No-one is happy to open their machine and discover standing water but, try not to overreact just yet. You may have the means to deal with the fault by yourself, without having to call a plumber or buy a brand-new machine.
Standing water in your machine could have a number of of causes some of which are easy to solve. So, before you call a dishwasher repair service try this selection of potential things you could troubleshoot yourself. A number of which are not even caused by the machine itself.
It is probable that there is nothing preventing your dishwasher from emptying. Alternatively, the cycle might have been cut short.
The cycle might have been interrupted for multiple of reasons. Little fingers pressing buttons, inadvertently leaning on the control panel, a power surge or opening the dishwasher mid-program may all interrupt the program and mean your machine doesn’t empty.
If you suspect this might be the case, or you just want to be sure it’s not the issue start your machine again on a quick cycle.
A number machines could have an empty cycle meaning it’s worthwhile consulting your instruction manual or checking online to find out.
If you have a waste disposal inspect this first as an obstructed waste disposal will block the dishwasher from draining. Run the waste disposal with lots of water to make sure there are no issues.
If you do discover a blockage drain un-blocker or a natural alternative can be used to remove the obstruction and this might fix the issue.
If you kitchen sink is draining reluctantly this might suggest an issue with the plumbing instead of a fault with your machine.
In the case that the sink is emptying slowly you can try putting some bicarb and vinegar down the drain, letting it sit for a while and subsequently rinsing it away with hot water.
A sink plunger might also be used to try and shift the obstruction.
This might be all you need to do to allow the appliance to work again so run a short rinse and drain program to check. If not you may remove the water by hand using a jug and a sponge and have a look at a few more possible issues.
At this point make sure you disconnect the machine to avoid electrocution.
If while you are carrying out any one of these checks you believe you have detected and repaired the fault there is no need to continue to the next issue. Just start an empty program to check your dishwasher is fixed.
Popcorn, labels from tupperware, plastic film covers and broken glass, plus scraps of food, could all block the dishwasher filter. Clear glass can also be hard to spot if you aren’t looking for it.
Remove the filter then clean it thoroughly before putting it back in place. Not all machines have their filter in the same place so you might need to refer to the instructions for this.
The next area to examine is the waste water pipe. Many things could cause an obstruction including a build up of food debris, a kink in the hose, or a crushed hose. All of which can all impede your dishwasher from draining.
Contingent upon the location of the hose (normally the corrugated one) you may be able to view it by lifting away the kick board or you might have to pull the machine away from under the counter.
Visually inspect the pipe in the first instance to see if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You may be able to manually remove any kinks which should resolve the issue, however, it’s worth noting that once this has occurred it is significantly more inclined to happen again so you may need to buy a replacement hose.
If you are unable to see any obvious kinks or obstructions you may disconnect the waste pipe from the dishwasher and blow through it to discover any blockages. Make sure you put down newspaper or towels first as there may still be dirty water in the pipe.
If you can’t blow through the hose this could be the problem.
Take off the other end of the hose in order to give it a good flush through to remove the obstruction. If you can’t shift the blockage or the hose is cracked or degraded buy a new one. If you can remove the obstruction then re-attach the hose and start a quick cycle to check that you have solved the problem.
You may also examine the point where the waste pipe connects under your sink as well. This is a typical place for blockages to occur so if you do remove the pipe give this point a thorough clean as well.
You can manually examine the drain valve to make sure it isn’t seized. The drain valve will generally be situated in the bottom of the machine on the valve bracket. Consult your instructions if you can’t see it.
Pressing down on the valve or giving it a jiggle should be enough to find out if it’s seized. If you can see any debris stopping it from moving get rid of this. If you can’t, this may be a good time to get in touch with a repair person unless you are happy in ordering and repairing the part on your own.
Your dishwasher pump uses impellers that could become blocked by pieces of glass or other debris. Check your impellers aren’t broken by removing the safety cover and checking that the impellers can be easily rotated.
If it sounds unusual your pump or motor may be damaged and need to be repaired.
If none of the above examinations has repaired the issue, or you think the pump, pump valve or motor are broken, it might be time to get the professionals.
At least having tried to fix the problem yourself you have prevented needing to pay a hefty repair fee for a blocked hose.
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