5 Reasons Why My Maytag Dishwasher Not Draining [Solution]

It is great to have appliances that clean and dry a lot of dishes at once. A dishwasher is a handy appliance that can save you time in doing dishes.

Seeing standing water and slow draining in the dishwasher can be frustrating. This mainly happens when there is some kind of obstruction in the dishwasher draining component. 

If you are reading this article, you must have a drain issue in the Maytag dishwasher. Maytag dishwasher rarely encounters drain issues in the dishwasher.

If your dishwasher is not draining water after a complete drain cycle, don’t worry.

This article is all about the Maytag dishwasher not draining issues. 

Here we will discuss the issue that causes drain issues in the dishwasher. In addition, we will also discuss an appropriate solution for each of the issues. 

Why is the Maytag dishwasher not draining?

Maytag dishwasher not draining is caused due to obstruction or clogged buildup in the drain component.

Drain component in the dishwasher includes a drain hose, filter, garbage disposal, and drain pump.

If any of these components of the dishwasher is damaged or not working, you are likely to get a drain issue in the dishwasher. 

In most cases, we have found clogged drain filters as the major reason behind the dishwasher drain issues.

Therefore, I suggest you properly inspect the dishwasher drain filter. If there is food clogged buildup, consider cleaning them from your dishwasher. 

How to fix the drain issue in the Maytag dishwasher?

As mentioned earlier, there are various issues to point out as the main reason behind the Maytag dishwasher draining issue.

However, we can’t become specific about these issues unless we inspect or identify the problem ourselves.

In this section, we will discuss various reasons that cause draining issues in the Maytag dishwasher, along with an appropriate solution. 

Before we start, remove the standing water from the dishwasher. I recommend you manually scoop the water out of the dishwasher.

You can use towels, a sponge, or a cup to remove the water from the dishwasher. You are good to go if there is no standing water in your dishwasher. 

Clogged drain filter

A clogged or blocked drain hose is the major reason behind the dishwasher draining issue in Maytag dishwashers.

If your dishwasher is not draining, chances are high that there could be obstruction or food clogged buildup inside the dishwasher drain filter.

Depending upon the model dishwasher drain filter is located inside the drain compartment of the dishwasher. 

You can find a dishwasher drain compartment at the bottom of the dishwasher.

Furthermore, you can refer to the owner’s manual to know how to access the drain filter of the Maytag dishwasher. 

Solution

If your drain filter is clogged or blocked with obstruction, consider removing it from the filter.

You will need a screwdriver, toothbrush, and hot water to start. If you have all these things, follow the below step-wise instruction. 

Step 1: Find and remove the dishwasher drain filter

Maytag dishwasher drain filter is located at the bottom of the dishwasher.

First, Turn off the dishwasher’s power supply and water inlet valve. Now remove the lowermost dish rack from the dishwasher.

This will make it very easy for the upper filter assembly of your dishwasher.

Depending upon the model, you must remove the spray arms to access them. 

If your dishwasher has rotating arms, unthread the screw securing the arm and remove it from the dishwasher.

Depending upon the dishwasher model dishwasher has a double or triple filter system.

The upper filter assembly filters out oversized food particles during the drain cycles.

Similarly, the lower filter filters out tiny food particles during the wash cycle. 

If the upper filter assembly is secured with a screwdriver, unthread the screw and remove the upper filter assembly.

Similarly, if there is no thread, rotate the filter counter-clockwise and take it out from the dishwasher. Now gently remove the lower filter.

Step 2: Clean dishwasher filter

After removing the upper and lower filters, it’s time to clean them.

First, put the upper and lower filter under the running water and remove all the food particles from the filter.

Now put the filter under the hot water for 10 to 15 minutes. 

This will help you remove stubborn food particles from the dishwasher.

After soaking the filter under hot water, clean it thoroughly using the toothbrush. However, don’t use a wire brush; it can damage the filter. 

Step 3: Reinstall the filter

Once the filters are cleaned, reinstall all the components you’ve removed during the cleaning process.

First, install the lower filter and make sure to install it by locating the tab.

Otherwise, the upper filter won’t fit properly during the installation. 

After installing the lower filter, install the upper filter assembly.

Turn the filter counter-clockwise and make sure that the filter doesn’t freely rotate. Keep turning it clockwise unless it is seated properly. 

This is how you can clean the dishwasher drain filter. I hope that this should fix the drain issue in the dishwasher.

You can test it by running an empty wash cycle in your dishwasher. If the dishwasher is still having an issue while draining, there is a different reason behind the problem. 

Check drain hose

A clogged drain hose can also create a draining issue in the Maytag dishwasher.

If cleaning the dishwasher drain filter didn’t help you fix the draining issue in the dishwasher.

Consider cleaning the dishwasher drain hose. Cleaning the dishwasher drain filter is tricky; you may need to remove the dishwasher from the compartment. 

Locate the drain hose; it is connected to the dishwasher drain pump.

In some models, you can access it by removing the toe access panel of the dishwasher.

I suggest you check the owner manual; there, you will find the instruction to remove the drain hose from the dishwasher. 

Solution

If you have lost the dishwasher owner manual, then don’t worry.

Here we will discuss step-wise instructions to clean the drain hose. This method will work in almost every model of the Maytag dishwasher. 

1. You should turn off the dishwasher power and water supply. Remove the drain hose from the garbage disposal unit. 
2. Now lay the dishwasher on the floor. If you kept the dishwasher inside the kitchen cabinet, you might require to remove the screw securing the dishwasher inside the kitchen cabinet. 
3. Once you have removed it, pull the dishwasher from the cabinet and lay it on the floor. Make sure to towel or any soft clothes beneath the dishwasher. This will prevent your dishwasher from getting scratched. 
4. Now remove the bottom access panel of the dishwasher. Remove the screw if necessary.
5. Locate the drain pump and unthread the metal clamp from the drain pump and remove the drain hose. 
6. Now put the drain pump under the running water. Clean all the food particles and debris clogged inside the drain hose. 
7. Now, reinstall the drain hose and tightly secure it with a metal clamp. Install the bottom access panel and put the dishwasher inside the kitchen cabinet. 
8. Install another end of the drain hose in the garbage disposal unit. 
9. Install the dishwasher inside the kitchen cabinet and tightly secure it with a screwdriver. 

This is how you can clean the Maytag dishwasher drain hose. I hope that you have successfully cleaned the drain hose from the dishwasher.

After cleaning the drain hose, run an empty cycle in your dishwasher and see problem persists or not. 

2. Faulty Drain pump

If your dishwasher is not draining even after cleaning the drain hose and filter. You should check the drain pump of your dishwasher.

In the Maytag dishwasher, the drain pump plays an important role in the draining process. You cannot pass water out from the dishwasher without a drain pump. 

This mainly happens when there is some obstruction in the dishwasher impeller.

I recommend you check the impeller of the drain pump. The main disadvantage of the drain pump is once they are broken down, you cannot repair them.

You should replace your existing drain pump with a new one.

Solution

The solution to the faulty drain pump is a replacement. First, i recommend you do a continuity test in the dishwasher. A continuity test can help you identify if your drain pump is working or not. Here is the step-wise instruction to do a continuity test in the Maytag dishwasher. 

1. Turn off the dishwasher power and water supply. 
2. Remove the dishwasher from the cabinet and lay it on the floor. 
3. Now unthread the screw securing the bottom access panel of the Maytag dishwasher. 
4. Locate the drain pump and disconnect the wire from the terminal. 
5. Now put the probes in the dishwasher terminal; if the motor is in good condition, it will show little resistance, i.e. close to zero or around zero. 
6. Similarly, I also recommend you check the ground connection. Place one probe on the metal and another probe on the terminal. In this test, you should not see any reading on the multimeter. 
7. If the drain pump fails in both tests, consider drain pump replacement. 

What to do if the issue persists?

If you are unable to apply above discussed solution or identify the exact reason behind the draining issue.

Take the help of a professional or contact your supplier. In this article, we have tried to address every possible issue if you are unable to figure out one. 

The advantage of taking the help of a supplier if they can fix or repair your dishwasher free of cost.

However, you should have good warranty support to repair the dishwasher without any charges.

May Required in Future:-  

• 6 Reasons Why My Maytag Dishwasher Leaking [Solutions] 
• How to Reset the Maytag Dishwasher [Solution] 

Conclusion

Maytag dishwasher not draining mainly caused due to food clogged or obstruction.

It is very easy to fix the Maytag dishwasher draining issue. I hope that you have successfully fixed the draining issue in your dishwasher.

Here we have discussed various issues and their solution that can cause drain issues in the dishwasher. 

Contact your supplier if the article didn’t help you fix the drain issue in the dishwasher.

Besides this, if you have any problem with the dishwasher, let us know in the comment below. We will help you fix that issue in your dishwasher with an appropriate solution. 

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