The short answer
A Black+Decker countertop dishwasher that will not drain is usually defeated by its own drain hose — too high, kinked or lying in sink water — rather than by a failed pump. Check the hose route first; it costs nothing. A blocked filter comes next, and both are resolved without opening the machine.
What you observe
- Water left in the tub at the end of a cycle — The drain step did not complete.
- The pump runs but nothing leaves the hose — It is working against a lift or a blockage it cannot manage.
- Water draining very slowly — A partial restriction rather than a complete block.
- NEAR MISS — water leaving during the wash — That is a siphon caused by a hose set too low, not a drainage failure.
Causes, most likely first on this brand
- A drain hose above the pump's lift — First, because the hose is positioned by hand every time. Hooked over a high sink edge or a worktop, it asks a small pump for more lift than it has.
- A kinked or trapped hose — Second: the hose is soft and gets pinched behind the machine when it is pushed back against a wall or a splashback.
- A clogged filter or a blocked pump inlet — Third. The filter is small and fills fast on a countertop machine, and debris that passes it reaches the pump.
- A failed pump or control — Last, and genuinely uncommon. A pump that is silent during the drain step is the case that belongs to a technician, or to a replacement decision.
Check in this order, and why
- Follow the hose from the machine to the sink — A kink or a high loop is visible immediately and is the likeliest cause.
- Listen during the drain step — A humming pump is blocked; a silent one is not running.
- Lift the filter and check the sump — The next most productive check and it needs no tools.
- Only then treat it as a pump fault — On a countertop machine, weigh the repair against replacement.
What an owner can safely check
- Lower the hose end into a bowl on the worktop — If water flows, the lift or the route was the whole problem.
Tools: bowlAbout 10 min
- Straighten the hose and pull the machine forward — Remove every tight bend, especially behind the machine.
About 10 min
- Bail the tub and clean the filter — Rinse the filter and clear the sump well.
Tools: jug, sponge, warm waterAbout 20 min
- Keep the hose end above the water level in the sink — This also prevents siphoning during the wash.
About 10 min
- STOP HERE if the pump is silent during the drain step — Pump and control work on a countertop machine is a service call.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the machine before opening the filter or reaching into the sump — a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off, and the element in the base stays hot after a cycle. Expect water, and keep the mains lead and the outlet clear of the surface you are about to wet. Never run the machine with the drain hose lying inside standing water.
When to call a technician
Call, or consider replacement, when the hose is low and straight, the filter is clean, and the pump is still silent or moves no water. On a countertop machine the pump is a substantial part of the appliance's value, so ask the price of the repair before agreeing to it. A burning smell during the drain step means stop immediately.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page describes Black+Decker countertop dishwashers as a class rather than one model. Deliberately absent here: pump lift figures, hose dimensions, filter part identifiers and tank capacities, which differ by family and belong on the family or model page.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
