The short answer
A countertop dishwasher drains through a hose hooked over the rim of a sink, with a small pump and a lot of gravity doing the work. That means the position of that hose is not a detail, it is the first and most likely cause. Check where the hose runs and where its end sits before you look at anything inside the machine.
What you are seeing
- Water stands in the tub at the end of the cycle — Note: A restriction or a lift the pump cannot manage. Start with the hose position.
- It drains and then water comes back into the tub — Note: The hose end is sitting in standing sink water and the machine is siphoning it back.
- The hose slipped out of the sink during the cycle — Note: That is both the drainage complaint and, usually, a puddle on the floor.
- It drains slowly and noisily — Note: Something solid is against the drain impeller, or the hose is partly kinked behind the machine.
- A little water always sits under the sump screen — Note: Normal on most machines of this class. A pool covering the tub floor is not.
- It has never drained since the machine was moved — Note: The hose was almost certainly kinked when the machine was pushed back into place.
Ranked causes on this brand
- Drain hose position at the sink: too high a lift, or an end in standing water — Why this rank: First because this machine relies on a low-lift pump and gravity, so the height the hose has to climb and where it discharges decide whether draining works at all.
- Drain hose kinked behind the machine — Why this rank: Second because a countertop appliance gets pushed back against the wall after every use or every clean, and the hose is exactly what gets folded when it does.
- Sump screen clogged — Why this rank: Third: the screen is small because the tub is small, so it fills faster than the equivalent filter on a full-size machine and gets cleaned less often.
- Drain impeller obstructed by glass, a stone or a label — Why this rank: Fourth because anything hard that gets past a small screen reaches the pump directly, and it usually announces itself with a grinding noise first.
- Standing water in the sink itself — Why this rank: Fifth because it is not a fault in the appliance at all: a blocked or full sink gives the machine nowhere to discharge and can siphon water straight back.
- Drain pump failure — Why this rank: Last because everything above it is more common and free to check, and because on a licensed badge a pump is a replacement-machine question rather than a parts order.
What to check, in order
- Look at where the drain hose runs and where its end sits — Why: Height and discharge point are the top cause, and this observation costs nothing.
- Check the sink is empty and draining freely — Why: A full sink gives the machine nowhere to put its water and will siphon it back.
- Pull the machine forward and follow the hose along its whole length — Why: A kink from the last time the machine was pushed back is the second cause and it is invisible from the front.
- Unplug the machine and lift out the sump screen — Why: Everything worth checking inside the machine is under it.
- Ask when the problem started and whether the machine had been moved or cleaned just before — Why: That question finds the kink and the badly refitted screen at once.
Checks you can do safely
- Hook the drain hose over the sink rim so its end sits well above any water and cannot slip, and secure it with the clip if the machine came with one. — Tools: none — Time: five minutes
- Empty the sink and confirm it drains freely before running a test cycle. — Tools: none — Time: five minutes
- Pull the machine forward and run a hand along the whole drain hose, straightening any kink or crushed section. — Tools: none — Time: ten minutes
- Unplug the machine, bail the standing water out of the tub with a jug and a sponge until the sump is visible. — Tools: jug, sponge, towels — Time: twenty minutes
- Lift out the sump screen, wash it under a hot tap with a soft brush until light passes evenly through it, and clear the sump with a torch and a plastic scoop. — Tools: soft brush, torch, plastic scoop — Time: a quarter of an hour
- Refit the screen fully, run the shortest program and watch the drain step from beginning to end with the hose in view. — Tools: none — Time: one short cycle
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the machine before reaching into the sump and assume there may be broken glass under the screen: use a torch and a plastic scoop, never a bare hand swept around blindly. Let standing water cool before bailing it, because a machine that has heated holds water hot enough to scald. Never move the machine with water in the tub: it is heavy, it is at counter height, and the water will come out over the door. Keep the cord and outlet clear of any path water can take from the sink. Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. — Id: unplug-before-service
Where the service line falls
The hose is positioned properly and unkinked, the sink drains, the screen is clean and the sump is clear, and the tub still holds water. The drain pump makes no sound at all during the drain step, which points at the pump rather than at a restriction. The pump grinds and drains slowly after the sump has been cleared, which suggests an impeller damaged by something that has since flushed away. Water returns into the tub between cycles with the hose end clear of any standing water. A pump is implicated, because on a licensed badge there is no open parts catalogue and the practical comparison is against the cost of a replacement machine.
Nearest pages
What this page does not cover
This page is generalized across every countertop dishwasher sold under this badge and describes the sink-drain arrangement common to that class. It does not cover a specific model family, and it does not cover built-in machines plumbed to a waste trap or a disposal, whose drainage faults involve components this machine does not have. The rating plate on the back of the machine, not the badge on the front, names the actual manufacturer and importer; that plate is what a seller support desk will ask for, and under a licensed name it is the only reliable way to tell one production run from another.
Links down: - [Farberware Dishwasher: Odor or Mold](/blog/farberware-dishwasher-smell-mold) - [Farberware Dishwasher: Abnormal Noise or Vibration](/blog/farberware-dishwasher-abnormal-noise)
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
