The short answer
On a Lycan dishwasher standing water is usually a blockage in the filter or the drain path rather than a failed pump. The first checks below need a cup, a sponge and ten minutes. A drain pump is the last entry on the list.
What you observe
- The pump runs audibly and the water level does not drop — A pump working against a blockage downstream of it rather than a pump that has failed.
- Water standing above the filter at the end of the cycle — The clear version of the fault, as opposed to the small amount that normally sits in the sump.
- NEAR MISS — water on the floor rather than in the base — That is a leak, and the leak page ranks those causes properly.
Causes in likelihood order
- What goes into the machine — Plates scraped badly, labels left on jars, and detergent used in quantities meant for a bigger machine all put material into the sump that the filter was never designed to pass. Foam does the same thing to the pump that suds do in a washing machine. Top of the list on this one: how it is used explains this fault before any component does. Lycan machines are small-capacity units used the way a full-size machine is used, and overloading a small machine produces a fault list of its own before any part has worn.
- The drain hose and the waste connection — A hose kinked behind the machine, a high loop that has dropped, a sink trap that is itself blocked, or a waste disposer whose inlet plug was never knocked out at installation will all stop the water leaving. The last of those is a classic on a newly installed machine. Next in order: it explains every case where the filter is clean and the pump is running.
- The filter and the sump are blocked — Labels, seeds, glass chips and grease collect in the sump under the filter and in the small outlet leading out of it. Once that outlet is restricted the machine cannot clear itself, and the water stands where the debris is. Third: it remains the commonest single cause even where something else ranks above it here.
- The machine is not reaching the drain step — A cycle interrupted, a door opened near the end, or a control that has hung will leave water in the base without anything being blocked at all. The water is there because the drain step never ran. Next after those: it is a diagnosis by elimination and belongs after the physical checks.
The order to check in
- Look at what is actually in the sump — Labels, seeds and grease tell you the loading habit that produced the blockage, which matters because otherwise it returns.
- Check the sink drains freely and trace the hose behind the machine — A sink that is slow on its own, or a gurgle when the dishwasher drains, makes this the plumbing's problem rather than the machine's.
- Lift out the filter and look into the sump beneath it — Standing debris, or a label wrapped over the outlet, identifies the fault without any tools.
What you can do yourself
- Scrape plates properly and cut the detergent dose to what the machine asks for — Remove labels from jars before loading them. Most machines need considerably less detergent than people use.
About 10 min
- Straighten the drain hose and test the sink and trap separately — Run the sink with the dishwasher off. If it drains slowly, clear the trap before touching the machine again.
Tools: bucketAbout 25 min
- Bail the water out, then remove and clean the filter and the sump — A cup and a sponge empty the base. Clear the outlet by hand — do not push debris further in — and lock the filter back in place.
Tools: cup, sponge, soft brushAbout 30 min
- STOP before removing the lower panel or the pump cover — Live terminals sit next to standing water behind that panel. Naming the fault is the useful end of an owner check.
Before anything comes apart
Safety
Switch the dishwasher off at its breaker or unplug it before any panel comes off — a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Shut the supply valve before touching a fitting, and mind the heating element in the base of the tub: it stays hot long after a cycle ends.
Where the owner's part ends
The owner's part ends at the filter and the visible hose. A pump change, a hose inside the cabinet, or anything under the machine is a service call — and the machine should be switched off at its breaker until then.
Nearby pages
What is deliberately not here
Generalized information. This page addresses the appliance class; where a more specific Lycan page exists beneath it, that is the page for your machine. Deliberately not here: service-manual disassembly, component locations and specifications that change family to family.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
