5 Minute Fix for a Dishwasher That Won’t Drain

A dishwasher that won’t drain is a common problem and one of the easiest appliance repairs. I enjoy fixing dishwashers that won’t drain because it’s so quick and gratifying. You can do the entire repair in less than five minutes.

Almost always, there’s food debris caught somewhere in the drain tube. That brings us to the age-old question, “Should I rinse my dishes before loading them in the dishwasher?” Here’s my advice: Scrape off the chunky stuff but leave on the sauce! Some food residue on the dishes acts as a catalyst to activate your detergent’s cleaning action.

Now, back to the issue at hand. Symptoms of a clogged dishwasher include:

• Water above the filter at end of cycle;
• Blinking LED lights;
• Low humming sound from base of dishwasher;
• Error code displayed;
• Dishwasher cycle won’t start. (Dishwashers always drain for a few minutes at the start before filling with water.)
• Cycle won’t finish.