Dishwasher Won't Drain

Dishwasher Won't Drain

My dishwasher water will not drain out. Does anyone know what I can do about this?

Elva from Shreveport, LA

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RE: Dishwasher Won't Drain

Just had the same problem. After service man was here three times he discovered the pump was gone so decided to get a new dishwasher for the pump and labor was over half of a new dishwasher. He said that dishwashers are a disposable appliance nowadays. I don't know about all of you but our disposable society is nerve racking to say the least. (09/18/2008)

By Rasta

RE: Dishwasher Won't Drain

When I have this problem, I put Drano down my sink drains and then I take the plunger to my sink, I have two drains so I have someone hold a plunger over one side while I plunge the other side and vise versa, it seems to work every time. (09/18/2008)

By Missi

RE: Dishwasher Won't Drain

We had this problem about a week ago: 1. Did you use too much dish soap? May be too sudsy. Check your filters. Small but numerous particles of food clog those sensitive screens and slow or even stop the d/w from working right. Can the spinning blade (that squirt water) on the top and bottom spin freely? Even a small part of a wooden spoon or a glass that is just a little tall can also cause problems. Check your hoses (if it isn't a built in) make sure there isn't a clog there. Also go to your manufacturer's site and see if there is a trouble shooting section. Is your d/w new or old?

IMPORTANT: make sure you get a d/w cleaner (sold at most stores for a few dollars) and clean the d/w itself. You'll put the product in an empty d/w and run a normal cycle. It is suppose to clear out lines, hoses, and such to keep it running at optimum quality. You can also google the d/w's info. The model # should be somewhere on the door. I hope that you find the source of the problem. It bites not having a working d/w. Good luck. (09/18/2008)

By KLS8800

RE: Dishwasher Won't Drain

I had the same problem also. I finally disconnected the back flow preventer under the sink that the dishwasher drains to and took it apart. There was a little piece of plastic that was clogging it. Still can't figure out where it came from. Must have been attached to something I had washed and it came off and made it as far as the back flow preventer and clogged it. Most back flows are above the sink. Mine happens to be underneath. (09/19/2008)

By souzos

RE: Dishwasher Won't Drain

This will sound nonsensical, but if you have an overflow thing sitting up next to your kitchen faucet (the one that water will sometimes burble out of when the dishwasher is on), pull the cover off it by firmly pulling straight up, then take the structure inside apart with your fingers and see if there is hair or another clog in it. Reassemble and see if your d/w functions properly. When I had the same problem, I read this one online, realized I had nothing to lose, tried it, and the problem was solved. (09/19/2008)

By Katie A.

RE: Dishwasher Won't Drain

I had the wrong terminology. It is an air gap overflow, not a back flow preventer. However, it does prevent back flow of contaminated water/sewage from entering your dishwasher. (09/19/2008)

By souzos

RE: Dishwasher Won't Drain

Katie you are the best! I was so upset my dishwasher just wouldn't drain, I would do it manually every time and still have to hand wash most of my dishes. My water overflow thing on my sink was totally clogged. I unclogged it and water shot up almost hitting my ceiling. Thank You! (10/01/2008)

By jen

RE: Dishwasher Won't Drain

Just had a problem with the Drain Air Gap (Air Gap Overflow). I thought it was clear, but serviceman pointed out debris under cap. To take mine apart, you have to pry cap off by lifting with a screwdriver. Not necessary to unscrew. (02/27/2009)

By somib

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Dishwasher Won't Drain

I have a General Electric Permatuf dishwasher and the water will not drain out. My line going to my garbage disposal is not plugged, nor my sink lines under the sink. The line going from my dishwasher to the garbage may be plugged, but I don't have any way of knowing.

By Triothree from Augusta, GA

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RE: Dishwasher Won't Drain

Make sure the pump is working. You disconnect the drain hose and run it into your sink or a bucket for testing purposes. If it is pumping out the water then check to make sure there are no obstructions in the connection at the disposal. If this is a new install make sure the plug was removed from the disposal connection at time of the install, also check for kinks in the drain line. Most dishwasher manufacturers recommend a loop in the drain line. Look at the install instructions that came with the washer. (08/21/2009)

By DonM

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Dishwasher Won't Drain

I have an older GE dishwasher that will not drain. What do I do?

By Don from St. Paul, MN

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RE: Dishwasher Won't Drain

I only have experience with portable dish washers so my question/advise may not apply. Is it trying to pump out water at all? If it is trying to do it's job then it might be obstructed. You need to find some way to try to blow air back through the exhaust hose and blow the obstruction back out the way it came. That's the optimistic outlook.

The other is the pump in your dishwasher is shot and is probably not worth fixing. But depending on where you live and who is in your area there might be someone who can fix it. When I lived in WV there was a guy who ran a little repair shop and he kept a lot of older machines around to strip for parts. If there is a guy like this in your area he may have a used pump he could put in it rather cheap compared to buying a new dishwasher. (08/05/2010)

By Suntydt