- Maytag Dishwasher Not Draining Troubleshooting - January 4, 2022
You open your Maytag dishwasher only to find that the dishes are still dirty and water remains standing at the bottom of the washer. Irritated, you try to find out the problem.
The leading cause of water not draining in a Maytag dishwasher is a clogged drain line or blocked machine filter. In certain rare cases, an electrical problem or mechanical failure may be behind your Maytag dishwasher not draining.
Thankfully, you can sort out the most common issues that make a Maytag dishwasher not drain. Below, we’ll go over the most common problems and the best fixes for them so your Maytag dishwasher can get back to scrubbing your dirty dishes clean and draining water immediately.
Causes of Drainage Failure in a Maytag Dishwasher and How to Fix Them
If your Maytag dishwasher is having problems with drainage, there could be a simple fix or two available. Follow our guide below to diagnose the specific problems and get your dishwasher draining again.
Clogged Drain Hose
When a dishwasher fails to drain, a clogged drain hose tends to be the cause. If there’s a buildup of debris that squeezes through the filter or a really large food particle, drain hose clogs might occur.
You can clear some drain hose clogs by pouring hot water, baking soda, and vinegar solution down the Maytag dishwasher drain. But if that fails and your Maytag dishwasher is still not draining, you must unhook the hose to get rid of the clog.
It’s recommended that you call in a professional dishwasher repair technician to unhook the hose and remove the clog. This is because when unhooking the hose, the plates and the interior of the washer must be unscrewed to clear up everything.
If you opt to unhook the hose by yourself, always power off your dishwasher and turn off the water supply. Once you’ve cleared the kinks, screw everything back up and turn the water supply on.
If the drain hose seems to get clogged too easily, you may need to replace it. One excellent choice would be the TT Flex Universal Drain Hose.
Clogged Dishwasher Filter
If you’re lucky enough, your Maytag dishwasher will begin working once you clean the filter and get rid of the clogging. The work of the filter is to screen large food particles and prevent the likelihood of a blocked drain. But then again, over time, food particles can still clog your dishwasher’s filter. Bear in mind that if your Maytag dishwasher has no air gaps, debris flushed down the drain can clog the filter.
It’s recommended that you clean your dishwasher filter every 2-3 months to maximize its performance. Moreover, replacing the filter regularly will prevent the possibility of clogging. The Portable RAC 20055901 Maytag Filter could be a great filter replacement, to begin with.
Also, if there’s always standing water in your Maytag dishwasher at the end of a cleaning cycle, it must be removed immediately. You can run the filter under the water to clean it. You should also scrub off the debris with an old toothbrush and rinse the filter thoroughly. Then screw it back in place and also clean up the filter cage.
Faulty Drain Pump
The Maytag dishwasher’s drain pump has an impeller it uses to force the water and debris through the hose. When the motor isn’t working, the impeller won’t do its job and the draining won’t complete at the end of a cleaning cycle.
Whenever this problem occurs, the accumulation of debris can cause clogging. The best solution for this is to test for continuity with a multimeter. If there’s no continuity, you’ll have no option but to replace the drain pump since repairing it isn’t a long-term fix.
One good replacement option could be the Whirlpool Drain Pump WP6-917641.
Use of Wrong Detergent
If you use the wrong kind of detergent, your Maytag dishwasher may not drain. Maytag recommends using tablets and powder fillers in their dishwashers. If you’re considering switching from powder to liquid or vice versa, make sure that the rest of the settings are unchanged.
Unknowingly using dish soap will cause your Maytag dishwasher to produce too much suds, which will consequently interfere with drainage. The best solution for this issue is wiping down your washer and clearing any detergent remains from the tray. Moreover, you can try operating the dishwasher while empty with a little amount of detergent.
Stuck Check Valve
Your dishwasher’s check valve ensures that the washing water doesn’t flow back into the dishwasher. If this valve fails to work and gets stuck while open, it’ll cause the washing water to drain back into the dishwasher. Once this happens, you’ll often see some water remaining in the dishwasher as most of it will have been drained away. Due to the backflow, your dishes might get contaminated.
The check valve might be blocked, in which case it’d be wise to take it out and clean it up or replace the whole pipe. Clogging might also be a sign that something is faulty internally—either way, contact a dishwasher repair technician to diagnose and sort out the issue.
Clogged Garbage Disposer
The drain hose in a Maytag dishwasher is sometimes connected to a garbage disposer. If the garbage disposer is clogged or there’s accumulated debris inside it, there’ll be less space for water to get into and out of your dishwasher.
To sort out the drainage issue in your Maytag dishwasher, try running the garbage disposer through lots of water flow to clean it up.
Clean Out the Air Gaps
Air gaps work as a safety tool that blocks water from flowing back into your dishwasher. Maytag dishwashers come with air gaps that you should clean regularly and inspect for debris buildup, clogs, or corrosion. If your Maytag dishwasher isn’t fully draining at the end of a cleaning cycle, clogged air gaps might be the issue.
Clean your dishwasher’s air gaps to get rid of any stubborn residue. You can also just blow it using a cardboard tube or make use of an air compressor.
Wrong Timer Setting
You can set a Maytag dishwasher’s timer to delay the turning off of the drain pump. This setting isn’t available in all Maytag dishwasher models, so refer to your manual before trying this solution. If your Maytag dishwasher is acting up and not draining quickly, try turning the timer on and off.
Many dishwasher models have a mechanical timer that controls dishwasher cycles. You can find the timer at the top of the dishwasher’s front panel, usually near the door. You can then examine the timer using a multimeter to make sure it’s working.
If the timer doesn’t pass the continuity test, replace it with something like the Frigidaire 5303351136 Timer.
Stuck Check Ball
A check ball is a little ball that’s found inside the drain valve of a dishwasher. It has the simple task of letting water leave the dishwasher and preventing the same water from flowing back into the washer.
Sometimes the check ball may be stuck in position. In most cases, manually running the check ball a few times will prevent the problem from occurring.
How to Prevent Your Maytag Dishwasher from Not Draining
While it’s important to know why your Maytag dishwasher isn’t draining, it’s also best to prevent the problem from recurring. While the dishwasher often cleans dishes regularly, you also need to clean them regularly. Set up a routine for that and your dishwasher will work for years without issues.
Be sure to check the dishwasher’s filters regularly. The filters prevent large food particles from getting into the drain hose and potentially clogging it. Regularly clean up the filters.
Pre-rinsing the dishes might also help, although it isn’t necessary to clean them before they’re washed. Maytag dishwashers come equipped with a food chopper, which helps to get rid of leftover food. Just don’t put very dirty dishes in your dishwasher.
Lastly, be sure to use your Maytag dishwasher regularly. Like all household appliances, dishwashers are designed to work regularly and if they remain unused for so long, issues are likely to crop up.
FAQs
Question: What Makes a Dishwasher Not Pump Out the Water?
Answer: It’s fairly common for dishwashers to not drain due to either the air gap (if there’s one) or the drain hose getting clogged up. A clogged drain hose usually occurs where the main home drain line or garbage disposer is connected to the washer’s drain hose.
Question: How Do I Remove Standing Water in the Dishwasher?
Answer: Mix around a cup each of vinegar and baking soda and pour the solution into the water standing at the bottom of your dishwasher. Leave it for around 20 minutes. Once the water starts to drain, pour hot water to rinse the drain and then run its rinse cycle.
Question: How Do I Force Drain My Maytag Dishwasher?
Answer: To manually drain your Maytag dishwasher:
• Turn off the dishwasher’s water and power connections and pull them away from the wall.
• Scoop out any water remaining in the dishwasher drum.
• Remove the drain pipe from the sink or wall drain and empty the remaining water into a trough.
• Clamp the open tip of the drain hose to stop extra spillage as you work.
Question: Should There Be Water Standing in a Dishwasher Drain?
Answer: It’s perfectly normal or even useful for water to stand in a dishwasher drain. It’s there to prevent the drying up of seals. The water drains once a cycle begins only to be replaced with fresh water when the cycle ends.
Question: Why is there Standing Water in My Dishwasher?
Answer: Standing water in any dishwasher is often caused by food particles getting stuck in the drain. For this reason, it’s vital to get rid of any food that remains and clean your dishwasher’s drain. To clean the washer’s drain, you can rinse it with warm water or poke through the holes with a wire clothes hanger. Then, put everything back together.
The Takeaway on Maytag Dishwasher Not Draining Troubleshooting
A properly functioning Maytag dishwasher is a serious labor-saving appliance. It does away with much of the slog of kitchen tasks at mealtime. But things can get frustrating once your Maytag dishwasher stops draining.
In summary, these fixes will all resolve the issue of a Maytag dishwasher not draining. In case your dishwasher requires a spare part replacement or a repair, you should contact the Maytag dishwasher technical support team to sort out your problem since they’re trained to fix Maytag dishwashers.