The short answer
Standing water left in the bottom of the FITW line at the end of a cycle is nearly always a blockage rather than a dead pump. The filter, the pump impeller and the drain path to the sink account for most of it, and all three are reachable without tools. A pump that is genuinely electrically dead is the least common of the four causes, not the first. With a single model under this name, the ranking below is the ranking for your machine rather than an average over a range.
What you observe on these models
- A gurgle at the sink each time the machine drains — The waste connection is restricted or the air gap is partly blocked, so the drain is fighting back.
- Dirty water appears in the tub between cycles — Waste water siphoning back down the hose, which is a hose-routing or check-valve fault rather than a pump fault.
- A rattle or a grinding note during the drain phase — Something hard in the impeller — glass, a fruit stone, a label — which stops the pump moving water long before it stops the motor turning.
- Drain works after the filter is cleaned, then fails again in a week — The filter is catching what a partly blocked sump is failing to pass; cleaning treats the symptom each time.
- NEAR MISS — the tub is empty but dishes are wet — That is a drying complaint, not a drainage one, and it belongs on a different page.
Causes, most likely first on the FITW line
- Blocked filter and sump screen — First, and the cheapest to rule out. The filter is the one part of the drain path designed to catch things, so it is the first thing to fill; on a machine used daily it can choke in weeks rather than years.
- Drain pump impeller jammed — Next most likely on these models. A jammed impeller gives the classic signature — the machine hums for the full drain period and the water level never falls.
- Blocked air gap or a capped disposer inlet — Third — worth checking once the two above are clean. This is the cause that gets missed because it is not on the appliance at all.
Check in this order, and why
- Take the filter out and look at the sump under it — Twist it free, rinse it, and put a hand into the well beneath — most of what blocks a drain is sitting there and comes out with a finger.
- Reach the impeller through the sump opening — With the power off, turn the impeller by hand. It should spin freely. A hard stop is an object, and the object is usually visible once the light is right.
- Open the air gap at the sink, or check the disposer inlet — Lift the cover and clear the chamber. If a disposer was fitted recently, confirm the knockout plug in its inlet was actually removed.
Before you open anything
Safety
Switch the machine off at its breaker before a panel comes off or a hand goes into the sump — a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Shut the supply valve under the sink before disturbing a fitting, and never wedge the door interlock to watch a wash run.
Models in the FITW family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| FITW01 | b-flasche:dishwasher:fitw |
When to call a technician
If the filter is clean, the impeller turns freely and the hose is clear, the next step is electrical testing of the pump and its circuit, and that is a service call on the FITW line. Call straight away if water is backing up into the sink as well as standing in the machine — that is a house drain problem and it will not be cured by anything done to the appliance.
Other problems covered for this family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
