What to do if your dishwasher is clogged?

Do you have a clogged dishwasher? You’re not the only one. It’s not uncommon for dishwashers to experience this problem, which can be caused by a number of things. In this article, we will clarify the typical causes and give some advice on how to prevent your dishwasher from clogging and if it does happen, how to fix the problem.

Why do dishwashers clog?

Dishwasher clogs whenever there are foreign objects stuck in hoses, connectors or in the drain. The foreign objects can be food scraps, hair, or other small items that usually cause the most problems in the drain area of your dishwasher under 300.

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What happens when the dishwasher is clogged?

If your dishwasher is clogged, the machine will usually warn you by displaying an error code (e.g. e22). If no error code is displayed, you will recognize the clogging by the fact that no water is draining from the dishwasher.

In this case, turn off your machine as soon as possible and look for foreign objects in the drain area or in hoses and connections. If you don’t find anything and no error codes are displayed when you turn your machine back on, it’s probably time to seek professional help, because then things get more complicated.

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Where can I find the blockage?

1. drain sieve clogged
   Food debris in the drain strainer is one of the most common causes of clogging in dishwashers under 500. If it is not cleaned regularly, food debris will accumulate and eventually clog the water flow, preventing the machine from pumping water. Drain clogs are also more likely to occur if your dishes often have a lot of grease residue stuck to them. The accumulation of grease in the drain pipes can cause slow drainage, which leads to clogs over time.

You can fix a clogged drain strainer by removing it (usually with a simple twisting motion) and removing hair or other debris from the area by rinsing it under lukewarm running water in the sink. Now, wash the drain strainer still with detergent and a sponge to remove grease or other dirt.

2. pump sump clogged
   Once the strainer is removed, you should also look for foreign objects in the now exposed pump sump. However, you will not be able to remove some foreign objects there by hand.
3. drain hose clogged
   It becomes more problematic if the strainer did not stop the debris and it got into the drain hose of the dishwasher and caused a blockage there.

In this case, you need to proceed as follows. First, place a bucket or other suitable container between the sink drain and the drain hose to catch any water that may leak out. Then disconnect the drain hose from the sink and allow the water to run into a bucket until all of its contents have drained out. Then, if it is clogged, you can unclog it by blowing into it or using a suction syringe. If that is not enough, you should flush the hose with lukewarm water and detergent. Finally, reconnect the hose and check for leaks after each step before proceeding to the next step.

If you cannot solve the blockage in the hose, replacement is of course also possible without any problems.

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Avoiding blockages in the dishwasher

To avoid clogs, it is important to keep the inside of your dishwasher clean: Make sure to scrape large pieces of debris off dishes before placing them in the machine, use cutlery baskets for your silverware instead of placing individual pieces loosely in the dishwasher baskets, and run the dishwasher when it’s full so that food debris doesn’t build up on the interior surfaces.

And, of course, it’s especially important to clean the dishwasher regularly to prevent clogs. In addition to hygiene programs that some dishwashers under 400 offer, the inside of the dishwasher should be cleaned with a vinegar cleaner or vinegar essence mixture or citric acid. The more your machine is taken care of, the less likely the dishwasher is to clog.