Common Reasons Why A Dishwasher Won’t Drain

Out of the many areas in your home, the kitchen is perhaps one of the busiest sections. It’s no surprise given that there is an array of activities that you have to do once you set foot in this part of your humble abode.

In the kitchen, you’ll be met with tasks of varying degrees – prepping, cooking, cleaning, and a whole lot more!  However, one of the most frustrating things to happen while you’re in there is when your dishwasher starts to mess up during clean-up time.

There is no doubt that a dishwasher is a great asset in your kitchen. It’s a fantastic alternative to hand-washing your dishes, plus newer dishwashers save more water, helping you save on household expenses in the long run. However, what are you supposed to do when the dishwasher doesn’t drain?

Here are the common reasons why your dishwasher might not be draining as it should:

Is Your Dishwasher On?

While this might sound trivial, there are times when your kitchen appliances are not working because they are either turned off or are not connected to a power source. It wouldn’t hurt to double-check.

When you run into a draining problem, this is one of the very first things that you should check. If this is the case, it would definitely save you from stressing over what could have been a hefty dishwasher repair cost.

Is There A Blockage?

One of the most common reasons why water is not draining is due to a blockage. As a dishwasher is composed of several parts, the blockage could be in one of these. If you want to be able to pinpoint the source of the blockage and resolve the issue as soon as possible, you should look into the different areas, like the following:

• Clogged Drain Hose – The hose is responsible for draining the water in your dishwasher. As time goes by, food debris and other elements can accumulate, causing these waste matters to clog the hose. When clogging occurs, all you have to do is see what’s happening under your sink. Armed with the right tools, like a pair of gloves and pliers, you can remove the hose and clean it thoroughly. There are cleaning products made specifically for cleaning drain hoses. Make sure that you choose something that won’t damage the hose.

If you want to avoid clogging the drain hose, you remove whatever debris is on the dishes before loading them into the dishwasher. This simple practice will save you from dealing with this draining problem in the future!

• Clogged Drain Filter – When you are in the process of checking the different parts of your dishwasher, you will find the drain filter at the bottom portion of the dish rack. When the problem stems from this area, it’s likely due to the stuck food debris there.

If something is wrong with your dishwasher’s drain filter, don’t be surprised if the dishes are not as clean as you would like them to be.

• Obstructed Garbage Disposal – Another part of your dishwasher that you should check when a drain issue happens is the garbage disposal. If you are not familiar with this particular part, it’s the one that’s connected to the drain filter.

If the water refuses to go down, it might be because food waste matters have settled at the

garbage disposal. When something is stuck down there, the harder it would be for the water to go down.

Avoid any mishaps by running the garbage disposal regularly. Every couple of days, you should turn the water on and let it run through the disposal. It helps keep the garbage disposal from corroding. It also helps food waste from hardening, which can cause build-up and blockage.

There are some items that you take note of mainly because these are hard to grind. Since it’s difficult for the disposal’s blades to cut these things up, it’s better to avoid throwing these stuff into the dishwasher:

• Egg Shells
• Bones
• Vegetable and Fruit Peels
• Seeds
• Oil or Grease
• Pasta
• Blades
• Glass

If you think that the blades won’t be able to grind something, then it’s best to remove it before putting the dishes inside the machine.

• Blocked Or Damaged Drain Line – One of the most common yet complicated issues that you might stumble upon with your dishwasher involves the drain line. As this part is found somewhere under your dishwasher, it might not be very easy for you to check this on your own.

If you are experiencing a draining problem but have not managed to pinpoint the exact root cause, then it could be due to a drain line issue. For something as serious as this, you might have to seek the help of a professional as fixing it yourself without the right tools skills might only lead you to more, sometimes irreparable, problems.

Tips To Avoid Draining Issues

Having a dishwasher around can make life a little easier. However, if you want to be able to maximize the benefits of the machine, you also need to take utmost care of it. By looking after this highly-efficient kitchen tool, you will save time, energy, money, and so much more!

If you want to stop running into drain issues and many other dishwashing concerns, then you better pay attention to the tips presented above.

One of the most crucial tips that you should never forget is lessening the food particles that are on the dishes before loading them into the dishwasher. The more waste materials there are, the higher the chances of a build-up and blockage to occur. If you tend to not check on your dishwasher and its many different parts regularly, then don’t be surprised if you keep experiencing draining-related problems.

Final Thoughts

Don’t forget to conduct a yearly clean-up of your dishwasher. If you happen to have more time, then feel free to clean it more often. If you find any irregularities, immediately check the dishwasher and its parts and find out the root cause of these problems. If it’s something minor that you can fix, get those gloves and be your own kitchen handyman. If it turns out to be more complex than expected, then get help from professional service providers, or, else, things could go extremely awry.