The short answer
Drainage is the most owner-fixable dishwasher fault there is. On a compact or countertop machine with a small sump, a single pump and a short hose run, which fails differently from a built-in, food debris in the filter and a kinked or wrongly routed hose are far likelier than a failed pump.
What you are actually seeing
- Water stands in the bottom at the end of every cycle — The plain version of this fault. A small amount of water in the sump is normal on some machines; a covered filter is not.
- The machine drains slowly or partially — A partial restriction: filter, hose or trap.
- Dirty water appears at the start of a cycle — Siphoning back from the sink, which points at hose height or the waste connection.
- The pump runs and nothing leaves — A full blockage downstream, or an impeller jammed by glass or a seed.
- It never drained from the day it was installed — Check the disposer knockout plug and the hose routing before anything else.
- Not this fault: no water arrives at all — That is a fill problem, and the supply valve and inlet screen are where it starts.
Causes, most likely first on this machine
- A blocked filter and sump — First by a wide margin: food debris, labels off jars, seeds and glass collect exactly where the filter is designed to catch them.
- A kinked, flattened or wrongly routed drain hose — Second: it must rise to a high point before falling, and a hose lying flat or crushed behind the machine stops drainage entirely.
- The disposer knockout plug left in place — Third, and the single commonest new-installation fault: a machine plumbed to a disposer whose plug was never removed cannot drain at all.
- A blocked sink trap or air gap — Fourth: outside the machine, and usually visible as a sink that drains slowly at the same time.
- Something jamming the drain pump impeller — Fifth: glass fragments and fruit stones are the usual culprits, and they are often removable by hand with the power off.
- The drain pump or a check valve — Last: a genuine failure, much rarer than the blockages above it.
Check in this order, and why
- Switch off at the breaker and bail out the standing water — Everything below is easier and safer with the sump empty.
- Remove and clean the filter and the sump — The most productive step on the page, and it needs no tools on most machines.
- Check the drain hose for kinks and for its high point — A hose lying flat is a complete explanation on its own.
- If it drains to a disposer, confirm the knockout plug is out — Especially if the machine has never drained properly since installation.
- Test the sink trap with a poured bucket — A trap that will not take water was always the problem, and the machine was never at fault.
What an owner can safely check
- Isolate the machine and bail the sump — Breaker off. A cup and a sponge will clear what a hose cannot, and it makes the filter accessible.
Tools: cup, sponge, towelsAbout 20 min
- Remove, rinse and refit the filter — Warm soapy water and a brush. Check the sump underneath it for glass or labels before the filter goes back.
Tools: brush, glovesAbout 25 min
- Trace the drain hose — Look for a kink, a flattened section and the high point it needs. Support it properly rather than letting it lie along the floor.
Tools: torchAbout 25 min
- Pour a bucket of water into the sink to test the trap — Slow or refusing means the blockage is in the plumbing, not the machine.
Tools: bucketAbout 10 min
- Stop here if the pump or the sump housing must come out — That means the machine pulled out with its plumbing connected, beside live terminals.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before reaching into the sump or removing any panel — a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off, and this job puts your hand where water and wiring are close together. Expect broken glass in a sump: wear gloves and look before you reach. The water may still be hot. Do not pour drain chemicals into the machine — they attack seals and they stay in the sump where your hands will be.
When to call a technician
Call when the filter, the hose, the trap and the disposer connection are all clear and the water still stands, because what remains is the pump or a check valve inside the machine. Call sooner if the machine trips a breaker while pumping, if it grinds after the filter has been cleaned, or if water escapes onto the floor while it runs — that combination points at the sump or its seals rather than a blockage.
Sources
Documented- 29 CFR 1910.147 — The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout) — osha.gov, fetched 2026-09-12
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission — product safety and recall notices — cpsc.gov, fetched 2026-09-12
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page is about the appliance class under this nameplate rather than one family or model. Filter designs, hose heights, pump types and part numbers differ by platform and belong on the model-specific page linked below where one exists. Household drainage beyond the trap is a plumber's work and is not covered here.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
