Here are 4 common reasons why your dishwasher is full of water.
Here are 4 common reasons why the dishwasher isn’t draining in your Dallas-Fort Worth home.There’s nothing quite as frustrating as opening up your dishwasher expecting a clean load of dishes only to find a dishwasher full of dirty water. Sometimes, the reason behind your dishwasher not draining is pretty simple. Other times, you may need to call in the team at Total Plumbing in Dallas-Fort Worth to fix your clogged dishwasher.
But, in the meantime, here are 4 reasons why your dishwasher might not be draining, the best ways to clean, and some troubleshoots that might just solve your dishwasher problem. Go through our checklist to find out what’s up with your dishwasher drain.
Reminder: unplug your dishwasher before you start messing with anything electrical (and keep anything you’re unsure of to the professionals!).
- You need to run your disposal or clear your sink drain
The first step when your dishwasher isn’t draining all the way? Check your garbage disposal. If your disposal is clogged up, your dishwasher won’t completely drain after the cycle. You’ll also want to check your sink drain for a clog. You can reach in there with your hands (be careful!) and see if it’s something you can gently pull out, or you can try pouring hot water down the drain to clear a clog. Seeing if you have a clogged drain or something in the disposal is the easiest fix and the first thing to check.
- Something’s wrong with your drain hose
Next up, it’s time to check your drain hose. First off, look under your sink and make sure that your drain hose is still actually connected. If the drain hose has come loose from your sink or disposal, that might just be the issue. You’ll also want to verify that the drain hose is clear of kinks. Sometimes things get shoved into that area under the sink (we’ve all been there), and you may have accidentally put a wrinkle in your hose.
You should also disconnect the hose from its pump and check the hose for clogs or outstanding issues. If the clog is easy to reach from either side of the hose, you’ll be able to pull it out. If the clog is too deep in the hose, it’s time to bring in a plumber or replace the hose. Most importantly, don’t stick anything down your drain hose to remove a clog. You might puncture it, which could leave you with an ugly leak and even more problems.
While you’re down there, take stock of all of the parts of the drain hose. If anything looks worn out, it’ll need to be replaced by your plumber.
- You need to clear your drain filter
The next step to troubleshooting your non-draining dishwasher? Checking out your dishwasher’s drain filter. These get pretty dirty, and it’s important to clean them out regularly. Check out your owner’s manual for the location of your filter — you’ll usually find your dishwasher filter in the bottom of the appliance — and remove the cover to check out the filter and food trap.
If you’re noticing a large amount of food particles in your dishwasher, try scrubbing your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Make sure that your dishwasher basin is clear of any food debris as well. If the water at the bottom of your dishwasher is full of food, it’s a good sign that your dishwasher filter is the issue. You might find a nice amount of old food in the dishwasher filter (ew!) that needs to be cleared out. Do this regularly with a metal brush and hot water to ensure that your dishwasher is running optimally, draining aside.
- It’s time to call a plumber
Since dishwashers are big electrical kitchen appliances, there’s often a number of things that can be wrong at one time. If you’re not noticing any clogs or visible issues with your dishwasher that are keeping it from draining, there can be an issue with anything from your dishwasher’s motherboard to a faulty pump. While we certainly understand the value in fixing things yourself, sometimes at-home handiwork can lead to an expensive bill. By calling Total Plumbing at Dallas-Fort Worth, will fix your clogged dishwasher the right way.
At Total Plumbing, we have a team of service technicians who are experienced when it comes to fixing your clogged dishwasher. If you’re in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, we’re happy to help you out when it comes to your dishwasher not draining or any other plumbing needs you may have. Give us a call today!
