Dishwasher Not Draining? Here Are 3 Common Causes & How To Solve Them

The dishwasher is a wonderful kitchen appliance. It has made doing the dishes less of a chore as you do not have to sit in front of a sink of hot water scrubbing plates, pans, and cups, until you get all of the nasty food off of them.

Not to mention, rinsing and drying after you are done scrubbing. The dishwasher does all of the dirty work for you!

With that being said, dishwashers do often have some issues. One of the main problems that arise with a dishwasher is it will stop draining or will drain very slowly once every so often.

As you’d probably imagine – this can be a pretty big issue, especially if the water starts to leak out.

If your dishwasher is not draining properly, you need to first check the drain hose clamp, the drain hose connection, the power supply, and the solenoid.

If you do not find anything wrong with these things, have a look at the following three common causes of dishwashers failing to drain to get a better idea of what the culprit might be, and what you can do about it.

Debris In Tub Filter

The tub filter of your dishwasher will either be located in the back of the dishwasher or in the bottom of the tub around the base of the lower arm sprayer.

Most newer dishwashers have grinders built into them. This allows food particles to be ground up so that they go through the drain.

However, at times, small pieces of food such as popcorn or even labels that wash off of utensils and plates can clog up your dishwasher filter.

Here’s what you’ll need to do:

1. Clear any debris out of the filter and remove the screws that attach it.
2. Take out the filter cage and clean it.

If there was something clogging the filter, cleaning it should solve the issue of the appliance not draining properly.

Clogged Drain Hose

If your dishwasher is not draining, try disconnecting the drain hose from the pump and blowing through it to ensure that there is nothing clogging up the hose.

To disconnect the drain hose you are going to need to unplug the dishwasher and turn off the circuit breaker just for good measure.

Remove the panel on the floor and then loosen the drain hose clamp.

If you cannot blow through the hose, try straightening out any kinks and moving the blockage through the hose.

You should also check the pipe where the drain hose connects to the sink. Corrosion can build up on this inlet, which can cause the dishwasher not to drain properly. You can clear out this corrosion with a screwdriver or another metallic object with ease.

Test The Drain Valve

If there is a valve bracket on your dishwasher, then there is a drain valve.

In order to test the drain valve, you will want to push on the bracket.

The bracket should be able to move freely. If the valve does not move freely or becomes frozen, the solenoid that controls the valve is most likely burnt out and you are going to have to replace it in order to get your dishwasher to run properly.

Need A Helping Hand?

Maybe you’re not a DIY-savvy person, or maybe you’d simply like to leave the job to the professionals at the end of the day.

Whatever the case – we’re here to help!

Here at Top Appliance Repair Richmond, we provide comprehensive dishwasher repair services in Richmond, BC.

Our team of professional dishwasher technicians offers same-day and next-day bookings at entirely reasonable rates. Give us a quick call at 604-332-1475 to get booked in!