The short answer
On the ADFS dishwasher this symptom is usually the filter, because it is the part that collects everything the machine washes off and the part almost nobody is told to clean. The ADFS family is a single model number, so the parts list behind every check below is unambiguous.
What you observe
- Standing water in the bottom of the tub at the end of a cycle — The defining symptom, and the depth of it matters less than whether it moves at all.
- A hum at the drain step with no water moving — The pump is being asked and cannot deliver, which points at a jam.
- Complete silence at the drain step — Nothing is being asked, which points at the pump circuit or the control.
- Water appearing in the tub hours after the cycle finished — Water returning rather than never leaving, which is a valve or a routing fault.
- NEAR MISS — the tub drains but the dishes come out dirty — Clean drainage with poor washing is a different fault and belongs on the cleaning-performance page.
Causes, most likely first on the ADFS family
- Filter and food trap blocked — First on this family. It is first because it is free, it is reversible, and it resolves more drainage complaints than every other cause on this list combined.
- Disposal knockout plug never removed — Second on these models. This is the fault that appears the day a new machine or a new disposer is fitted, and it produces a tub that fills and never empties.
- Drain pump failed, jammed or obstructed — Third. A pump that has failed electrically is silent instead, and the difference between those two sounds is most of the diagnosis.
- Check valve stuck, letting water return to the tub — Last of the four, and the one to reach for only when the others are clean. A valve held open by debris lets the drained water come straight back, so the tub is empty during the cycle and full afterwards.
- Body: A brand-generic article on this symptom starts with the filter and food trap, and so does this one. What changes below it is the order: the disposal knockout plug never moves up on these models, because a single-model family leaves nothing to average across, so the ranking can follow what this one platform actually does.
Check in this order, and why
- Twist out the filter assembly at the bottom of the tub and rinse it — A filter that comes out heavy and coated has already explained the fault; refit it properly and run a cycle.
- Check whether the machine has ever drained properly since it or the disposer was installed — A machine that has never drained since installation is a plumbing omission rather than an appliance fault.
- Listen at the end of the cycle for the drain pump running — A hum with no water movement is a jam; complete silence points at the pump circuit or the control.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel or reaching into the sump — a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Assume there is broken glass in the sump of any machine with a drainage fault and use a cloth rather than bare fingers.
Models in the ADFS family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| ADFS2524R** | amana:dishwasher:adfs |
When to call a technician
Call once the filter, the sump, the hose routing and the air gap are all clear and the tub still holds water. Call rather than dismantle if the pump hums and will not clear, because the impeller is easy to damage from the wrong side.
Other faults covered for the ADFS family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
