Dishwasher Not Draining: Filter, Drain Hose, and Drain Pump in Order

Standing water in the bottom of the tub after a cycle has finished is usually a clog, not a failed part. The drain path is short — filter, sump, pump, hose, and the connection under the sink — and most of it can be cleared by hand. Work through it in order before you buy a pump.

Before you open anything: switch off the dishwasher's circuit breaker (or unplug it under the sink, if it plugs in) and close the hot-water valve under the sink. The heating element and the water in the tub stay hot for a while after a cycle, and water sitting in the sump comes out when you open the pump or the drain hose.

Bail the standing water out with a cup and a sponge first. You cannot see the filter or the sump under it with the tub full.

1. Clean the filter

Most dishwashers made in the last fifteen years have a manual filter: a cylinder under the bottom spray arm that twists out, often with a flat mesh screen around it. Food, labels, seeds and broken glass collect there, and a packed filter lets water through so slowly that the cycle ends with the tub still full. Rinse it under the tap and scrub the mesh with a soft brush. If yours has not been cleaned in months, there is a good chance this is the whole repair.

2. Check the connection under the sink

• A new garbage disposal. The drain inlet on a new disposal is sealed with a knock-out plug. If the disposal was installed recently and the dishwasher has not drained since, the plug was never removed.
• The disposal itself. The dishwasher drains into the disposal on most kitchens. Run the disposal for a few seconds to clear what is sitting in it.
• The air gap. If there is a small chrome cap on the counter next to the faucet, that is an air gap. Pull the cap off and clear the debris inside; a clogged air gap often spills water onto the counter during the drain.

3. Check the drain hose

Pull the dishwasher out only if you can do so without straining the hoses. Look for a kink where the hose runs behind the unit, and for a hose crushed when the dishwasher was pushed back into the cabinet. The hose should rise in a high loop under the counter before it drops to the drain; without that loop, dirty sink water can siphon back into the tub.

4. Listen to the drain pump

This check runs with the power on, so it is look and listen only. Restore power, start a drain (on most models, cancel the cycle or press Start/Cancel and wait), and listen:

• A hum with no water moving — something is jammed in the pump impeller. On many models you can reach the pump inlet with the filter out; a shard of glass, a cherry pit or a bone is a common culprit. Switch the breaker off again before you reach in, then remove it with gloves or pliers, never bare fingers.
• Silence — the pump is not getting power or its motor has failed. A pump that stays silent with a clear inlet and a clear hose is the part.
• Normal pumping sound, water still stays — the blockage is downstream: the hose, the air gap or the drain under the sink.

When it is not the pump

If the pump runs and the drain path is clear but the dishwasher still stops mid-drain, look at the control and any error code the model displays — the tech sheet tucked behind the kick panel lists them. A control that never asks the pump to run looks exactly like a dead pump from the outside.

Before you order the part

Dishwasher parts are model-specific, and manufacturers revise them during a production run — the same brand and look can hide a different pump or valve. The model plate is your only reliable source. On most dishwashers it is on the edge of the inner door, at the top or along one side, visible with the door open. If you are not sure where to look, our model number guide shows each spot.

Ask before you install. Not sure it fits? Check your model number for free before you buy. Our fit check is optional; if it does not come back as a clear match, send us the full model number through Contact us before you order. Once a part has been installed we can only take it back if it arrived defective, we shipped the wrong item, or the listing was wrong on our end, and it has to come back in the condition it went out in. Checking first is faster than returning.