In our day to day lives, most of us rely heavily on our appliances. Of course, we don’t give much thought to their use – until something goes wrong (such as finding that your dishwasher is clogged!). There’s nothing more frustrating than an appliance that won’t work properly, especially when you realize just how dependent you are on its ability to get you from point A to point B throughout your day.
Take your dishwasher, for example. We rely on them to not only keep our dishes clean but to help maintain order in our home so that we don’t have to expend extra energy worrying about those extraneous details and can instead stay focused on simply living our lives. But, when your dishwasher stops working, then what? You’re likely going to find that your daily routine is shaken up and interrupted with the need to expend extra energy and time in your kitchen when you could be spending that valuable time with your family, friends, or simply doing something that you actually enjoy.
So, what should you do if your dishwasher stops draining properly? Well, the likely culprit of any drainage issue is due to a clogged sewer line. Your dishwasher is connected to your kitchen sink’s water supply line and drain system. This means that if either of these becomes clogged, your dishwasher won’t get the proper amount of water it needs to fully clean your dishes. Blockages are often a result from food and other debris that has gotten stuck or has built up in your drain and pipes.
Whatever the case may be, it can be corrected and repaired so long as you learn to recognize the signs of a clogged dishwasher. Here are the warning sings you need to keep an eye out for:
- Gurgling – If you start to notice an unusual gurgling sound coming from your drains, this could be a sign of water attempting to break through a blockage. Clogs can occur anywhere within your main sewer line as well as your secondary lines, so if your dishwasher starts making unusual noises, call your trusty plumber to come out. They’ll be able to diagnose the location of the clog and fix it accordingly.
- Dirty dishes – If you open your dishwasher after the cycle completes and find that your dishes aren’t clean, that’s a sign that the washer never actually filled with water. This indicates a clog in the main line or in the secondary kitchen line.
- Leftover water – If, when you open your dishwasher after a complete cycle, you see that there’s water resting in the bottom, then the appliance isn’t draining properly, which is a big problem, as this means your dishes may not fully be getting clean either. You can try to troubleshoot the situation, but it’s best to call in an expert.
- Water backup – A sure sign it’s time to call your plumber is when your dishwasher is running and water starts backing up out of your kitchen sink. To handle this situation in the moment, you’re going to need to shut off the dishwasher and run your garbage disposal to make sure that there’s no food debris stuck in the sink causing this drainage issue. If that doesn’t solve the problem, and water backup persists, then you need to get your plumber in there to fix the situation.
- Slow-flowing drain – If your dishwasher or kitchen sink starts to drain slowly, you’re probably looking at a near-clog situation in your kitchen sewer line. To keep this from getting worse and turning into a full blockage, you’ll want to get help as soon as possible.
If your dishwasher isn’t keeping up with your demands due to drainage issues, it’s time to call in your trusty plumber. We’ll get in there, assess the situation, and fix the underlying problem as quickly and efficiently as possible so that you can get back to your routine.
