The short answer
On a countertop machine the drain depends on the hose running downhill into the sink. A hose that is too high, kinked or laid flat is the commonest cause by far, and the pump is rarely the problem.
What you actually see and hear
- Water left in the tub at the end of the cycle — It never had a downhill path, or the path was blocked.
- It drains slowly and stops before the tub is empty — The hose is at a marginal height or partly restricted.
- It drains well when the hose hangs into the sink and poorly otherwise — That is the diagnosis complete.
- The pump is audible but nothing moves — A blockage in the hose or the filter.
- NEAR MISS - a small amount always left in the sump — Normal on most machines, and deliberate.
Causes, most likely first on this machine
- Drain hose too high, kinked or lying flat — First and by a wide margin on this class. The machine has very little pumping head and the hose has to fall into the sink.
- Blocked filter or sump — Second. Small filters load quickly, and a loaded filter slows drainage before it stops it.
- Debris in the hose itself — Third. The hose is narrow and a label or a seed can lodge in it.
- The sink itself full or slow — Fourth. If the hose discharges into standing water it cannot empty.
- Drain pump — Last. It is a real part and it can fail, but it is outlived by the hose arrangement in front of it.
Check in this order, and why
- Look at where the hose ends and how it runs — Height, fall and kinks - that is most of the diagnosis on a countertop machine.
- Hold the hose end low in the sink and run a drain — If it empties, the routing was the fault.
- Pull the filter and clear the sump — Small filters block fast.
- Check the sink is empty and draining — The machine cannot discharge into standing water.
What an owner can safely check
- Hang the drain hose so it falls steadily into the sink — No loops, no flat runs, and the end below the water level in the tub.
About 10 min
- Bail out the standing water with a jug and a sponge — Do this before removing the filter.
Tools: jug, sponge, towelsAbout 10 min
- Remove and clean the filter and clear the sump — Weekly on a machine this size.
Tools: brush, warm waterAbout 15 min
- Flush the drain hose through with warm water — A narrow hose lodges debris that a filter would have caught on a bigger machine.
Tools: warm waterAbout 15 min
- Empty the sink and run a drain cycle — Standing water in the sink stops a gravity drain completely.
About 10 min
- STOP HERE before opening the pump housing — The pump is the least likely cause and the wettest place to work.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel - a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. A countertop dishwasher puts a live appliance and an open water tank on the same worktop, so keep the plug and the socket away from the fill opening and wipe spills immediately. Let a hot cycle cool before reaching into the tub, and never carry the machine with water still in the tank.
When to call a technician
Contact the supplier when the hose falls properly into an empty sink, the filter is clean, the hose is clear and the machine still holds water - that leaves the pump. On an appliance of this size and price, weigh a repair against a replacement before agreeing to anything. If the machine has never drained since it was unboxed, re-read the installation instructions on hose height before assuming a fault: that is the single most common setup error on countertop machines.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page is written for the countertop dishwasher class, not for one family or model line. Where a brand- or model-specific page exists for your unit it is the more specific answer and it is linked above, so go there first if your machine is named. What is deliberately not here: spray arm and pump part numbers, tank capacity figures, hose specifications and control diagnostics, all of which differ by family and belong on the page for that family.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
