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Originally Posted On: Common Reasons Why Your Dishwasher Isn’t Draining Properly – Plumber Salt Lake City | Beehive Plumbing SLC

Your dishwasher is likely one of your most commonly used plumbing appliances, so here are some common reasons why it may be malfunctioning!

We all utilize our dishwashers on almost a daily basis, which makes it one of our most important residential plumbing appliances. One of the most frustrating types of dishwasher malfunctioning is when you’re experiencing draining issues, and we’ve all experienced that ubiquitous scenario in which you open up your dishwasher only to see a large puddle of water at the bottom.

And what’s worse is that many Northern Utah homes and businesses will experience this type of puddle on their floors! There’s no doubt about it that dishwasher malfunctioning is very common, and it just so happens to be rather difficult to diagnose.

That’s why the Master Plumbers at Beehive Plumbing are here to provide you with some diagnosis tips, because our specialists will surely try to repair your dishwasher before suggesting a replacement. The truth is that dishwasher draining malfunctioning can mean that there are several potential issues happening, so here are some of the most common reasons why your dishwasher isn’t draining properly:

1. Your Dishwasher Possibly Just Didn’t Finish Its Cleaning Cycle

It’s always possible that someone within your household opened the dishwasher during the cleaning cycle and disrupted the process, or that a cancel button was inadvertently pressed prior to dishwasher completing its cycle.

Incomplete cleaning cycles will many times lead to a pool of standing water at the bottom of your dishwasher, so it’s possible that you only need to run the appliance again and see if the draining issue fixes itself.

2. You Could Be Using The Wrong Type Of Detergent

This may seem like a silly mistake, but it certainly does happen a lot more than people would assume. If you’re rushing yourself to clean your kitchen and get your dishes done, then it’s likely that certain details may slip your attention.

Dish soap will always create excessive suds, which can potentially fill up your dishwasher and cause draining issues. The best way to fix this type of dishwasher issue is to clean out all of the suds and then run your dishwasher cleaning cycle again with the correct detergent.

3. You Have A Blocked Drain Basket

When you notice a standing pool of water at the bottom of your dishwasher, you should do your best to remove the water by either scooping it out with a measuring up or bowl, or you could consider soaking it up with a set of towels. Once you’ve done this, it’s then really important to thoroughly inspect the bottom of your dishwasher for any potential blockages.

It’s possible that you may need to locate your dishwasher’s drain basket and then unscrew it. What you’ll then do is take a close look at the screen that rests underneath your drain basket. It’s very common for food scraps, small utensils, cups and other dishwasher debris to get stuck in this overlooked part of your dishwasher.

Blockages in your drain basket can certainly cause draining malfunctioning, but cleaning it out and then running your dishwasher again will likely fix this problem.

4. You Have A Kinked Drain Hose

Your dishwasher’s drain hose is the plastic hose that runs from your sink to your dishwasher, and a kink within this hose can very likely create draining issues. If it’s possible to unkink the drain hose then you should do so, but otherwise you may need a replacement due to wear and tear or other types of damage.

It’s also a good idea to thoroughly examine your drain hose for any excess gunk or clogs.

5. Clogged Garbage Disposal

A lot of homeowners don’t realize this, but the hose within your dishwasher will end up emptying into your sink’s garbage disposal. So this means that if your garbage disposal is filled up with any kind of debris, it can lead to drainage issues and potential backups within your dishwasher.

Although you may only need to simply run your garbage disposal to properly clear out the excess food or gunk, it’s also likely that you may need a sink plumbing repair to remediate this plumbing issue.

6. Air Gap Clog

If your sink doesn’t have a garbage disposal, then the drain hose connected to your dishwasher will be connected to what’s called an air gap. An air gap is a really small metal cylinder that’s really close to your sink faucet, and it helps prevent air locks by venting the dishwasher hose.

However, there are plenty of scenarios in which your air gap gets clogged with all sorts of debris and gunk. This will mean that you’ll need to remove the air gap and thoroughly clean it out to restore the proper draining of your dishwasher.

Reach Out To The Master Plumbers At Beehive Plumbing To Learn More About How We Can Support You With Dishwasher Repairs

Beehive Plumbing has helped many homes and businesses throughout Northern Utah with all sorts of dishwasher repairs, and we’ll be more than happy to answer your questions and get one of our specialists out to your property as quickly as possible.

Get in touch with us online or call us at 801-661-8155 to speak directly with a plumbing specialist that will support you with your dishwasher issues.