What to Do When Your Dishwasher Doesn't Drain

Uh oh… You’ve opened your dishwasher to discover there’s standing water just sitting in the bottom. Before you panic and call a plumber, try these steps to fix it yourself. 

The simplest thing to do first, is run the dishwasher again. The dishwasher may have inadvertently shut off during its last cycle and that’s why there is undrained water. So give it another go, and if the bottom is still filled with water, then try these next steps.

Turn on your garbage disposal. Sometimes it’s that easy. Running the garbage disposal will clear up any food or sludge that may be blocking the drain pipe. Since the drain hose from the dishwasher empties into the garbage disposal drain, this step can easily clear up this issue.

Still didn’t drain? It’s time to remove the standing water to find the culprit. Remove the bottom dish tray by sliding it out and lifting it off the dishwasher door. Use a cup to scoop the dirty water into a bucket. When you are unable to scoop the remaining water, use towels to dry up the last  of it. 

Now that the water is removed, you can clean your drain basket. You can find it at the bottom of your dishwasher’s interior, it looks like an upside-down basket. If it doesn’t look like a basket, then consult your dishwasher manual. Remove the cover to check for buildup in the basket beneath. Remove the food gunk, replace the cover, then run the dishwashing cycle again. Pre-rinse your dishes before you load them into the dishwasher to keep your drain basket from getting clogged.

Check the drain hose for kinks or clogs. The drain hose is the plastic hose that connects the dishwasher’s drain pump to the garbage disposal or to an air cap. Something may have been shoved under the sink that is now impeding the hose. If you see that the hose has been bent, try straightening it out using your hands. If it won’t quite straighten out properly, then you may need to replace the drain hose. If your investigation of the drain hose reveals it isn’t kinked, then check for a clog. To do this, unplug the dishwasher, then remove the lower front panel to find where the hose attaches to the drain pump. The front panel may require you to remove some screws, but it should just pop off. Check the dishwasher’s manual if you need assistance on how to remove the panel. Then disconnect the hose from the pump, and blow through the hose. If air won’t flow through it, then it’s clogged. Try using a thin tool to get the gunk out of the ends of the hose, you can try a straightened out coat hanger to go deeper into the hose. If it’s unreachable, you’ll probably have to replace the hose.

If you need to replace the hose, you can try and tackle the job yourself by removing the entire dishwasher unit to de-attach the hose and replace it. Consult your manual for the correct hose to purchase. If you’d like to save yourself the hassle, then it’s time to call a plumber. They will do the complicated dirty work for you.
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Call Tony’s Plumbing today for your dishwasher needs!

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