At some point, you may notice your dishwasher does not properly drain after a wash. When the dishwasher stops, you may see some standing water. This can be frustrating, particularly because you have to run your dishwasher a second time. If you notice your dishwasher does not drain, here are some things you can try to clear the clog.
Turn On the Garbage Disposal
One of the first things you can try is running the garbage disposal. The drain hose from the dishwasher should empty into the garbage disposal drain. When the garbage disposal has some unground food refuse inside, the dishwasher will not properly drain. In many cases, just turning on the garbage disposal is enough to clear a dishwasher clog.
Clean the Air Gap in the Sink
If you do not have a garbage disposal, you should have an air gap in place. An air gap is a small cylinder with slots you install on top of the sink near the faucet. There is a small hose that connects the air gap to the dishwasher drain hose. The air gap works like a vent to keep any air from building up in the drain hose. However, the air gap can get clogs from debris.
To check the air gap, you can remove the part and look for any buildup. You can clean the part with just water and a brush. Start your dishwasher again to see if the drain problem persists.
Avoid Use of Regular Dish Detergent
Understandably, you are busy and cannot always get to a store to purchase dishwasher detergent when you run out. Many choose to use a bit of regular dish soap to run a load in the dishwasher. However, regular dish detergent creates too many suds and can prevent proper draining in the dishwasher.
If this has happened to your dishwasher, you will need to remove the water buildup in the bottom and run the dishwasher again with the proper soap.
Clean the Drain Basket
You can find a drain basket beneath the interior of the dishwasher. Your dishwasher model may have the basket held in place with screws. Once you remove any fasteners, the basket should easily come off.
You can remove the cover of the basket and look for any debris or buildup. If you see anything, you can easily remove the buildup by hand or with a wooden spoon. Replace the cover, and try another wash cycle.
Remove Any Hose Kinks
Over time, your drain hose may develop a kink. The drain hose connects the dishwasher's drain to either the garbage disposal or the air gap. The hose will not allow the water to drain if it has a kink.
A kink can occur if you accidently push a heavy or large item under the sink and hit the hose. You can attempt to straighten the hose, but you may have to replace the hose if you experience continual dishwasher backups.
Check the Drain Hose
If your drain hose does not have kinks, it may still have a clog with debris or food remnants. You have to remove the front panel and look for a ribbed hose which should connect to the drain pump.
Be sure to unplug the dishwasher first and avoid touching any wires. You should also place some towels beneath the dishwasher to prevent a mess in your kitchen. While most panels will easily snap off, you may have to unscrew the panels in some models. You then should disconnect the hose and blow through it to see if air will pass. If air does not pass through, you likely have a clog.
If you still experience a dishwasher that will not drain, you should call your plumber to get to the bottom of the issue. Please contact us at
1A Florida Plumbing, Inc.,
for assistance.