Repair LogicStart a case

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

  1. Filter or sump cloggedthe most common cause, and the cheapest — food debris packs the filter basket
  2. Drain hose kinked or blockedunder the sink is where most kinks and pinches live
  3. Air gap or sink trap cloggedif the sink side backs up too, the blockage is shared with the dishwasher
  4. New disposal knockout pluga classic after a disposal install — the drain port arrives plugged
  5. Drain pump failinga humming pump that moves nothing is a worn or jammed impeller

Ranked for this dishwasher in general. Answer three questions inside a case and the list gets shorter.

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 checks

  1. Check 1 — Clean the filter and sump

    5 minutes · no tools

    This eliminates: clogged filter, packed sump.

    The step-by-step opens inside a case.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

Get a Second Opinion — $49One payment. Answered by email.

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