Why Kitchenaid Dishwasher Not Draining [Best Solutions]

If you have a dishwasher that does not drain, it can be problematic and stop you from doing your daily chores.

The problem is very much common in every dishwasher. This is not the problem with your dishwasher; it depends on how you use it daily.

The dishwasher must be regularly cleaned to perform its cycle smoothly and efficiently. 

Kitchenaid dishwasher is one of the popular dishwashers having advanced draining features, yet users still face draining issues in the dishwasher.

Today in this article, we are going to discuss how you can fix the dishwasher that is not draining.

In addition, we will also discuss step-wise instructions to fix that particular issue on your dishwasher. 

Therefore we recommend our readers stay with us until the article’s end. 

Why is my Kitchenaid dishwasher not draining?

If your KitchenAid dishwasher is not draining, the most common reason for this problem is food clogged.

If you have not cleaned the dishwasher drain hose or filter for a long time, food clogged could be the reason behind the draining issues.

In other cases, technical faults can also stop the dishwasher from draining issues. 

However, such cases are very rare in dishwashers like Kitchenaid. Therefore, I recommend you check the dishwasher drain hose or drain filter.

If you don’t know how to inspect the Kitchenaid dishwasher not draining hose and drain filter for clogged issues, don’t worry.

In the coming section, we will discuss this more in detail. 

How to fix the draining issue in the Kitchenaid dishwasher?

If you are experiencing a drain issue in your dishwasher, there must be food clogged inside the drain hose or drain filter.

A faulty drain pump can cause this issue in your dishwasher. Now, in this section, we will look into all the possible issues that can cause drain issues in the dishwasher. 

Clean drain filter

The drain filter filters out all the food that remains during the drain cycle. It is located at the bottom of the dishwasher; you can easily locate it once you remove the lowermost rack of your dishwasher.

It is recommended to clean the drain filter once or twice a week. This will prevent food clogs from building up inside the dishwasher drain filter. 

Cleaning the dishwasher drain filter is easy; you don’t need prior knowledge of the dishwasher and its component.

Once you thoroughly clean your drain filter, you won’t face draining issues again in your dishwasher. 

Solution

The solution to a clogged drain filter is to clean it. Once you clean the drain filter, it should eliminate the draining problem from your dishwasher.

Follow the instruction to clean the dishwasher drain filter:

1. Turn off the dishwasher power supply, and make sure to turn off the water supply of your dishwasher. 
2. Open the door of your KitchenAid dishwasher. The drain filter is located at the bottom of the dishwasher. However, first I recommend you remove the dish rack from your dishwasher. This will give you easy access to the dishwasher drain filter. 
3. Depending upon the model of your dishwasher filter consist of mainly two parts upper assembly and lower filter assembly. Start with the upper assembly to remove the upper assembly, turn the assembly counterclockwise and lift it out. 
4. Once you remove the upper assembly, gently grasp the lower assembly and lift it out from the dishwasher. 
5. Now rinse the filter under the running water. Most food residue will be removed by rinsing, but if a food clog is built, you may need to use a brush to clean it. You can use an old toothbrush or sponge to scrub the part where food particles are buildup. 
6. If you are done cleaning the filter, install the filter in your dishwasher. Install the dish rack and Turn on the water and power supply in the dishwasher. 
7. Now run the normal cycle and see if the dishwasher is draining. 

If cleaning the drain filter doesn’t fix the draining issues, I recommend you check your dishwasher’s drain hose.

Sometimes drain hose can get clogged, resulting in a drain issue in the Kitchenaid dishwasher. 

Clean drain hose

The drain hose is located at the bottom of the dishwasher. It is connected to the dishwasher drain pump, and another end is connected to the dishwasher garbage disposal.

After a complete drain cycle drain hose passes all the dirty water from the dishwasher to the garbage disposal of the dishwasher. 

Just like a drain filter, a drain hose can also get clogged with food remains and particles.

Therefore, cleaning your drain hose from time to time is recommended to avoid drain issues in your dishwasher.

If there is food clogged in the drain hose, the cleaning drain hose should fix the drain issue from your dishwasher. 

Solution

If you have not cleaned your dishwasher drain hose for a long time, consider cleaning it. Follow the below instruction to clean the Kitchenaid dishwasher drain hose. 

1. Turn off the power supply coming to the dishwasher. After this, close the water supply of your dishwasher. 
2. Now remove the drain hose from the Garbage disposal. 
3. Unthread all the screws securing the dishwasher in the kitchen cabinet and pull the dishwasher from the cabinet. 
4. After removing the dishwasher, lay the dishwasher on the floor. 
5. Depending upon the dishwasher, you may need to remove the bottom access panel of the dishwasher to access the drain hose of your dishwasher. 
6. Once you access the bottom part of your dishwasher, locate the drain pump. 
7. Remove the drain hose from the drain pump. The hose is secured with a metal wire; you may need to use a screwdriver to loosen it. 
8. After removing the drain hose, put it under the bucket of warm water and clean all the food that remains from the hose. Make sure there is no remaining food clogged inside the drain hose. 
9. Reinstall the drain hose, secure the bottom access panel, and put the dishwasher inside the cabinet. 

Faulty drain pump

The drain pump is another reason that could stop the dishwasher from draining. The dishwasher pump consists of a two-compartment circulation and drain.

If there is no food clogged in the drain hose or filter, there must be some problem in the dishwasher drain pump. The drain pump pumps water into the garbage disposal. 

Ensure that your drain pump is working well and that there are no such issues that could stop the draining process in the dishwasher.

You can inspect the drain hose by removing the lower access panel of the dishwasher. 

Solution

To inspect the dishwasher drain pump, you first need to access your dishwasher’s bottom access panel.

In some models, you can access the drain pump from the inside of your dishwasher.

In this section, we will discuss how you can inspect the drain pump from the inside of the Kitchenaid dishwasher. 

1. Turn off the power and open the door of your dishwasher. 
2. Now remove all the dishrack from your dishwasher.
3. At the bottom of the dishwasher, you will see circular spray parts. Rotate the parts clockwise to remove them. 
4. Also, remove the water inlet pipe connected to the dishwasher spray parts.
5. Now using a screwdriver, remove the drain compartment of the dishwasher. 
6. Locate the drain compartment and ensure that the impeller is smoothly rotating and there is no food clogged around it. Clean the food remains if present. 
7. Once you check the drain pump impeller, reinstall the component and restart your dishwasher and see if the dishwasher is draining or not. 

Wrong detergent

In some cases, detergent can also cause draining issues in the dishwasher.

The dishwasher uses special types of detergent that produce much lower suds. When you use ordinary detergent over dishwasher detergent,

there is a high chance that you will encounter a draining issue in your dishwasher. 

Solution

If you have mistakenly put ordinary detergent and it is causing a drain issue in the dishwasher.

I recommend you run a normal cycle in your Kitchenaid dishwasher; this will remove all the existing suds from your dishwasher.

After doing this draining process should work fine in your dishwasher.  

How to prevent this issue in the future?

If you want to prevent this draining issue in the future, there are some things that you need to follow and keep in mind. Here we have listed these things in points. 

1. Never use ordinary detergent over dishwasher detergent. You should always use a detergent that your manufacturer recommends. 
2. Clean your dishwasher timely and ensure no food clogged is buildup inside the drain filter. 
3. Over time dishwasher components or parts can get loose. Check such parts, and using a screwdriver, secure them tightly. 
4. Replace if dishwasher gasket or seals are worn up. 
5. Always use the dishwasher in the recommended setting; don’t let your child play with your dishwasher control panel.  

These are some of the tips that you should keep in mind to avoid draining-related issues in your Kitchenaid dishwasher.

What to do if the error persists?

If the above-discussed solution didn’t help you fix the draining issue, don’t worry. There must be some complex or technical issue behind the problem.

In this case, I recommend you contact your supplier or Kitchenaid customer support.

They better understand the dishwasher and its component; they will guide you better about all your dishwasher problems. 

Similarly, if the warranty period of your dishwasher is not yet ended, you can repair your dishwasher free of charge.

Usually dishwasher warranty period is around 1 to 2 years. To know more about the warranty period, check the warranty card you got while buying your dishwasher. 

Conclusion

Here we discussed all the possible causes that can create Kitchenaid Dishwasher Not Draining.

After reading this article, I hope you can figure out the draining issue in the dishwasher. Kitchenaid has manufactured a wide range of dishwashers. 

Sometimes, the above-discussed step might not align with your model of dishwasher.

But, we have discussed a method that works in almost all the models of Kitchenaid dishwashers.

If you have any problems with the solution, drop your problem below in the comment. You can leave any problem related to your dishwasher. 

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