Dishwasher won't drain

[Arbu]

I just got back from holiday, ran my dishwasher, and it failed to drain. I ran it again and still it wouldn't drain. It's over 20 years old do I can't protest too much. Anyway I drained it with a glass, tipped it on its side and took the attached photo of the base.

Is there anything I should try before buying a new machine? The hose isn't kinked or anything. My suspicion is that the black thing marked "Siemens" in the bottom left of the photo is some sort of motor to drain the water and that this has stopped working.

Grateful for any help.

Untitled

• Arbu
• 30 Jul 2014
• 1

 

[picasso]

This might help.

http://www.espares.co.uk/advice/3/1889/how-to-diagnose-draining-and-motor-problems-in-a-dishwasher

 

[longdogs]

At a guess I would suggest worn brushes on the pump.

 

[Arbu]

Fixed this last year. I wasn't able to unscrew the impeller as the man in the video suggests but as far as I recall all I did was take the outlet hose off and run boiling water and detergent through it. Now it's happened again and it's a bit frustrating that it's so soon, but I think the drain hose getting blocked is the problem.

 

[cjard]

It's given a good service for 21 years! Pony up and buy a new pump, or new washer rather than complaining that a bodge repair only lasted a year

 

[Arbu]

It's given a good service for 21 years! Pony up and buy a new pump, or new washer rather than complaining that a bodge repair only lasted a year

I'm not complaining. But it would seem a bit daft to buy a new washer when the problem only seems to be the drainage hose.

 

[Agile]

I expect that its an induction motor which does not have brushes.

You may be able to put your finger up the pipe and see if the impeller is free to turn.

But 21 years is a long time.

Maybe its time to replace it?

Tony

 

[Arbu]

I expect that its an induction motor which does not have brushes.

You may be able to put your finger up the pipe and see if the impeller is free to turn.

But 21 years is a long time.

Maybe its time to replace it?

Tony

OK I'll look at that next time. But do you think that is consistent with the fact that the drain hose seems to be getting blocked.

Getting a new one is not about the money. It's the hassle of having to choose one, measure it up, be in when it's delivered, get it connected up, and dispose of the old one. I could do without that if this one will keep going. I think it actually dates from the late 80s so is closer to 30 years old.

 

[Arbu]

OK, it's happened again so it's time to buy a new one. The fitting for the pipe is as per the attachment. I can't get my finger up it very far because there is a piece of loose plastic fitted in there which won't come out.

Just as a record for myself the dimensions of the space are 56cm deep, 87cm high and 64cm wide.

 

[Agile]

How did you unblock last time?

 

[Arbu]

Took the outlet hose off and ran boiling water and detergent through it. But I don't have any evidence that the problem actually is due to the outlet hose getting blocked. It might be that the act of tipping the washing machine on its side to access the outlet hose is freeing up something inside.

 

[dilalio]

Blocked dishwasher drains!
That's when my AquaVac comes in very handy

Last one I did turned up a peach pit - God only knows how that got in there!!

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Tilting them causes something that sticks, to loosen up and unstick I believe. Tip I found in the 'Appliances' section of this forum, when my Beko machine wouldn't drain. Don't know if its a common fix with most dishwashers though if they wont drain.

Maybe worth asking there.

 

[Arbu]

Tilting them causes something that sticks, to loosen up and unstick I believe. Tip I found in the 'Appliances' section of this forum, when my Beko machine wouldn't drain. Don't know if its a common fix with most dishwashers though if they wont drain.

Maybe worth asking there.

Well if something was sticking, tilting the machine was clearly only a temporary solution because it kept happening.

So now I've followed the advice above and bought a new machine from "very". To save hassle I paid £15 for their connection service. But it didn't avoid hassle. The men they sent insisted that they couldn't take the original drain hose off and would have to just attach the new one on to the end of it. So it's now really long. Plus there was an old plug socket behind the dishwasher which they plugged the new one in to instead of reconnecting the lead which comes out of the wall and is attached to a switch on the wall level. Trouble is that the installation manual insists that the socket must be accessible and the one now in use is not.

Are these serious issues? I can either ignore them, try and fix them myself, pay to get someone in, or try and get "very" to send someone around again.

 

[dilalio]

You paid for a "connection" service, not an "installation"!
I hate to say it but it's what these profit centric organisations do... Sell "easy peasy, one-stop" services, that are shrouded in terms & conditions, and leave dissatisfied customers in their wake... But it was only £15 so...