May 24th, 2022

Dishwashers are a god-send. Most of us out there do not enjoy washing dishes. So when our dishwasher starts having trouble, it can get frustrating. One source of dishwasher trouble is a clog. This can be caused by not rinsing dishes properly before running them through the washing cycle. Make sure you clear all bits of food off your dishes to help prevent clogging. If there are bits of food, they can accumulate in your filter basket or drain hose causing clogs.
But how will you know if it’s clogged? Signs indicating a clog can be water backing up in the sink, gurgling sounds, shaking or thumping while the dishwasher runs. Standing water in your dishwasher after a wash cycle also indicates a clog, because leftover food is clogging the drainage basket.
Once you’ve figured out the dishwasher is clogged, how do we fix it? First, clean your drain basket. Make sure it is free and clear of debris. Then you’ll want to gather all the items you’ll need to clear the clog. 

• Phillips head screwdriver to remove drain gates
• Baking soda and vinegar
• Bucket
• Gloves
• A drainage snake

Next, make sure the dishwasher is unplugged. Remove the dish racks and find the drain grate, it will be located somewhere near the bottom of the dishwasher. You can then remove the grate with a phillips head screwdriver. You can try using baking soda in the pipe and then adding vinegar to clear the pipe. Or you can auger the drain with a drainage snake. Avoid using a chemical drain cleaner, as it can eventually damage the drain. Then you can reattach your drain grate, return the dish racks to their place, and plug the dishwasher back in. Run the dishwasher through a cleaning cycle to see if the problem has been resolved. 
If the problem persists, give a plumber a call as there might be a bigger issue. Call Tony’s Plumbing and we’ll get your dishwasher all cleared up and draining smoothly! 

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