The short answer
Standing water in a Big Chill BC dishwasher at the end of a cycle is usually a blockage rather than a failed pump, and it is usually in the two places you can reach: the filter and sump inside, and the drain hose route under the sink. On this family the filter leads. A small amount of water always sitting in the sump, by contrast, is normal and is not what this page is about. The BC key covers more than one build, and for this fault the difference shows in whether your unit has an air gap cap on the worktop.
What the owner actually sees
- Water standing in the tub at the end of the cycle — Enough to scoop rather than a film in the sump recess.
- Gurgling from the sink during the drain — Air fighting its way past a restriction, usually in the hose route or the air gap.
- Stale water odour on opening — Water that is not leaving is water that is standing, and standing water in a warm tub smells.
- NEAR MISS — a film of water always in the sump recess — Judge by what covers the tub floor, not by the recess.
Causes, ranked for the BC build
- The filter and sump are blocked — It leads on filter builds, because everything the machine washes off has to pass this point and nothing tells you when it stops passing. Lifting the filter out takes seconds and settles the question.
- The drain hose is kinked, blocked or has lost its high loop — It ranks high because it is common, invisible and free to fix. Look for the flat spot where something has been pressing on it.
- The check valve or the drain path inside the machine — It is ranked by pattern rather than by frequency. Clean water back in the tub hours after a cycle is the signature.
- The drain pump is jammed or has failed — Last, because every cause above it is reachable without tools and this one is not. A hum with no drain, after the filter and hose are clear, is what is left.
The order that finds it fastest
- Scoop the water out and look at the sump — Use a jug and a cloth, and watch for glass.
- Lift the filter and check underneath — This is the commonest single cause on filter builds and the fastest to clear.
- Check the hose route, loop and any kinks — Look for a flat spot, a bin pressed against it, or a loop that has dropped since the last time anything was moved under there.
- Inspect where the hose joins the waste — A knockout plug left in place is the reason a new machine has never drained once.
Power off first
Safety
Power off at the breaker before any panel is removed — unplug it where the plug is reachable, because a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Never wedge or defeat the door latch to watch a cycle run. Water on the floor and a mains-powered appliance are a bad pairing: dry the area before you work, and stop if the machine has been standing in water.
Where the owner job ends
Call when the filter, the hose route and the waste connection are all clear and the tub still holds water — that leaves the pump and the parts under the tub. Call sooner if you can hear the pump hum without moving water, or if there is glass in the sump: a fragment in the impeller is a common cause and a bad thing to fish for by hand.
Other faults covered for the BC models
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
