What this usually is
The usual answer on this unit is a kinked, crushed or badly routed drain hose, with the filter and sump packed with debris second. Both are blockages you can reach without a tool. The first two checks need nothing but a cloth and a few minutes.
What you actually observe
- A rattle during the drain phase, then nothing — Something hard has reached the pump impeller.
- It drains slowly rather than not at all — A partial restriction, which usually means the hose rather than the filter.
- NEAR MISS: water is on the floor rather than in the machine — Read the water-leak page instead.
What it usually turns out to be, in order
- A kinked, crushed or badly routed drain hose — The hose behind the machine gets crushed when the unit is pushed back into its housing, or it is left without the high loop that stops water siphoning back. Ranked first on this unit: it is disturbed every single time the machine is pulled out or pushed back, which is exactly what happens before this fault appears, which counts for more here because this is a badge with little published service documentation, which is exactly why this list starts with what you can observe and ends with what only a meter can settle.
- The filter and sump packed with debris — Everything the machine washes off ends up here. Next, and for a closely related reason: it is the first restriction in the path, it is reachable without a tool, and on most machines it has never been cleaned.
- A blocked air gap at the sink — Where an air gap is fitted on the worktop, it is a small chamber the drain water passes through. Third on the list, and worth the look because it is the part of the drain path that is on show and still never cleaned, because most owners do not know what it is.
- A failed drain pump or a stuck check valve — A dead pump makes no noise at all at the drain phase, and a check valve stuck shut gives the same standing water with the pump running normally. Bottom of the list, deliberately: everything above it leaves the same water in the sump and costs nothing to rule out.
What to check first, second, third
- Pull the machine out and follow the drain hose to the waste — A kink or a crush is visible immediately, and a missing high loop just as much.
- Twist out the filter and look into the sump beneath it — A packed filter explains both a slow drain and a total one.
- Lift the chrome cover on the worktop fitting and look inside — Debris there stops the machine draining and is trivially cleared.
The checks you can make yourself
- Pull the machine forward and check the drain hose is not kinked, crushed or lying flat all the way to the waste — It needs a high loop, and it must not sit in standing water at the other end.
Tools: a torchAbout 20 min
- Bail out the standing water, twist out the filter assembly and clear the sump by hand — Wash the filter under a hot tap and refit it locked home.
Tools: a cup, a cloth, a brushAbout 25 min
- STOP AT THIS POINT if the next step needs a meter on live terminals — That is where an owner check ends and a service call begins.
Read this before you touch it
Safety
Switch the dishwasher off at its breaker or unplug it before you put a hand into the sump, and turn the supply valve off under the sink before touching a hose. There is broken glass in a dishwasher sump more often than anyone expects, so use a cloth and work by feel only where you can see. The heating element stays hot long after a cycle ends.
Where an owner check ends
Call once the filter, the drain hose, the air gap and the household waste are all clear and the machine still holds water, because at that point the pump or its valve is the fault. Call sooner if the machine trips a breaker, if water is reaching the floor, or if you find glass you cannot safely remove.
Where to go next in this class
What this page does not cover
This page covers the Westbend dishwasher as a class, not one family or model line. Where a family- or model-specific page exists it is linked here. Deliberately not here: pump part numbers, check valve procedures and any wiring detail, all of which differ by family and belong on the page for that family.
Links: - [Why a Westbend dishwasher is leaving dishes dirty](/blog/westbend-dishwasher-cleaning-performance) - [Why a Westbend refrigerator is leaking water](/blog/westbend-refrigerator-water-leak) - [Why a VIVOHOME dishwasher will not drain](/blog/vivohome-dishwasher-drainage-failure)
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
