Chosen Solution
Hello, and thank you in advance. I have read through other questions before asking myself, and am confused as to What to check next. My dishwasher won’t drain. The drain hose is clear. The filter, sump filter, and drain pump are clear of debris. The circulation pump and drain pump have continuity, tested with a multimeter. The sink drain is fine, and no new garbage disposal. After I checked the pumps, cleaned, and reassembled, I ran a quick rinse cycle and saw no pooled water. I then ran a full cycle and headed to work. I get back to find dirty water at the bottom. When I cancel a cycle, I can hear a pump running. It doesn’t sound odd or unusual. Where should I look next? I just learned of the solenoid failure, control failure, or damaged check valve as being probable issues. Would these be reasonable to check? Thanks for any help!
Please run a cycle to completion and open the door immediately after it finishes. See if ant water is still in it. Close it up and check 30 minutes later. Let’s see if it is syphoning.
Sounds like solenoid failure or timer / control board failure. But make and model may help to narrow down the cause of no drainage.
I just wanted to add to this for anyone in the future that if you run into a dishwasher not draining and have run through most of the other checks like I have, also check that the wires from the control board to the pump have continuity and visually inspect them along their length. Turns out that after trying literally everything else to fix my KitchenAid KDTM354DSS5 with no luck and lots of head scratching that one of the wires was broken to the drain pump. It looks like it was somehow caught and crimped in the plastic shield and eventually broke the wire. I soldered and heat shrinked it back together and like magic the drain pump works again! Things to check for a dishwasher that won’t drain: If there is no sound when you press the drain button then it could be a faulty drain pump.Check the drain pump for continuity and measure resistance. Make sure it is within spec listed on the Technician diagnostic sheet usually hidden behind the kick panel.Check that there is power running to the drain pump after pressing the drain button. Careful with live voltage.Check that the wiring has continuity and visually inspect for breaks or worn jacket.Make sure there is no clog in the drain line or the flapper valve is not stuck or broken.If there is a newly installed disposal make sure the drain hose port has the knock out removed.If the drain pump seems ok, but there is no power to the drain pump and wiring is ok then it could be the control board. You can probe on the board to check for continuity on the drain pump circuit and that the fuse is intact by following the Technician diagnostic sheet instructions.
