[Runner13]

Hi,

My husband and I just moved into a house with (hooray!) a dishwasher. Unfortunately, (not hooray.) after just 1 use, we noticed the water wasn't draining all the way out at the end of a cycle. (Yes, the cycle was all the way done.) We have run several loads since then and the result is always the same; an inch or two of water left in the bottom of the tub after every use. We continued to use the dishwasher, because, annoying as it was, the washer still seemed to be cleaning the dishes and functioned okay. Plus our house instruction manual said a little water remaining in the bottom of the dishwasher is ok. We were skeptical about that, and ultimately decided that what we are seeing is more than just a little water.

Then, just a day or so ago, I heard a very loud grinding noise whenever the machine tried to drain. It went away so I forgot about it, until that evening when we ran another load of dishes and the noise was practically constant.

Since it's only a $300 machine, I figured it was better to try to see what was wrong myself instead of paying a professional to come - which might cost $200 or so. I checked both ends of the drain hose, which was clear. I removed the filter and ball and checked in there. It was clear as well. I haven't been able to come across any clogs, so I'm thinking it must be something with the pump?

I can't figure out what to do next. How would I go about examining the pump to see if that's the problem. One site said that the drain pump can get clogged with food, but removing the pump seems...hard and complicated? (Sorry to be lame.)

Anyway, any guidance would be appreciated.

R