Any brand · Dishwasher · Symptom
Dishwasher not draining
likely causes and what to check
What it means
Water standing in the bottom of the tub after a cycle means the last pump-out didn't finish. The causes are ordered by how often they turn out to be the one.
Work the checks in order — the first two settle more than half of these cases, and neither needs a tool.
Likely causes, ranked
- Filter or sump cloggedthe most common cause, and the cheapest — food debris packs the filter basket
- Drain hose kinked or blockedunder the sink is where most kinks and pinches live
- Air gap or sink trap cloggedif the sink side backs up too, the blockage is shared with the dishwasher
- New disposal knockout pluga classic after a disposal install — the drain port arrives plugged
- Drain pump failinga humming pump that moves nothing is a worn or jammed impeller
Ranked for this dishwasher in general. A model-specific diagnosis needs more information than this guide.
Verdict, in general terms
Usually a $0 fix — filter and hose — or a $25–$70 drain pump. Dishwashers are simple machines; nearly any of these repairs is worth doing, whatever the dishwasher cost.
The checks, in order
4 checksCheck 1 — Clean the filter and sump
5 minutes · no tools
This eliminates: clogged filter, packed sump.
The step-by-step opens inside a case.
Check 2 — Look under the sink
5 minutes · no tools
This eliminates: kinked hose, clogged air gap, plugged disposal port.
The step-by-step opens inside a case.
Check 3 — Listen during the pump-out
10 minutes · no tools
This eliminates: silent pump versus humming pump.
The step-by-step opens inside a case.
Check 4 — Pull and inspect the drain pump
30 minutes · one screwdriver
This eliminates: failed drain pump.
The step-by-step opens inside a case.
Stuck, or want a person?
Ty Fletcher answers a Second Opinion by email within 24 hours — 10 years of construction and maintenance, not a licensed technician. You send photos and the model plate; the answer names the next thing to do, or the stop line.
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We publish a new fix-guide as we write it. One email each, nothing else; reply to any of them and we take you off the list.
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