The short answer for this line
An ADB dishwasher that will not empty is worth diagnosing by ear before anything is opened. A machine that drained for years and stopped after a kitchen change is telling you about the plumbing, not the pump, and the ranking below follows from that. The first check on this line is the simplest one - look at how the drain hose is routed - and the cause at the bottom of the list is the only one that is not owner work.
What this looks like on these models
- It empties partly and then stops — A partial drain points at a restriction or a valve rather than at a dead pump.
- Dirty water appears between cycles — Waste is returning to the machine, which is a routing or a non-return question.
- A stale smell between uses — Water that never fully leaves the sump goes stale, and the smell usually precedes the complaint.
- NEAR MISS - the cycle never runs at all — Nothing can drain if nothing started. The will-not-start page is the right one when the machine never fills.
Causes in likelihood order on this platform
- The drain hose routed without a high loop — First here, and by a wide margin: this is the cause that arrives with a new installation or after a kitchen change, and it explains a machine that drained perfectly for years in another house.
- A waste disposer connection that was never opened — Second on this line: where the drain hose connects to a waste disposer, the knockout plug in that connection has to be removed. If it was left in, the machine cannot drain at all from the day it was fitted.
- A blocked filter and sump — Third: everything that comes off the dishes ends up in the sump, and the filter is what stops it reaching the pump. A matted filter and a sump full of debris leave water standing at the end of every cycle.
- A failed drain pump or control — Last on the list, and the only one here that is not owner work: if the pump never runs at all and the machine moves on to the next step anyway, either the pump or the control that commands it has failed. This is the last cause on the list and the only one that is a part rather than a blockage.
Check in this order, and why
- Look at how the drain hose is routed — Check the hose is not crushed behind the machine or trapped by a foot or a drawer runner.
- Check the waste connection itself — Run the disposer with the tap on before the next cycle. A machine that then drains was being blocked downstream of itself.
- Clear the filter and the sump by hand — Bail out the standing water first with a cup and a cloth, so you can see what is actually in the sump.
Safety first
Safety
Isolate the machine at the breaker before any panel comes off, because a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Bail the water out before you start rather than working with a hand under standing water.
Models in the ADB family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| ADB1100AW**-02 | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1300AF** | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1300AF**-05 | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1300AF**-06 | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1300AF**-07 | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1300AF**-08 | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1300AF**-09 | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1300AF**-10 | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1300AF**-11 | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1300AF**-12 | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1300AF**-13 | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1300AF**-14 | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1400AG** | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1400AM** | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1400AM**-01 | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1400AM**-02 | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1400AM**-03 | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1500AD** | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1500AD**-01 | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1500AD**-02 | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1500AD**-03 | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1500AD**-04 | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1500AD**-05 | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1500AD**-06 | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1500AM** | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1700AD** | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1700AD**-02 | amana:dishwasher:adb |
| ADB1700AD**-03 | amana:dishwasher:adb |
The line between a fix and a call
Owner work ends where the panels start. Clearing the sump, the air gap and the waste connection is yours; a pump that hums with a clear inlet, or that never runs at all, is a technician job.
The rest of this line
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
