What this usually is
When a Criterion dishwasher stops draining, check the waste connection as well as the machine. A new waste fitting with its blanking plug still in place is a classic, and so is a sink blockage that backs water into the appliance. Where a cause needs test gear to confirm, the page says so rather than pretending otherwise.
What the owner sees
- Water standing above the filter at the end of a cycle — The machine could not empty, which stops the next cycle starting properly too.
- A buzz from the base with no water moving — The drain pump is energised and obstructed, which is a blockage rather than a failure. Note the result even if it is negative, because a ruled-out cause is progress.
- Water backing up into the sink when the machine drains — The blockage is in the household waste rather than in the appliance. Keep an eye on whether it is getting worse, because the rate of change is itself evidence.
- NEAR MISS: the machine drains but dishes are dirty — That is a cleaning-performance fault and it has its own page. It is the sort of check a technician does first, for the same reason.
Where the odds sit
- A blocked filter or sump — First because it catches everything and because it is the part that most owners have never removed. The rank is a starting point, not a verdict; what you observe outranks it.
- A blocked or kinked drain hose — Second because the hose is squeezed when the machine is pushed into its housing, and grease narrows it from the inside. It is a symptom rather than a cause, so do not fix what you can see until you know why it is there.
- An obstructed drain pump impeller — Glass fragments and fruit stones get past the filter and jam the impeller, which then buzzes rather than pumps. This is the cause people skip, and skipping it is why the diagnosis takes three visits.
- A failed drain pump — Last, because a truly failed pump is silent, and everything above it is far more common. Check whether anything changed in the house around the time it started.
Where to start, and why there
- Listen at the machine during the drain phase — A buzz means power reaches the pump and something is stopping it: blocked rather than failed. Do it with the machine in its normal state rather than after you have already changed something.
- Remove the filter and check the sump — Look for debris and for water level: the contents usually explain the fault outright. Nothing below this line is worth chasing until this one is ruled out.
- Run the tap and watch the sink drain — A slow sink means a household blockage rather than an appliance fault. If you can only do one check, make it this one.
The checks worth doing
- Bail out the standing water — Use a jug and a sponge to get the tub down to the sump so you can work on the filter. Leave the machine a few minutes afterwards before you decide it has not helped.
Tools: jug, spongeAbout 20 min
- Remove, wash and refit the filter — Rinse both parts under a hot tap with a brush, then make sure the filter locks back into place properly. It takes less time than reading about it.
Tools: brushAbout 20 min
- Clear the sink waste and run the machine on a rinse — A plunger and hot water on the sink deals with the household side; a rinse programme confirms the fix. Have a towel to hand before you start.
Tools: plungerAbout 30 min
- Stop here if the next step would put a meter on live terminals — Everything beyond here belongs to somebody with a meter and the habit of using it properly.
Power, water and hands
Safety
Power off first. Everything else on this page assumes you have done it. Control boards can stay live briefly after the lights go out. Close the water supply at the stop valve as well as the power, because water is the other energy source here. The machine is designed to stop when it is open, and it is meant to stay that way.
When to stop and call
Here is the split as a technician would put it. If you can reach it from the front or from under the sink, do it; if the machine has to come out, call somebody. Crossing it costs more than the visit would have. Call promptly if water has reached the floor more than once, since a leak that returns has usually found a path you cannot see.
Other pages at this level
What this page does not cover
This is the generalized page for a Criterion dishwasher, written across model years rather than for one.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
