Dishwasher Not Draining Video

Some of the things you can do to assess your dishwasher not draining problem include:

• Running your garbage disposal – a lot of the cases involving draining problems involve the garbage disposal because a lot of dishwashers are set up for their drain to run through the garbage disposal. Whenever food buildup is present then, there is less space available for the water from the dishwasher to drain. Clear the buildup and water should drain freely. Running the garbage disposal is one of the simplest ways to remedy a dishwasher not draining problem.

• Cleaning the air gap – if you have water coming out of the air gap whenever you are using the dishwasher, then your draining problem has to do with a blockage between the garbage disposal and the air gap. To clear the blockage, remove the cap on the air cap, find the large tube running through it, remove the tube, and then clean out whatever may be blocking the tube.

• Clearing the connection between the garbage disposal and drain tube – remove the air gap tube to gain access to the opening of the garbage disposal. Simply inserting a screw driver into the opening of the drain tube and moving it around should be able to clear out the tube.

Dishwasher Not Draining

If you’ve done these simple fixes and you still have a dishwasher not draining problem, now is the time to call in the professionals to take care of the situation for you.

1. Check the Garbage Disposal

To rule out one of the top drain clogging nightmares, run your food disposal to make sure it isn’t full of food scraps. If your disposal was installed recently, or around the time you noticed the drainage problem, it is possible that whoever installed it forgot to remove the knockout plug. If this was not done, then simply remove it, and the dishwasher should work good as new. You can do this with a screwdriver and hammer. Check your instruction manual from the dishwasher’s manufacturer for details about the process.

2. Inspect the Dishwasher Basket

Slowly and carefully, remove the basket and check for any build up or excess waste. If you find any, this could be your problem. Clean the parts thoroughly, but be gentle not to use force or pressure, it could bend the parts out of shape, and you need for these to fit back together. Clean the basket with a wet rag, then replace it as it was.

3. Check The Drain

More often than not, clogging of the drain will be the cause of your dishwasher not draining all the way. Run some water in the sink and watch it go down. If it takes a long time and is accompanied with bubbles, this means that you need to unclog your kitchen sink. A sink drain might get clogged from excess dirt build up and food particles. The first method you can try to unclog the kitchen sink is to use a large plunger. Place the plunger cap over the sink drain and run water into the basin until it covers the cap. Make sure the plungers cap is wide enough to cover the entire opening of the drain. Push the plunger up and down on the sink drain eight to ten times, using the final thrust to remove the plunger from the sink with a swift rapid movement, thereby unclogging the drain. If this is unsuccessful, you can purchase chemical drainage fluid or powder from a local hardware store.

If you are having problems with your dishwasher not draining, the methods above are fairly easy to handle yourself. In more cases than not, the problem lies within one of the smaller more simple parts above. However, if the problem persists, seek help from a professional. A plumber could very well find the problem is in the more delicate parts like the pump, timer, motor, temperature of the water, etc.