Don’t worry if your dishwasher has stopped draining – luckily for those of us who have a protection plan you should be able to claim on this if your dishwasher isn’t draining.
But if you’d like to try to repair it yourself, or if you don’t have dishwasher cover, you might be able to get it working again without draining too much of your time and money. Just follow our advice and see if you can get the appliance working perfectly again!
Turn off the dishwasher
It’s important to disconnect and switch off from the plug if your dishwasher is not draining. As in all appliance repairs, the first thing you should do is switch off your dishwasher at the plug socket. For additional safety and peace-of-mind, you should also unplug it.
This is not a sure-fire way to avoid electrocution, however; dishwashers can retain a lot of static electricity in their internal components, and this can give you a dangerous and even lethal shock.
So for additional protection:
Put on a pair of rubber gloves
Not only will rubber gloves further reduce your chances of electrocution, they will also protect you from cuts and abrasions. There is a reasonable chance that there is broken glass and other sharp objects in your dishwasher, and the standing water in the appliance could be filled with dangerous bacteria that could cause a nasty infection.
Try to empty some of the standing water in the dishwasher
No doubt you’ll have standing water in the dishwasher. Use a plastic bowl, a pint glass, or anything else at hand to get as much of the dirty water out of your dishwasher as possible. You might find it is very hard to empty the dishwasher – it’s not completely necessary to do so, but it makes the job a lot easier and a lot less messy. You could get the last bits of water out with an old towel.
Clean the dishwasher filters
Remove the filters from the bottom of the dishwasher, perhaps in the interior of the appliance, at the far back. You should be able to remove them easily and without forcing them – if you have to force them out, they might break. Simply rinse them under the tap to clear any gunk and foodstuffs from them – this dirt could be blocking the mechanisms.
Ideally, you should clean your dishwasher filters before your dishwasher stops draining – make this part of your regular cleaning regimen.
Clean the drain hose
The drain hose runs under the sink and comes out of the back of the dishwasher. This hose can become blocked, too, or can bend, crease and become squashed, preventing water from flowing through it properly. Straighten out the hose to ensure that water can pass through it without obstruction. If you notice that there is a blockage in the tube, remove it (you may need a spanner or screwdriver), and rinse it through in the sink.
Unblock your sink
If the dishwasher still isn’t draining, then there might be a blockage somewhere else in your home – probably in the kitchen sink. We’ve written about unblocking sinks before – you’ll probably need drain unblocker and may also need a plunger.
Still no luck?
If you’ve not been able to get your dishwasher draining again, you’ll need to call in the experts.
We have a team of staff dedicated to diagnosing your issues so give them a call today on 0345 3192 247. They’ll run through some simple checks with you over the phone and then send an engineer if it can’t be fixed.
If you’re unsure or not competent at examining your dishwasher, leave it well alone and call us straight away. Appliances can be very dangerous with static electricity and fires known to have injured people. We’ve got highly skilled engineers up and down the country – so you’re never far from help when you need it most.
247 Home Rescue accepts no liability for any injuries or damages you sustain following the advice on this website. If in doubt, seek professional assistance.
