Why Your Dishwasher Isn’t Draining and What You Can Do

10/14/2025

Why Your Dishwasher Isn’t Draining and What You Can Do

Dishwasher with water not draining after cycle

If after the dishwashing cycle you detect water left inside, you have got a classic dishwasher not draining problem.

To tell the truth, this is, perhaps one of the most common dishwasher problems. For example, when we get a request for Miele dishwasher repair in London, in half of the cases it is a problem we discuss here.

The good news is that most such issues you can fix even without any complicated dishwasher repair tips.

But let’s discuss this in detail.

Quick Symptoms & Safety Checks

Before contacting a repair company, whether it is for domestic dishwasher repair or commercial dishwasher repair, we recommend a quick assessment and safety checks.

Quick Symptoms: Standing water vs. slow drain

When you detect water in the dishwashing tub, evaluate its amount. It may give you a quick key to what’s happened to your appliance.

Typically, there can be two cases:

Water standing to an inch or more – pump failure or control board issues
Just a small puddle –clogged filter or drain hose

Safety Checks: Switch off power and water

If it is a clog, you can tackle the issue without any preparation. In all the other cases, you need to prepare your appliance for the necessary procedures.

For this, first, turn off the water supply valve to ensure no water input. Second, unplug the unit from the socket to de-energise it to make it fully safe and ready for further fixes.

Dishwasher symptoms infographic showing water levels and safety steps

Most Common Causes

Now, let’s dive deeper into the common dishwasher problems that cause the issue. For example, when we get a request for Hobart dishwasher repair with complaints about poor draining, it is typically one of the following three causes.

Clogged filter or sump

This is where the problem arises first.

The filter task is to prevent food debris from getting inside the system. Over time, the filter becomes clogged and stops letting water drain out of the machine.

If some very fine particles escape the filter, they get into the sump. For example, on one of our last SIEMENS dishwasher service call-outs, we detected a critical sludge at the bottom of the sump. Over time, the sump may accumulate a large amount of such particles. In turn, such a clog results in preventing water from flowing out.

Blocked/kinked drain hose or air gap

Dishwasher engineer diagnosing drainage issue

This is the second issue that leads to poor draining.

Typically, a clog in these components results from oils, fats, and fine powder-like particles that get into the system. For example, after cooling, oils and fats turn into sludge that envelop the inner side of the hose and get accumulated in the gap. So, the problem may occur even with a clean filter.

When the clog becomes critical, water will not find enough space to go through, and issues with draining arise.

Faulty drain pump or impeller

This is a serious problem. For example, a few of our Bosch dishwasher repair call-outs were about a malfunctioning drain pump or a jammed impeller and it took time to repair without replacing.

To clarify, water gets out of the dishwasher not because of gravity but due to the efforts of the drain pump. Over time, it can fail and stop working, which leads to the dishwasher not draining.

To go further, the drain pump consists of the impeller, a fan-like part that physically moves the water. If a toothpick or glass pieces slip through the filter and get into the system, they may jam the impeller, which stops its running.

Step-by-Step DIY Checks

Here are some dishwasher repair tips to follow when your dishwasher is not draining.

Clean the filter & sump

It is the easiest task. Just follow the steps:

Locate the filter, the cylindrical item with a flat mesh piece
Twist the filter left and remove it
Put the parts in water and clean with a soft brush to remove sludge
Wipe out the sump and get rid of the sludge there
Place the filter back in its location and twist right to reassemble

DIY dishwasher cleaning steps illustration

Inspect and flush the drain hose

This is a more complicated task. So, to do it yourself, you need some basic knowledge of dishwasher installation and de-installation. To clarify, the drain hose is located on the side or back of the dishwasher. Therefore, to deal with it, you need access to this side or back. In other words, you need to pull your appliance from under the counter. If you aren’t sure you can do this, turn to professionals.

The DIY steps are as follows:

Unplug your dishwasher to de-energise it
Access the appliance side or back
Locate the drain hose
Check it at its entire length for kinks
Arrange a pallet and sufficient cleaning cloth to deal with residual water
Disconnect the hose (at its both sides)
Flush the hose to get rid of blockages
Connect the hose back as it was
Plug in the appliance

Run a rinse/drain cycle & check error codes

If you detect a significant amount of water, do a quick DIY check that may help you identify the issue.

Run a quick washing cycle or drain-only cycle if your model has one. Listen carefully to the coming sounds:

A humming sound – the impeller is jammed or the pump has failed
No sound at all – the pump isn't getting power or is completely dead

In any of these cases, we recommend turning to an engineer and describing the signs you detected. If your dishwasher flashes with an error code, remember the code and inform your engineer about it.

When to Call an Engineer

Unless you are a professional engineer fully familiar with the dishwasher’s engineering in general and your model one in particular, your only DIY options include troubleshooting minor clogging and checking for error codes. For all other cases, it is recommended to turn to a professional.

In short, the cases when to call an engineer, cover:

Deep and severe clogging
Professional drain hose flushing
Any pump failures
Control board failure

Burning smell, tripped breaker, repeated errors

If you are facing repeated errors even after cleaning the filter and flushing the hose, it means the issue is somewhere else, and you need a professional to detect and fix it.

Burning smells or a tripped breaker is one of the most dangerous issues for your safety:

A burning smell indicates a serious electrical fault
The tripped breaker indicates a short circuit in the pump or wiring

So, if you notice them, stop using the dishwasher and contact an engineer without delay.

Prevention & Maintenance Checklist

While there are many causes for a dishwasher not draining, you can prevent most of them. Here is a brief prevention and maintenance checklist:

Scrape plates before loading
Clean the filter every 30-40 cycles
Protect the machine control board from surge with a dedicated a surge protector
Keep the control panel clean and dry
De-energise the unit to reset it and clear temporary glitches from the control board's memory

Need help? Book a dishwasher engineer in London

At LE Company, we are happy to help you if your dishwasher is not draining or encounters any other issues. Just contact us at +44 203 603 7172 or send your request online on our Contact page. We cover all areas in London.

Dishwasher repair engineer in London banner

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Why choose us as your dishwasher repair company

9/24/2025

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Why choose us as your dishwasher repair company

LE Company has been operating in London for more than 10 years. We have an experience in dealing with most of the appliances that our clients purchase for domestic or commercial usage. Apart from the experience that we have gained our engineers constantly attend professional courses where they learn all the updates about the different brands and appliances.

One of the most popular appliance we deal with is dishwasher. Callers request to service their dishwashers at least 6 times a week. Most of those dishwashers we repair in one go. Our clients trust us for the quick service and the knowledge that our engineers have. That is why you can trust us in case if you need dishwasher repair service in London.

One of the most popular dishwasher brands that we deal with is Miele. Therefore, in case you need Miele dishwasher repair in London contact us through our contact page.

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Commercial dishwashers we repair

12/30/2021

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Commercial dishwashers we repair

Nowadays, it is hard to imagine restaurants, pubs, or hotels with restaurant or bar facilities to wash their dirty tableware or stemware by hand. Instead, they actively exploit dishwashing equipment for this purpose. Therefore, the faulty equipment causes a lot of problems for their customer service pipeline.
Fortunately, you have us to fix any issue with your commercial dishwasher!

What commercial dishwashers we repair

When it comes to commercial dishwashing equipment, we will cover all your repair needs in full. For any machine you have in your kitchen. For example, it can be:

All the main brands of commercial warewashing equipment with a great focus on Hobart dishwasher repair
A single unit or an entire system with a conveyor
All dishwasher types, including front-loading, hood-, flight-, rack-type, etc.

Our engineers are highly experienced experts in commercial dishwashers. They accomplish repairs with top-notch quality and with a strong commitment to your business routine. In other words, we are highly flexible and do our best to meet your visit time requirements.

Areas we cover with our commercial dishwasher repair service

At LE Company, we provide commercial dishwasher repair in London and all over the UK. Outside Greater London, our focus areas include:

Guildford and all over Surrey
Windsor and all over Berkshire
Winchester and all over Hampshire

This does not mean we will not help you if your dishwashing facilities are located in other counties. The areas we mentioned above are ones of those from which we receive the most of the repair requests. In other words, we are happy to come and fix your commercial dishwasher anywhere. The same is true for maintenance requests.
Note, for some distant areas, we can charge extra driving fees.

When it is high time to arrange a visit of our engineer

Of course, the most evident reason to reach us with your repair requests is when your dishwasher refuses to start. Or if it fails to end the cycle successfully. For example, when there are signs of water leaks around the unit. Or when it delivers damaged crockery or the latter remains dirty at the end of the cycle.
However, there are some other telltale signs of its insufficient performance:

Wet tableware at the end of the cycle
Spots on glasses and other stemware
Water remains in the machine cavity at the end of the cycle
Increased water consumption

So, do not wait till your dishwashing machine causes you a lot of trouble but act immediately after you notice even the smallest issue. Contact us to arrange its timely maintenance and repair.

Dishwasher repair in London

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Dishwasher repairs service can become a real salvation

8/21/2018

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Dishwasher repairs service can become a real salvation

Don’t try to repair it yourself

Dishwasher repairs service can become a real salvation. That’s because it is a great trouble when your dishwasher isn’t working. Numerous guests visit your restaurant of café, order their favourite dishes, and wait for an excellent service, but get neither of this. And why? Because all the stuff is busy running around the broken device. Or washing the heaps of dirty dishes and forks manually, which is no less time-consuming.
The only thing you can do in such a situation is to order a dishwasher repairs service without losing your precious time. Naturally, some café owners try to fix the broken apparatus by themselves, trying to avoid the cost. Such an approach tends to result in a variety of troubles:

You can lose your customers. Why should they wait for your cooks and waiters to wash the plates and spoons?
You can lose your stuff. Are your chefs ready to do what they’ve never been supposed to do? Sounds doubtful.
Your dishwasher can totally get out of service. Sometimes it’s a question of several hours, when a specialist can fix the broken system. If you lose this time, the device will require a more serious repair.

Finally, all these troubles lead to the only outcome – money loss. This is why address to dishwasher repair in London as soon as you need it, without waiting for other problems to come.

Commercial dishwasher repair

Don’t try to save on installation

The same can be said about installation of equipment. Having bought an excellent dishwasher, don’t try to save on its installation. As the specialists of London Engineers Company note, very often they face a situation where a perfect machine gets out of order just because of inadequate installation. A restaurant owner decided to save money – and this is why now he is buying a new dishwasher.

Will he save on installation again, do you think? We personally believe that he won’t. As it’s really worth the trouble. Ordering a dishwasher installation service from London Engineers Company, you’ll save your time and money, as our specialists work quickly, accurately, and at reasonable prices. We guarantee that your apparatuses will function properly irrespective of when and where you’ve bought them.

And, what is even more important, the guests of your restaurant or café will be pleased. They’ll see that all your staff members are doing right what they’re supposed to do – cooking meals, serving the dishes, and washing the plates. This feeling of order is necessary for everyone, especially for the owner of catering business.

If you want to enjoy the same sense of order in your dining hall or restaurant, remember the phone number of London Engineers Company: + 44 755 7229 457 and order our dishwasher repairs service as soon as you need it.

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