The short answer
Standing water in Aviva ADBI at the end of a cycle is nearly always a restriction between the sump and the sink waste, and most of that path is reachable without moving the machine. A built-in machine was plumbed once at installation and has not been moved since, so the installation is as likely a suspect as the appliance. Start at the filter and work outward.
What you observe on these models
- Water standing in the bottom at the end of the cycle — Note how much: a small amount in the sump is normal on many machines, a covered filter is not.
- The machine hums during the drain step with nothing leaving — The pump is being asked to work and is obstructed, or it is pushing against a blocked hose.
- Dirty water appears after the cycle has finished — Waste returning from the sink drain, which points at the hose loop or a check valve rather than at the pump.
- It began right after a new disposal was fitted — The sealing plug in the disposal inlet is the classic cause, and it produces a total no-drain from the very first cycle.
- NEAR MISS — it drains but leaves the dishes dirty — That is a cleaning-performance page.
Causes, most likely first on ADBI
- The filter and the sump — Debris collects here by design and stops the drain when it is left. First check, no tools, and the usual answer. Ranked first on Aviva ADBI because a narrow cabinet packs the tub, the pump and the hose run close together, so a restriction in that path shows up in almost every other symptom as well.
- The drain hose and its high loop — A hose without a high loop lets the sink drain back into the machine; a crushed hose behind the cabinet stops the drain entirely.
- The disposal knockout plug — A dishwasher newly connected to a waste disposal that will not drain at all almost always has the sealing plug still in place inside the disposal inlet.
- The air gap at the sink — Where one is fitted, an air gap blocks with the same debris the filter catches, and water then appears at the sink rather than in the machine.
- The check valve — A valve held open by debris lets the drained water return, so the machine drains and then refills itself from the waste. Last on this list, and the item that every cause above it can imitate exactly.
Check in this order, and why that order
- Start at the filter — Lift the filter out of the sump and look at it before forming any theory at all. Scoop the standing water out first with a cup and a sponge so you can actually see what is down there.
- If the drain goes to a disposal, confirm the plug was removed — A no-drain from day one after a disposal was fitted is this until proven otherwise.
- Clean the air gap at the sink if one is fitted — It blocks with the same debris the filter catches, and it announces itself by spitting water at the sink.
- Listen for the drain pump — Silence at the drain step is different from a hum. One is supply or pump failure; the other is an obstruction.
Before you open anything
Safety
Switch off the machine at its breaker before removing the kick panel, and close the supply tap under the sink. Water and mains wiring share that bay, so nothing is touched with the circuit live. Scoop standing water out before reaching into the sump: broken glass in a dishwasher sump is common and it is invisible under water.
Models this page covers — the ADBI family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| ADBI245SS | aviva:dishwasher:adbi |
When to call a technician
Call when the filter and sump are clear, the hose has a proper high loop and is not crushed, the disposal plug is out, and the machine still will not drain. That points at the pump or the check valve, behind the kick panel. Call sooner if water is appearing on the floor as well as in the tub. One more thing that is specific to this family: the ADBI variant table on this page is the whole of what is covered here — a single model number and nothing else. If the plate on your machine is not one of them, the ranking above was not written for it.
Other problems covered for the ADBI family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
