The short answer
On a Frigidaire dishwasher, water left in the bottom at the end of a cycle usually comes down to no high loop in the drain hose rather than anything deeper in the machine: without a rise in the hose the sink drains straight back into the dishwasher, which looks exactly like a machine that will not empty. That keeps it an owner check first, not a service call. Start here: run a finger round the lower corners of the door gasket, because on this platform the seal shrinks back from the bottom corners first.
What you are seeing
- Standing water in the sump when the cycle finishes
- Water that reappears in the tub after the kitchen sink is used
- A hum at the drain step with nothing moving
- Not this fault: Clean water in the sump on a machine that has not run, which is a weeping fill valve
- Not this fault: A wet floor rather than a wet tub, which is a leak
- Body: Frigidaire builds this dishwasher as an Electrolux-built tall tub with a single-piece door gasket seated in a channel around the tub mouth, a filter-based sump and a compact drain pump. That architecture decides which of these you see first.
- Also check note: If these fit better, the fault is a different one.
Likely causes, in order
- No high loop in the drain hose — Why this rank: Without a high loop the Frigidaire drain hose siphons the sink back into the tub, which owners read as a machine that will not drain.
- A blocked filter stack — Why this rank: The filter stack blocks and the wash slows before the drain does.
- A jammed drain pump — Why this rank: The drain pump stalls on debris rather than burning out, so the machine hums at the drain step and gets nowhere.
- The disposer knockout plug still fitted — Why this rank: A newly installed disposer keeps a plug in its dishwasher inlet.
- A stuck drain check valve — Why this rank: The Frigidaire drain check valve sits in the pump outlet and sticks, letting the sink drain back into the tub.
- Body: Ranked for a Frigidaire dishwasher specifically.
What to check, in order
- Body: The order follows the ranking, and the ranking follows the platform. First: look under the sink for a hose that runs flat from the machine to the disposer. It goes first because without a high loop the Frigidaire drain hose siphons the sink back into the tub, which owners read as a machine that will not drain. Second: unthread the filter and hold the fine screen to a light. With the first check clean, this is what the Frigidaire platform makes next most likely. Third: clear the sump and look for a foreign object at the impeller. Only after those three is it worth reaching for the disposer knockout plug still fitted: it costs more to get at, and it does not explain the first three coming back clean.
Checks you can make
- Wipe the whole gasket dry, close the door on a strip of paper at each of the four corners and pull. A corner that grips loosely while the others hold is the section that has shrunk. — Tools: paper strip, cloth — Time: about ten minutes
- Bail the standing water out of the sump with a cup and a sponge until you can reach the filter, and note whether the water is clean or full of debris. — Tools: cup, sponge, bucket — Time: about fifteen minutes
- Look under the sink at the drain hose. A hose that runs straight from the machine to the disposer with no rise siphons the sink back into the tub every time it is used. — Tools: flashlight — Time: about ten minutes
- Take out the lower rack, unthread the filter assembly and lift out the fine screen behind it. Rinse both under a running tap until light passes evenly through the mesh, then refit and lock the cylinder. — Tools: none — Time: about ten minutes
- Body: Stop at the first step that would need a meter on live terminals or a sealed assembly opened.
Before you open anything
Safety
Switch the machine off at its breaker, or unplug it, before removing any panel. Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Work with the floor dry and stand on something dry. Water on the floor is part of the electrical hazard, not separate from it.
When to call
The line is not difficulty, it is what the next step costs and risks. Call when: the sump and pump are clear, the hose is unrestricted and the pump still does not move water the machine hums at the drain step with a clear impeller
Nearest pages
What this page omits
This is generalized information: it ranks causes for the Frigidaire dishwasher range as one platform, not for a single model. Where a page exists for your specific model it is the more specific one and takes precedence over this. The narrower pages below cover the other presentations of this symptom.
Entries: - [Frigidaire Dishwasher: Door, Latch or Seal Fault](/blog/frigidaire-dishwasher-door-seal) - [Frigidaire Dishwasher: Abnormal Noise or Vibration](/blog/frigidaire-dishwasher-abnormal-noise)
Related pages
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
