Dishwasher Not Draining? Causes and Fixes

Opening your dishwasher to find a pool of dirty water at the bottom is a common frustration. The good news is that the cause is usually straightforward. Here's what to check.

Common causes

• A clogged dishwasher filter
• A blocked or kinked drain hose
• A clogged garbage disposal connection
• A faulty drain pump
• An air gap that needs cleaning

Try this first

Clean the filter at the bottom of the dishwasher, then check that the drain hose isn't kinked. If your dishwasher drains through the garbage disposal, run the disposal, since a clog there blocks the dishwasher too.