How To Drain Dishwasher? A Detailed Guide

Last Updated on September 3, 2022

After having a delighted feast at dinner, you might be planning to load your dishwasher to clean dishes. But after running the cleaning cycles, you find a pool of water inside the dishwasher with uncleaned dishes and piles of dirty smell.

It is normal if a small quantity of water stands at the bottom of your machine, but a large amount could be due to serious issues. It is necessary to drain the dishwasher as soon as possible to avoid future hazards.

In this guide, we have provided detailed information to assist you if you are unaware of how to drain the dishwasher. Some common reasons for this issue and possible solutions are also suggested in the end.

The dishwasher is not draining water simply because of the clogged drainage system. This blocking could be due to food chunks and other particles that accumulate inside if you ignore the normal maintenance requirements.

You must check the drainage system, hose, and water lines to inspect that everything is in fine condition. Identifying the issue will prove beneficial by saving time and costs that you might spend on buying a new model that will not guarantee the proper maintenance.

Several other reasons could lead to this problem, which is mentioned below.

It’d be great if you could solve the problem after identifying it; otherwise, you must ensure the repair or replacement for better cleaning results. Some of the ground causes of dishwasher not draining water are:

The general cause of water not draining through the dishwasher is the blocked filter. This blocking can occur for several reasons, such as bones or food parts stuck in the drain hole.

The easy way to prevent this kind of incident is by rinsing dishes properly before placing them inside the dishwasher. Not only draining the filter, but many other parts of a dishwasher can also get blocked, and freeing them up is the best solution.

If the drain line is broken or damaged, it can hinder the draining of the dishwasher. The drain hose leads the dirty water to move out of the filter, and if somehow that part is not in good condition, it will automatically cause many troubles. The draining will also stop if the water line is folded or twisted.

We often ignore the regular maintenance required for a machine to keep it running in good condition. In the same way, when we do not take care of proper maintenance of a dishwasher, we make it more prone to damage.

Taking care of things makes them last longer, such as cleaning the parts, draining the water, and analyzing hoses and filters to keep the system alive. Also, it is mandatory to clean the spray arm once every six months.

There comes a stage when your dishwasher’s parts can’t sustain for longer and start wearing out. So, the in-time replacement is the only solution to get things managed.

You can replace the broken parts on your own or ask for help from a plumber or any professional. The whole process takes just a couple of minutes.

Using ordinary soap in a dishwasher to clean dishes sometimes proves horrible for the machine. The liquid meant to wash dishes should use inside the dishwasher. Ordinary soaps are not able to create suds, and the liquids make a massive amount of suds. When the heavy suds combine with warm water, it creates a huge mess after agitation.

The only easy solution is using a vacuum cleaner or some kind of suction to remove the extra suds and then turn on the dishwasher again for a safe cycle.

Garbage disposal is another essential component of a dishwasher that can cause problems if kept ignored for long. Garbage disposal should never discharge inside the same drain hole because it won’t be able to grind the large food particles and end up blocking the whole drainage system.

This clogging may even reach the dishwasher’s other connections, making it hard to remove water. You must run the machine to drain waste and each food particle lingering inside it to resolve it. You can also ask for help from a plumber to remove the trapped particles from the line.

Several parts work hard to do the cleaning job for you in a dishwasher. A motor pump is also one part that acts as a vacuum to suck liquids out of the machine and push them back into the drain. 

After some time, the motor may burn and stop functioning to eliminate all stored water. Such motors need immediate replacement to keep the system working in normal condition.

If the automated draining system has stopped working and water is standing inside your dishwasher, you must quickly try to drain all water out of it. This problem is easily solvable by trying simple DIY hacks that we will share.

Following tools are important during the process of fixing faults in a dishwasher that doesn’t drain anymore.

• Bucket
• Sponge
• Towels
• Wire Coat Hanger
• Vacuum
• Plastic Cup
• Flathead Screwdriver

The purpose of the filter system of a dishwasher is to capture the leftover food particles when the dishwasher cycle is running. This function keeps the dirty water away from circulating to contaminate the dishes.

If the filter system doesn’t work properly, it won’t collect objects and end up clogged by food scraps and scum that will gather inside the dishwasher to prevent drainage. To clean the filter, you must identify its location and then follow these steps to remove waste:

• Turn off the machine for safety reasons
• To clean the filter system, use a screwdriver to remove its parts, including the drain basket.
• Now empty the drain basket and wash it thoroughly using a cleaning solution and a cleaning brush to scrap the dirt.
• Wash until all materials get removed, then place it back in the position.

Some dishwashers have auto cleaning modes for filters, and by running a cycle, everything gets clean conveniently.

The drain valve of a dishwasher is manufactured of solenoid or gate arm, which drains water out of the dishwasher. It must keep going in a free way as any obstruction will cause damage to it.

To fix it you should replace the damaged parts. To rectify the solenoid, disconnect two wires and use a multimeter to find current ohms.

The solenoid must be able to read 40 ohms to function normally. The replacement is the only best solution if the readings are showing variations.

A drain hose is a functional tube that helps drain the contaminated water outside the machine. Frequently, the drain hose also gets blocked by different materials or kinks in the valve, which hinders the normal water flow.

This needs to be fixed to restore the normal cycles of a dishwasher. Here is how you can do it:

• Cut off the power supply.
• Find out where the hose or valve is located. Usually, a drain hose is located at the back of the dishwasher linked with the pump, while the other end is associated with the garbage disposal.
• You can also take help by instructions provided in the manual to locate these parts without wasting any time.
• Look for kinks or twists in the hose and remove them to avoid restricted flow. After fixing the drain hose, if the issue still persists, check out the blockings.
• To eliminate blocking objects, you can use a wire coat hanger.
• Now try to separate the hose and place a bowl to pick up all the dirty or excessive amounts of water. 
• The drain hose can also get clean by throwing a high water pressure to remove all the obstructions.

It is good to use High Loop Installation Method to prevent future blocking. With this method, the drain hose will be located at an elevated position, and the other task will be handled by gravity to release water without any clogs due to food objects.

Air gaps are not common in all dishwashers; if there is one in yours, the possibility of it getting blocked is high. This blockage can result due to dirt and debris that gather inside.

To find out if there is an air gap in your dishwasher, look for a small-sized cylinder close to the sink that is sometimes made of plastic covered in the metal layer.

This is how you can remove the air gaps:

• Remove the power source of the dishwasher and waste disposal.
• Unfasten the metal covering and the plastic cap of an air gap.
• Use pliers or tweezers to pick up the stuck food chunks.
• Wash the interior with hot and soapy water. To open the blocked areas, use a thin tool to clear the area.
• Arrange the air gap again and supply the power to initiate garbage disposal.
• For better results, running an empty wash cycle is recommended so that everything drains that is creating hindrance.

If you haven’t used your dishwasher for days and just piling up dirty dishes inside it, the tainted particles will start drying on the blades and other parts of the machine. It is not recommended to leave dirty dishes in the dishwasher for a long time,

Due to the accumulation of those wastes, the normal rotation of the motor may get compromised, and the drain system won’t work.  However, you can fix this problem in the easiest way by rotating the motor manually once or twice. The remaining dirt will get clean after a dishwasher cleaning cycle.

Many dishwashers lack plumbing lines and rely solely on the garbage disposal to eliminate waste particles. Garbage disposal has a link at the outer region of the drain pipe. If you skip cleaning the garbage disposal, it will fill up with debris, dust, and residual food parts. They will start building up inside the machine by stopping water from draining out of it. Not only do these things block the drainage, but a pungent smell will also come out of your dishwasher.

To fix the problem in simple ways, you need to flush hot water through it to drain all waste. Or you can run a cycle to remove such particles. If the issue doesn’t resolve after trying these methods, try the following steps:

• Eliminate the power supply to the garbage disposal and the whole machine. It is good to disconnect all the parts.
• With the help of a flashlight, watch out minutely inside the disposal. Remove any object which can clog the system by using tongs.
• If there are piles of waste on the blades, try to remove them using ice and rock salt.
• Plug-in switches to bring power back and run a test for a few minutes
• For further cleaning, use baking soda and white vinegar to apply at dirty parts for almost 15 minutes.
• To scrape off stubborn grease or junk, use a toothbrush.
• After cleaning it thoroughly, add hot water into the dishwasher and start the garbage disposal. You will look at all the waste getting drained out of it.
• To get rid of bad smells, add orange or lemon peels inside the dishwasher and run another cycle.

It might be frightening to you if you are trying to fix your dishwasher for the first time. Luckily, this isn’t a difficult job, and you can easily fix it without anyone’s assistance.

However, if the issue persists after applying all the above-mentioned methodologies to get your dishwasher drained, you must call a plumber or someone professional with these appliances. The problem could be deep, and a professional can only find the solution.