Brand: Model Number: Main Symptom: DIshwasher will not drain. What happens & when:
Dishwasher had standing water after cycle. I checked the filters and cleaned them (they were fine); checked drain hose that I could see and didn’t see any obvious kinks or clogs (did NOT pull dishwasher out of the cabinet). I then pulled off the drain pump suspecting it was the problem but there was no debris or obvious damage and when I reconnect it to power it spins just fine when “asked” (intermittent..it spins and stops, spins and stops). No burning odor and no damage to the little blades. Put everything back together but the dishwasher still wouldn’t drain….there was a very small trickle of water moving thru the hose that I could see and hear under my sink. Then I removed the drain hose from the pump “exit”…mine has a 90 degree connector and a check valve in the drain hose. The drain hose was completely blocked with a PENNY (!) wedged firmly prior to the check valve. I removed the penny and the check valve SEEMS to work? (not sure how to test that)…but pushing on it with a finger it moves and lets water go thru (it feels less like a flap and more like a small ball valve?). I reattached everything but the water still doesn’t drain; this time there was NOTHING moving thru the hose. SO…the drain pump seems to work with power applied; the obvious clog in the drain hose has been removed and check valve seems okay, but the water still won’t drain properly. Is it possible the drain pump is working but no longer strong enough to actually push the water uphill? Is there anything else I can check before going thru the much more difficult pulling the entire dishwasher out to check drain hose for any additional clogs or kinks?. If I buy a new drain pump and that’s not the problem, what else could be wrong?? SHOULD I buy a new drain hose too? THANKS! One additional detail….this dishwasher has been making a weird grinding noise for years….but always cleaned dishes and drained just fine. Wondering if the penny was rattling around in there for years but wasn’t ever fully stuck….and now finally got itself firmly wedged in there. The trial runs of washing did NOT drain properly…but the noise was gone.
That pretty much leaves you with the check valve in drain hose AP6022802 or the drain pump AP6020066.
The easiest way to test that drain hose with the check valve is to take it off and put water through it from each end in turn. It should allow water through from one end and not the other. If it allows it through from either end or from neither end that hose needs to be replaced.
Thanks….I had already narrowed it down to one of those two things…but was curious how likely it is that a pump could have no apparent damage AND be running….but still not be able to pump water out. As for the drain hose, I can get to the end that’s by the drain pump. but would probably have to remove the dishwasher from the cabinet AND turn it on it’s side (?) to be able to test the check valve. I’ll need a lot of help to do that. If I order both parts from appliancepartspros, is either returnable if it turns out I don’t need it? (for example, if it’s the pump but not the drain hose, can I return the drain hose?). Thanks.
Ok. Going to try my question one more time. The drain motor does not appear damaged and it runs when electricity is applied. HOW or WHY WOULD THAT STILL BE THE PROBLEM?? Is there any other way to test the pump to see if it’s the problem before ordering a part that won’t be returnable?!
Test the hose, if that hose is clear and the check valve is working properly then it has to be the drain pump. It may be weak under load, which we do not have a way to test. If you have a meter handy you can also check the resistance of the pump windings, which should be about 15-25Ω, but this can only tell you that the motor winding is reading in or out of the proper range and may not tell you if there is a mechanical issue or a dead spot in the windings.
Alright. Thanks. Was hoping to find a way to do this without pulling the dishwasher out…which is the only way for me to test the hose fully. I have a multimeter but no idea how to apply it to the drain motor to test it. I’ll probably just order the parts and hope for the best and/or get help to move the dishwasher.