Dishwasher Not Draining or Not Cleaning: The Full Diagnostic Walkthrough
Dishwashers fail quietly — performance drops off for months before the machine finally throws an error. Standing water, cloudy glassware and a door that will not latch all trace back to a small number of parts. Work down this list and you will know what you are dealing with.
Symptom, cause, and the fix
Water left standing after the cycle
Likely cause: Blocked filter or sump, kinked drain hose, or a failed drain pump.
What we do: Pull and rinse the filter basket. If it recurs within a week, the pump or check valve is the culprit.
Dishes come out gritty
Likely cause: Clogged spray arm jets or low water fill from a faulty inlet valve.
What we do: Clear the jets with a pin; persistent low fill means the inlet valve is replaced.
Cloudy film on glassware
Likely cause: Hard water plus low rinse-aid, or a failed water softener unit on premium models.
What we do: Rinse aid and a descale cycle first — Greater Vancouver water is soft, so film usually means detergent dosing.
Door will not latch or leaks at the bottom
Likely cause: Worn door gasket, sagging hinge cable, or a warped latch plate.
What we do: Gaskets and hinge cables are inexpensive and stop water reaching your cabinetry.
Dishwasher will not start, lights flash
Likely cause: Door switch, control board, or a triggered anti-flood float.
What we do: The float tray is checked and dried; if the switch tests open, it is replaced on site.
Dishes not drying
Likely cause: Heating element or vent fan failure.
What we do: The element is resistance-tested — a five-minute check that avoids replacing the wrong part.
Safe to try yourself
- Rinse the filter basket weekly — it is the single biggest cause of poor performance.
- Run a hot empty cycle with dishwasher cleaner monthly.
- Scrape plates but do not pre-rinse; modern detergents need soil to work against.
- Check the sink air gap and garbage disposal knockout if the machine was newly installed.
Stop and call a technician
- Water reaching the floor or the cabinet base — cabinetry damage escalates fast.
- Burning plastic smell during the dry cycle.
- Repeated error codes after a filter clean.
- Any integrated or panel-ready unit that has to be pulled from cabinetry.
People also ask
Serving Greater Vancouver, BC during our posted hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 – 17:00 · Sat 8:00 – 16:00 · Closed Sunday. Every repair carries a 3-month warranty on parts and labour.