Dishwasher Stopped Draining? Fix It In 3 Easy Steps - Queen City
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Dishwasher Stopped Draining? Follow Our 3 Easy Tips

Posted March 31, 2023

If you find your dishwasher backing up and a pool of water in the bottom, you may have an issue with your dishwasher’s drain. Here are three easy steps to fix the problem.

leaking dishwasher

Three Easy Steps to Fix Your Dishwasher’s Draining Issue

Determine Potential Simple Causes & Restart with Caution

Depending on the events leading up to finding standing water in your dishwasher, you may want to rerun your dishwasher without soap to see if that fixed the issue.

For example, if you expect your dishwasher stopped unexpectedly before draining due to a power outage or malfunction, rerunning a cycle may correct the issue.

In some cases, a blockage can occur from using regular dish soap or another sudsy cleaning solution. If suds build up too much, this can block the drain. Running a new cycle with just water may fix this issue.

If you decide one of these is likely to have been the cause, start a new cycle and monitor the dishwasher closely.

Check for a Blockage

There are several potential locations to check for a food blockage that could be causing a backup in your dishwasher.

Before investigating, remove the water from the bottom of your dishwasher so you can easily check the filter. Once you’ve checked your dishwasher’s filter and drain, begin following the drain line under your sink for other potential locations. Check the drain hose and air gap for any blockages to the kitchen drain.

Check Your Garbage Disposal:
If you have a garbage disposal, your dishwasher likely drains into the garbage disposal before leaving the house. If your garbage disposal is clogged, this could lead to a backup in your dishwasher as well.

Check to be sure that the garbage disposal isn’t clogged. In some cases, simply running the garbage disposal for a few moments with the water running will be enough to solve the issue.

Pro Tip: There are several types of foods that are generally not recommended to put into your garbage disposal and can easily lead to clogs and backups. We recommend you avoid putting the following things in your garbage disposal: hard foods (bones, ice cubes, and seeds), stringy foods (noodles, asparagus, or lettuce), grease, oils, and starchy foods like potatoes and beans.

Check Your Dishwasher’s Functionality

Finally, if there isn’t a blockage inside the dishwasher and your sink isn’t clogged you can check to make sure that the dishwasher is running properly. Is the door properly latching when in use? Does the drain valve actually function? Does the motor seem to be working correctly? If you can determine that another issue may be the cause, that will help you troubleshoot further.

frigidaire pro dishwasher

Still Having Issues?

If you have taken these steps and are still having issues, it may be time to call a service technician or plumber to evaluate and determine if a new dishwasher is needed.

Shop for a New Dishwasher at Queen City

If you’re in need of a new dishwasher, Queen City’s team of experts are ready to help you find the perfect model to meet your needs.

We have appliance stores conveniently located throughout North Carolina in Charlotte, Monroe, Pineville, Winston-Salem, Monroe, Morganton, and Salisbury. Stop into a Queen City location near you to learn more about our most efficient models and shop in person today.

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