When the Dishwasher Drains It Just Trickles

Food Clogs

• Food that is not rinsed off of the dishes might lead to a food clog at the drain opening. Drain openings are typically covered by a plastic or metal grate to catch larger food particles form getting into your main drain. Although some water can trickle through the clog, the majority of the water will remain pooled inside of the dishwasher. A sink brush wiped over the drain hole can remove the food particles and allow the water to drain normally.

Drain Hose

• A clogged drain hose leading away from the dishwasher is also susceptible to clogs. The drain hose attaches to a drain pipe under the sink or the garbage disposal. Hoses are clamped on with a hose clamp and are removed with either a pliers or a screwdriver. Once removed, rinse them throughly to remove any clog that might have formed.

Garbage Disposal

• Many dishwashers hook into a garbage disposal drain port. The drain port has a plastic tab that must be fully removed for the drain to work successfully. If the drain tab has been punched in and left, it might inhibit the flow of waste water from the dishwasher or even catch food particles and form a dam. When this happens, the water will begin to trickle through the drain hose. Check the garbage disposal tab, where the drain hose connects to the disposal, to make sure it is gone and not impeding the waste-water flow.

Dishwasher Drain Valve

• The dishwasher drain valve lies beneath the drain hole grate. These valves automatically open and close during the drain cycle. If it is jammed by food or malfunction, it will not properly open and the water will trickle past it as it drains. Cleaning the valve might alleviate the problem, but if the valve is faulty or mechanically compromised, it cannot be repaired and must be replaced.

Pump Drive Belt

• If there is no sound of a pump during the drain cycle, the pump drive belt might have broken. The drive belt from the motor turns the pump, which pumps the water out of the dishwasher into the drain. Although the pump will not work, gravity will slowly pull the drain water past the drain valve at a trickle, but the dishwasher will not drain completely. You can access the motor by removing the front kick panel and checking beneath the dishwasher. A broken belt is easy to spot, and a competent do-it-yourselfer will be able to loop on a new belt.

The Pump

• The pump is the heart of the drain system, and if you hear it run during the drain cycle, and the drain lines and openings have been cleared, but the waste water drains at only a trickle, the pump is faulty. If the drive belt is not broken and the pump is running, the impellers inside that drive the pumping action have been compromised. If the pump is not running, then the pump has burned out. In both of these conditions, the water will trickle down the drain. However, in either case, the pump must be replaced.