Water In Bottom Of Dishwasher – How To Fix

My dishwasher is brand new but it leaves water at the bottom. The water is present after I do a load of dishes. The water at the bottom is not clean. When I remove the dishes, the drops of water on my plates is slightly smelly. What is the easiest way to fix my dishwasher?

Reasons why a dishwasher has water at bottom after wash cycle:
1. Sump pump filter/drain basket clogged with food or objects
2. Clogged drain hose Check that your drain hose is HIGH LOOP
3. Check AIR GAP (ANTI SIPHON) if applicable.
4. Drain hose is siphoning
5. Food chopping blade jammed
6. Foreign object lodged in pump
7. Garbage disposal clogged
8. Float is stuck
9. Dishwasher not level

A dishwasher filter/trap/drainage basket that is clogged with chunks of food is the leading reason water remains at the bottom of a dishwasher.

Water should never be in the dishwasher at the end of the wash cycle. At the end of the cycle, the dirty water is pumped out during the drain cycle. The only time you should see water in your dishwasher is when you open the door during a wash cycle.

• The pump filter (aka= drainage basket – trap – catch) may be clogged with pieces of food, pieces of broken glass, and broken pieces of dishes or plates. When you clean out the pump filter, use caution as there may be sharp pieces of glass or pieces of broken plates. Many times when loading or unloading a dishwasher, a glass cup or similar will get broken. Those broken pieces fall down into the dishwasher and usually will be found in the pump filter. This filter is located at the very bottom of your dishwasher. Remove the bottom rack and have a look in the bottom of the dishwasher to see if the filter is filled and preventing water from draining out.
• Check the drain hose. If the drain hose is clogged then water in not able to be pumped out. It could be bent or kinked also. You may need an anti siphon loop in the drain hose so the dirty water does not flow backwards into the dishwasher.
• The food chopping blade or the actual pump may be jammed up from a large item of food or broken dish. You also need to be sure the pump inlet housing is not clogged. If this is the case, you need to take the dishwasher apart to access it. Here is a generalized way to take your dishwasher apart to access the chop blade.
• If the garbage disposal is clogged, the water from the dishwasher cannot drain. Most of the time the dishwasher drain hose is connected into the garbage disposal. Check to be sure water flows freely into the garbage disposal. You should hear water running into the bottom of the disposal when the dishwasher drains.
• The water float may be stuck. To see if it is working properly remove top cap and move it up and down to be sure it moves freely. Remove any gunk that may be preventing it from moving freely. If the water float cannot drop down, this will stop the drain cycle before it is finished.
• The dishwasher may not be level. The front of your dishwasher should have little adjustable feet. These can be adjusted so the water does not accumulate in the front. Adjust the feet to move all the water towards the drain pump. If the feet are adjusted wrong, water could be more toward the front of the dishwasher therefore the water is not over the drain to be pumped out.

Cheap Dishwasher Parts – Parts for all major brands of Dishwasher.

Dishwasher Repair – How to Clean the Screen Filter

Dishwasher Repair | Drain Hose Replacement

Dishwasher Repair – Will Not Drain

The methods for fixing a dishwasher with water at the bottom can be used on all dishwashers. This includes Bosch, Maytag, Samsung, GE, Kenmore, Frigidaire, and Whirlpool.

If you know of any other reasons a dishwasher has water at the bottom after wash cycle, please leave a comment below.