A clogged filter, a garbage disposer that needs clearing (or a new one with its knockout plug still in), a blocked air gap or a kinked drain hose cause most drain problems. Clean the filter first, then run the disposer and check the air gap and hose under the sink. A small puddle at the very bottom of the tub is normal on many models.
How much water is normal
Before you pull anything apart, look at how much water is left. Many dishwashers keep a little water in the sump on purpose. Whirlpool says water about halfway up the filter area is normal and keeps the seals there from drying out. GE says 1 to 2 cups of clean water covering the bottom of the tub is normal on its models without an Ultra Fine filter. On models that have one, water should stay in the sump and not cover the tub floor. That water drains at the start of the next cycle.
Water over the filter and onto the tub floor is a real problem. So is a cycle that stops partway, or a drain code on the display.
Codes that mean a drain problem
Whirlpool and KitchenAid show F9E1 for a long drain and F9E2 for a drain motor fault. GE shows C1 or C2 when pumping out takes too long and C3 when it won't drain at all (some models show FTD or F56). LG shows OE. Samsung shows 5C, 5E, SC or SE. Bosch shows E24 for a blocked drain and E25 for a blocked pump or loose pump cover. Frigidaire shows i20, and Miele shows F11 or a flashing drain light.
The checks below fix most of them. Look up your exact code on this site for the brand's own steps.
1. Clean the filter and sump
Water has to pass through the filter on its way to the drain pump, so a filter packed with food, labels, seeds or broken glass slows or stops draining. It's the first thing to check, and it's a five-minute job.
Switch off the breaker or unplug the dishwasher. Pull out the bottom rack, twist the filter out of the tub floor (most turn counterclockwise), and rinse it under the tap with a soft brush. Wear gloves, since broken glass ends up here. Bail out standing water with a cup and a sponge so you can see the sump, and pick out anything sitting in it. Our guide on how to clean a dishwasher filter has the full steps.
2. Run the garbage disposer, and check its knockout plug
Plenty of US dishwashers drain through the garbage disposer. If the disposer is full of food, the dishwasher has nowhere to push its water. Run the disposer with the cold tap on before you start the dishwasher. Never reach into the disposer to clear it.
If the disposer was just installed, or the dishwasher has never drained properly since it went in, the knockout plug is the likely cause. New disposers come with a plastic plug sealing the dishwasher inlet, and it has to be knocked out during installation. Whirlpool, GE and Bosch all list it as a check. Knocking it out means disconnecting the disposer's power and working under the sink, so if you didn't install it, call whoever did.
3. Clear the air gap
Some kitchens have an air gap, a small chrome or plastic cap on the sink deck or countertop next to the faucet. It stops dirty sink water from siphoning back into the dishwasher, and it clogs with food. Water spilling out of it during the drain is the giveaway.
Pull or twist off the cover, unscrew the inner cap if there is one, and clean out the debris with a bottle brush or pipe cleaner. If your sink has no air gap, the drain hose should be looped up high under the counter, as the installation instructions show, to do the same job.
4. Check the drain hose
Open the cabinet under the sink and follow the ribbed drain hose from the dishwasher to the disposer or sink drain. Look for a kink, a section crushed by stored cleaning bottles, or a hose that sags into a dip where food settles.
To check the hose's far end, switch off power to the dishwasher and the disposer, put a bucket and towels under the connection, loosen the clamp at the disposer or drain tailpiece, and pull the hose off. Food packed in the last few inches is common. Clean it out, reattach it with the clamp tight, and run a short cycle. Don't pour chemical drain cleaner into the dishwasher or the hose. GE says not to.
5. Rule out suds
Regular dish soap foams heavily in a dishwasher, and foam keeps water from pumping out (it can push water out of the door, too). Whirlpool and KitchenAid show F6E3 for too many suds, and LG shows bE. If someone used dish soap, or ran out of detergent and improvised, turn the dishwasher off, let the foam settle, scoop out what you can, and run a rinse with no detergent. Use only automatic dishwasher detergent.
6. Check the pump cover and reset
On some Bosch dishwashers a small pump cover sits under the filter, and if it's loose or has food behind it the pump can't move water. Bosch's E25 steps cover how to check it. Other brands have similar covers; your manual will show whether yours does.
Then reset: switch off the breaker for about 30 seconds (GE's advice for C3, and Whirlpool's for F9E1), restore power and run a short cycle. Bosch says to clear its codes using the reset steps in your owner's manual.
7. A failed drain pump
If the filter, disposer, air gap and hose are all clear and water still won't leave, the drain pump is likely blocked deeper inside or has failed. Listen during the drain. A hum with no water moving means a jam or a seized pump, and silence means the pump isn't getting power or has burned out. Codes like F9E2 on Whirlpool point straight at it.
Replacing the pump usually means pulling the dishwasher out from under the counter and disconnecting the water line and wiring. That's a technician job for most people.
When to call a professional
A technician should take over if the drain path is clear and water still won't pump out, if the pump hums or stays silent during the drain, or if a drain motor code comes back after a reset. If the kitchen sink itself is backing up, a plumber is the right call.
Parts involved
Error codes for this problem
- F9E1Long drain (water not pumping out)KitchenAid
- F9E1Long drain (slow or no drain)Whirlpool
- F9E2Drain motor errorKitchenAid
- F9E2Drain motor errorWhirlpool
- C1 / C2Draining is taking too longGE
- C3 / FTD / F56Dishwasher won't drainGE
- OENot drainingLG
- 5C / 5E / SC / SEDishwasher is not drainingSamsung
- E24Dishwasher is not draining (blocked drain path)Bosch
- E25Drain pump blocked or pump cover looseBosch
- i20Didn't drain completelyFrigidaire
- F11Water left in the wash cabinet (drain fault)Miele
- Drain indicator flashingDrain light flashing, program stoppedMiele
- F6E3Too many sudsKitchenAid
- F6E3Too many sudsWhirlpool
- bEToo many sudsLG