The short answer
A compact dishwasher that leaves water in the base usually comes down to one thing: the drain hose is hooked over the sink wrongly. Next on the list: the filter and sump are blocked. The first check needs a sponge and a cup and nothing else, and it resolves most of these.
What you observe
- Water standing in the base at the end of the cycle — The cycle ran; the water never left.
- The problem comes and goes between uses — Something that is set up fresh each time behaves inconsistently.
- Water standing in the base at the end of the cycle — The cycle ran; the water never left.
- Dirty water appears in the base between cycles — That is water coming back, not water failing to leave.
- NEAR MISS — a little clean water in the sump between cycles — A small amount there is normal and keeps the seals from drying out.
Causes, most likely first on this machine
- The drain hose is hooked over the sink wrongly — First on a machine that drains to a sink rather than to a waste pipe.
- The filter and sump are blocked — Ranked here because it is the commonest drainage fault on any dishwasher and the only one an owner can fully clear.
- The drain hose is kinked or has lost its high loop — Ranked here because it is free to check and it dates from the last time the machine or the cabinet was disturbed.
- Something is jammed in the drain pump — Last of the pump causes, and it is why the filter has to be seated properly every time.
Check in this order, and why
- Watch where the hose sits while the machine drains — On this machine the hookup is the part that changes.
- Lift out the filter stack and clear the sump beneath it — Everything the dishes carry ends up here.
- Follow the drain hose and check it rises before it falls — Without a high loop the machine siphons or backfills.
- Listen for a hum at drain time with no water moving — A hum means the pump is trying; silence means it is not.
What an owner can safely check
- Switch the machine off and bail the base out — A sponge and a cup will empty a sump in a few minutes and let you see it.
Tools: sponge, cupAbout 20 min
- Reseat the drain hose clear of standing water and secure it — Keep it below the lift the pump is rated for.
Tools: bucketAbout 20 min
- Remove the filter, bail the sump and clear any debris — A sponge and a cup get the last of it out.
Tools: sponge, cupAbout 25 min
- STOP HERE before removing the pump or its housing — That means the machine out of its cabinet with the power and water off.
Before you open anything
Safety
Switch the machine off at its spur or breaker before removing any panel, and close the isolating valve before touching a hose. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. A countertop or slimline machine is light enough to move and heavy enough to hurt when it is full of water. Drain it before moving it, and keep the faucet adapter clear of a live outlet.
When to call a technician
Call once the filter and the sump are clear, the hose has its high loop, any air gap or disposer connection is open, and the water still will not leave. At that point the pump comes out. Call immediately if you smell burning from the base — a jammed pump motor can cook itself trying.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page is written for the brand and the machine class, not for one family or model line. Where a family- or model-specific page exists for your machine, that page is the more specific answer. Deliberately absent: place settings, adapter and hose part identifiers, cabinet dimensions and wiring colours, which differ between the countertop and slimline built-in families.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
