Many Fullerton residents have the privilege of having a dishwasher in their homes. Ahh, sheer luxury! You use a dishwasher because you can give it all your grunt work, and it never complains. It never complains, until one day you open it up, and there is a flood of water at the bottom. Now this is not just any small puddle of water at the bottom, because that would be normal, but it’s sky high or spewing dirtiness. In this nasty case, your dishwasher is sick and needs some tender love and care. The pump may be clogged, the drain hose is not carrying the water to the pipe, or all of the drain lines in your home are backed up.
Fullerton Plumbing Company
To help your dear dishwasher, you first need to protect yourself. Turn off all the water in your house.
The Drain Line is Clogged/Kinked
If there is dirty water coming from your dishwasher air gap, there may just be a problem with your line. If you have put in a garbage disposal lately, check your work and make sure the knowout plug for the dishwasher was REMOVED (see garbage disposal instructions for further details).
If Your Dishwasher Squirts Dirty Water
At the top of the dishwasher sink, remove the air gap cover which is usually a short, domed cylinder in the back. Use a stiff wire to clean the air gap out. Check the whole drain hose for blockages or kinks, especially near the connection point between the drain and the line.
Clean Your Strainer
Shut the power off to your dishwasher. Remove the strainer if your dishwasher allows. It is located below the spray arm. Unscrew the hubcap, hold the spray arm up, and remove and holds or clips placed on the strainer so you can get it out. Clean it nice and shiny with a brush and replace it.
Clogged Hose
The drain valve might need replacing or the drain hose may be clogged, if you are still having draining problems. You can pull your dishwasher out from under your counter to access your drain hose and check for obstructions. You would disconnect the hose on each end, and run it under a faucet or garden hose to flush out whatever is causing the blockage. If the hose is in bad shape, or you cannot seem to flush it out, you can replace the hose. Make sure to bring the measurements with you to the hardware store.
