t draining.
Take off the other end of the hose and give it a good flush through to get rid of the blockage. If you can’t shift the blockage or the waste pipe is slit or worn acquire a new one. If you could remove the obstruction then put the hose back and start a quick cycle to find out if you have solved the issue.
You can also examine where the waste pipe attaches under your sink as well. This is a common spot for a build-up of gunk so if you do take off the waste hose give this area a good clean as well.
Inspect the drain valve
You may manually examine the drain valve to make sure it isn’t stopped working. The drain valve will often be situated at the base of the dishwasher on the valve bracket. Consult your instruction manual if you’re not sure.
Depressing the valve or giving it a wiggle should be adequate to let you know if it’s stuck. If you can see anything stopping it from moving get rid of this. If you can’t, this may be when you should get in touch with a plumber unless you are undaunted by procuring and replacing the valve on your own.
Examine your pump is not broken
Your water pump uses impellers that can get obstructed by broken china or other objects. Check your impellers aren’t broken by taking off the cover and ensuring that the impellers can be easily rotated.
Listen to your dishwasher while it’s running
If your dishwasher sounds unusual your dishwasher pump or motor could be damaged and need to be repaired.
Call a plumber
If you have been through the above list and the fault remains, or you think the pump, pump valve or motor are not working, it could be a good time to call your local repair person.
This way though you will at least be able to give them more information and have avoided needing to pay a hefty call-out charge for a blocked drain.
More Dishwasher Problems:
- Dishwasher Being Loud
- Dishwasher Not Turning On
- Dishwasher Leaking
- Dishwasher Not Drying