The answer first
On the DW line standing water is a filter question first, because this platform stacks the filter directly over the pump inlet and a single obstruction stops both. On the models listed in the table on this page the whole column lifts out by hand, so the most likely cause is also the easiest one to clear.
What this looks like in the kitchen
- The drain hose is warm and hard during the pump-out — Pressure with no flow — the blockage is downstream of the pump.
- Water drains very slowly rather than not at all — Slow drainage becomes no drainage; it is the same cause at an earlier stage. That holds for every model the table on this page lists.
- A smell of stale water from the tub — Water that has been standing for days goes stale, and the smell usually arrives before anyone notices the water.
- Dirty water is redeposited on the load — Poor cleaning and poor drainage arrive together when the sump never empties.
- Water is standing in the sump when the cycle ends — Enough to cover the filter plate, and it does not fall away when the door is opened.
- NEAR MISS — the tub is dry and the load is dirty — That is a fill or a wash fault, not a drainage fault.
- NEAR MISS — a small pool in the sump recess — A cupful in the well is normal. Water over the filter plate is not.
The causes, ranked
- A kinked or trapped drain hose — First — and it is not close. The hose leaves the cabinet high and turns immediately, so pushing the machine into a tight housing pinches it. What separates the DW line here is the order, not the parts.
- A failed drain pump — Second. Genuinely possible, and genuinely last: every cheaper cause imitates it.
- A control fault at the pump output — Third. Rare. It presents as a silent pump with a known-good pump fitted and needs a meter to confirm. On the models listed in the table on this page this is the check that decides the job.
- A check valve stuck in the pump outlet — Less common than the three above. A sticking non-return valve produces both a slow drain and a refilling sump.
- A drain hose without a high loop — Rarer again. A hose that runs flat or downhill lets waste water siphon back into the tub between cycles.
Check in this order, and why
- Check the disposer for an unremoved knockout plug — A newly fitted disposer with its dishwasher inlet still blanked stops the machine dead.
- Bail the standing water out first — A jug and a sponge. Nothing below can be seen or reached until the sump is empty. The DW line behaves the same way here from one model to the next.
- Lift the filter stack and inspect it — Take the column out and look at each part before washing anything.
- Run the sink and watch the waste — Test the household waste first — it is free.
Read this before you start
Safety
Switch the circuit off first, then the tap. Work dry and work cold, and keep towels under the front edge — the sump holds more than it looks and the floor takes all of it.
Models in the DW family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| DW11UBT32D129 | bertazzoni:dishwasher:dw |
| DW18PR | bertazzoni:dishwasher:dw |
| DW18S2IPV | bertazzoni:dishwasher:dw |
| DW18S2IXV | bertazzoni:dishwasher:dw |
| DW24PR | bertazzoni:dishwasher:dw |
| DW24S2IPB | bertazzoni:dishwasher:dw |
| DW24S3IPV | bertazzoni:dishwasher:dw |
| DW24T2IPB | bertazzoni:dishwasher:dw |
| DW24T2IXB | bertazzoni:dishwasher:dw |
| DW24T31PT/26 | bertazzoni:dishwasher:dw |
| DW24T31XT/26 | bertazzoni:dishwasher:dw |
| DW24T3IPT | bertazzoni:dishwasher:dw |
| DW24T3IPT/26 | bertazzoni:dishwasher:dw |
| DW24T3IPV | bertazzoni:dishwasher:dw |
| DW24T3IXT | bertazzoni:dishwasher:dw |
| DW24T3IXT/26 | bertazzoni:dishwasher:dw |
| DW24T3IXV | bertazzoni:dishwasher:dw |
| DW24XT | bertazzoni:dishwasher:dw |
| DW24XV | bertazzoni:dishwasher:dw |
| DW60BI/24 | bertazzoni:dishwasher:dw |
When this becomes a service call
The owner line is the filter aperture and the plumbing behind the machine. Everything reachable from the tub is yours; the pump body and its wiring are not.
Nearest pages of this class
SC
Sarah Chen
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
EPA 608 UniversalNASTeC Certified
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
