How to Diagnose and Fix Dishwasher Drain Issues

September 15, 2023by Five Star Plumbing

You’ve loaded your dishwasher with dirty dishes, pushed the start button, and are now ready to relax. But all of a sudden, you hear a loud gurgling sound coming from the dishwasher. It turns out that the water isn’t draining properly and the dishwasher is overflowing! What should you do?

Diagnosing Your Dishwasher Issue

The first step is diagnosing what’s causing it in the first place. The most common causes of drainage issues are clogged filters, faulty disposals, or a broken connection between the dishwasher hose and kitchen sink. Try running hot water down your kitchen sink before using your dishwasher again; this can reduce clogs and clear debris that might be stuck in the drain pipe. If this doesn’t work, then it’s time to clean out the filters.

Cleaning Out Your Filters

Most modern dishwashers have two filters: one at the bottom of the unit near the motor and another at the top where food particles collect during washing cycles. To clean these filters, simply unscrew them from their housing (usually on either side of the dishwasher) and wash off any dirt or grime using warm soapy water. Once completely clean, replace them in their housings and run a cycle without any dishes to ensure everything works properly.

Checking Your Disposal Connection

If cleaning your filters didn’t fix your drainage issue, check your disposal connection. Most modern homes have an air gap between the kitchen sink drainpipe and its garbage disposal connection; if this isn’t installed correctly or is blocked by debris, it can cause major drainage problems for both sinks and washers! To check this connection, look under your countertop for a small piece of pipe connected to both drains-if there isn’t one, then you should contact one of our plumbers ASAP, as this could be causing serious damage to both appliances over time!

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