Over time, accumulating food particles and other materials in your dishwasher may lead to backups and blockages that reduce efficiency. You’ll discover the main dishwashing issues that a blockage on this site might cause. Additionally, we’ll discuss how to fix a dishwasher on your own and when to hire a professional.
Why Should You Bother With a Dishwasher?
It’s simple to sidestep pricey dishwasher repair and just hand wash and dry dishes if your dishwasher breaks down. Here’s the catch: Hand-washing dishes uses four to five times as much water as a dishwasher, which adds to your energy bill.
In the past, dishwashers undoubtedly consumed a lot more water.
The Department of Energy currently limits the quantity of water that modern dishwashers may consume. Therefore, the maximum amount of water your dishwasher can hold if it was made after 2013 is five gallons. However, according to the US Geological Survey, hand-washing a dish batch may use between 9 and 27 gallons of water.
1. Gurgling sounds can be heard.
When your dishwasher runs, unusual gurgling, shaking, or pounding noises might result from water attempting to pass through a blockage in your primary or secondary sewage line.
2. Water from your dishwasher is backed up in your sink.
The drainage system in your kitchen sink is linked to your dishwasher. Your dishwasher probably has a blockage if water starts backing up into your sink while running. You can rule out a blockage if you run your waste disposal while the dishwasher is off. It’s conceivable that food stuck in the sink is to blame, in which case your dishwasher works appropriately.
3. Your dishwasher is draining slowly.
If you see water collecting in the bottom of your dishwasher or sink, there may be a clog or partial obstruction in your kitchen sewage line. Unclog the partial obstruction as soon as possible to prevent it from growing into a more expensive issue.
4. Following the cycle, you notice water backup in the dishwasher.
Following a wash cycle, standing water in your dishwasher indicates improper drainage. This is due to the drainage system becoming clogged by residual food.
Examine and clean the drain basket in your dishwasher. If this doesn’t solve the issue, your drains can be clogged.
5. You haven’t cleaned your dishes.
If your dishes need to be cleaned after your wash cycle, the dishwasher cannot be filled with water. Your primary or secondary sewage line is clogged, which is the source of this.
6. There is an unusual smell from your dishwasher.
A clogged filter basket is often to fault if your dishwasher has an unpleasant odor. The filter screens out larger food particles so they won’t block the drain. Routine cleanings are necessary for these particles to accumulate and degrade, producing smells and perhaps obstructing the drain.
Reasons Why Your Dishwasher Can Be Clogged
Here are five possible causes of your dishwasher clogging.
1. Obstructed Filter Basket
Your dishwasher’s drain has a filter basket installed to keep food scraps and other objects out of the pipes. To ensure your dishes are thoroughly clean, the filter basket must be cleaned regularly.
If you have problems with hard water, you may need to soak the drain basket in vinegar to remove the buildup. This keeps the pores in the filter basket of your dishwasher from being blocked.
2. Clogged Drain Hose
A hose from your dishwasher may be linked to the drain or waste disposal in your kitchen. Sludge buildup within the drain pipe may result in backups and obstructions. If they cause drainage problems, cleaning the dishwasher drain pipe and the other drain pipes beneath your sink can clear the obstruction.
3. Garbage Disposal
If the knockout plug was not taken out when the disposal was installed, new trash disposal installations might block your dishwasher. Your dishwasher’s blockage problem should be resolved by removing this plug. If your trash disposal is older, your issue can be coming from the stuff you’ve been flushing down the disposal.
4.Clogged Drains
If a drain further down the sewage line is plugged in, your dishwasher may need emptying correctly. However, you could have a more significant blockage unrelated to your dishwasher if you have many blocked drains in your house or if water is bubbling back into the sink as your dishwasher empties.
5. Clogged Spray Bars
Your spray bars or arms may get clogged with food particles, leading to dirty dishes. Food particles may quickly accumulate and get trapped in the upper and lower spray bars.
6. Broken Sewer Line
Most individuals don’t realize that a damaged sewage line might result in a clogged dishwasher. However, a damaged sewage line might clog every drain in your house. It’s important to inspect your home or business’s sewage lines professionally if the dishwasher, guest toilet, or shower won’t drain.
How to Unclog Your Dishwasher
You may resolve the problem independently when confident that your dishwasher is blocked. We’ll walk you through the procedure and point you to the dishwashing components you should examine.
1. Familiarize Yourself with Dishwasher Parts
Dishwasher blockages are often brought about by inappropriate usage. For instance, some dishwasher owners need to properly dispose of food and cooking oils, which results in oil and food particles being stuck within dishwasher drain pipes.
2. Gather the Right Plumbing Tools for the Job
Ensure you’re prepared to clear your drains after correctly determining what caused your dishwasher to get clogged. Here are a few necessary tools you could require:
- Drain auger or snake
- the Phillips screwdriver
- Pliers
- towel or bucket
- Vinegar and baking soda Gloves
3. Check and Clean the Dishwasher Drain
To ensure your safety while working on any DIY home plumbing job, ensure your dishwasher unit is turned off or disconnected.
- Dish racks should first be removed from your appliance. Next, find the drain grate. This is located on the “floor” of the dishwasher, the bottom of your device. Using a regular screwdriver, the grating may be removed.
- Use a drain auger or a handmade flush to remove obstructions within the pipe. Baking soda and vinegar mixed in equal amounts should be used as the flush since caustic chemicals may damage your drains more than reasonably. Reattach the grating after that.
- The leftover mixture should be poured into the dishwasher’s bottom for 15 minutes.
- Restarting the dishwasher and starting a rinse cycle on the maximum heat setting will work.
- Replace the racks if the performance problems are fixed, and you may resume using them.
4. Check and Clean the Dishwasher Filter
If cleaning the dishwasher’s drain didn’t work, look at the filter in the device. If you need help finding it, read your owner’s handbook or search online for your appliance’s make and model (it may not even be there if you can’t find it).
- The dishwasher filter may be removed by rotating it counterclockwise until it releases after being found.
- To reach the giant filter that is located underneath this one, remove the one up above.
- Remove any debris you find in the filter if you find any.
- After replacing the top filter, tighten it by rotating it in the opposite direction.
- To ensure you’ve installed the filter correctly, give the sprayer arm a slight spin (if the arm contacts the filter, it’s not secured correctly and might be harmed during a wash cycle).
- To determine if the issue has been fixed, do a rinse cycle on the hottest setting.
5. Check and Clean Your Sink’s Air Gap
Lacking trash disposal? Check the air gap in your sink, preventing drain water from backing into the dishwasher. The air gap is a tiny, slotted cylinder, usually protruding at the faucet. However, some may be below the sink, close to the dishwasher output line. Take the following actions:
- Turn the sink gap counterclockwise to remove it.
- A firm brush may be used to remove any debris.
- Replace the gap left by the cleaned-out sink and use the dishwasher again.
6. Check and Clean the Spray Bars
Spray bars may trap food particles, closing the openings through which water sprays throughout the cycle. Spray bars are simple to remove, and you may use your sink’s water jet to attempt to agitate the debris or force things through the holes. Hard water may also prevent spray bars from releasing water; soaking them in vinegar can aid in removing mineral buildup.
7. Check and Clean the Drain Hose
Problems with the dishwasher’s operation persist? Your drain pipe can be the source of the issue. You will need to lift the dishwasher away from the wall to access the hose, which is most likely in the dishwasher’s rear. To reach the hose, you may also need to remove a plate from the end of the dishwashing units. Before you begin working, make sure the device is disconnected or switched off. Once you have access, do the following actions:
- Verify the hose for any bends or kinks preventing effective drainage.
- If that’s not the problem, use your pliers to loosen the hose’s clamp so you can remove it and visually check it for obstructions. Have towels on hand or a pail nearby to catch any water that may be discharged.
- Try cleansing the hose with hot water to check whether the water is generally flowing if you can’t see any obstructions.
- Use your solution of baking soda and vinegar to attempt to flush away particles if the water isn’t flowing smoothly.
- You may replace the hose if you cannot remove the obstruction. Always keep the high-rise loop in place since it ensures proper flow.
- Run a rinse cycle on the hottest setting after reattaching using the clamp to determine whether the issue is fixed.
Do Dishwasher Issues Need Professional Assistance?
A home’s blocked drains may become an annoyance and a health hazard. If a clogged dishwasher and wet floor are not fixed immediately, business establishments may even be forced to close. Even though doing your plumbing work might be a terrific way to save money, specific dishwashing blockages need to be handled by a specialist. Contact Elizabeth Plumbing and Drain Service if you need the necessary equipment to remedy the dishwasher issue or think your dishwasher’s performance problems are caused by something other than clogs.
Elizabeth Plumbing and Drain Service employs top-notch video inspection equipment to identify the issue. Our Elizabeth NJ plumbing specialists can locate the precise reason for your home’s drain problems. They will then decide which dishwasher repair solution will solve your plumbing problems practically and affordably.
