Dishwasher not draining
Water sitting in the base after every cycle is nearly always the drain pump filter or the waste connection. We strip it, clear it, and test drainage on a full cycle before we leave.
- Two hour arrival window, Monday to Friday — pick yours when you book
- 12-month parts warranty, 3-month workmanship
- Original parts only, fitted on a return visit with no second call-out fee
What is actually happening
A dishwasher pulls waste water through a fine filter before it reaches the pump. Over months, food packs into that filter from below where you cannot see it — the coarse basket on top can look perfectly clean while the fine filter underneath is solid.
Run it long enough in that state and the pump works against the blockage until it fails, which turns a cleaning job into a parts job. If your machine has started draining slowly, that is the moment to book.
Why a dishwasher stops draining
- 01
Packed fine filter and sump
The most common cause. Requires a full strip-down of the filter assembly rather than a rinse of the top basket.
- 02
Blocked drain pump impeller
Glass fragments, fruit stones and labels off jars all end up here. The pump runs but shifts nothing.
- 03
Kinked or blocked waste hose
Often behind an integrated unit where the hose has been crushed during installation or a kitchen change.
- 04
Blocked sink waste or air gap
Many dishwashers drain into the sink waste. If the sink is slow, the dishwasher will be too — and no part will fix that.
- 05
Failed drain pump
Where the pump has already run against a blockage for months. Replaced and tested on a full cycle.
Got a code on the display? Tell us when you book.
It is the single most useful thing you can give us — half the time it tells us which part to put in the van, which is the difference between finishing on the first visit and booking a return.
Bosch
- E15
- E24
- E25
- E09
- E22
- E14
LG
- AE
- FE
- LE
- HE
- tE
- OE
Samsung
- LC
- LE
- 4C
- 5C
- 3C
- 7E
- 9E
Fisher & Paykel
- F1
- F2
- F3
- F4
- F9
- U1
Not listed, or no code showing? Describe what the machine is doing instead — water left in the base, grit on the plates, a cycle that stops part-way. Each points at a different part.
Drainage jobs
Photographs from real jobs, taken by the technician who did the work. No stock photography anywhere on this site.
The sump grille of a dishwasher blocked with cooked-on residue.
The complete filter assembly removed from a dishwasher tub.
Fibrous debris wound around the impeller in a dishwasher pump housing.
The sump housing of a dishwasher with the filter removed.
A dishwasher drain hose and its connection under the kitchen sink.
A chip of broken glass recovered from a dishwasher pump — enough on its own to stop the machine draining.
Four steps, no surprises
- 01
Tell us what's wrong
Appliance, suburb, and what it's actually doing. Model number and error code too, if you can reach them.
- 02
Get a window and a call-out fee
We quote the call-out fee for your suburb and confirm a two hour arrival window that fits the day's route, rather than an all-day wait. Ring before 10:30am and same-day may be possible.
- 03
We attend and attempt the repair
The technician works the fault on site within the booked time. Most jobs are finished on that visit.
- 04
Repair or replace — your call
If a part is needed we talk you through it and give you a quote, and you decide whether to repair it or put the money toward a new one. If you go ahead we order an original part and come back to fit it — labour and part only, no second call-out fee. Covered for three months either way.
Questions we get asked
What happens if you can't work out what's wrong?
We look at the call-out fee case by case and it may be reduced or waived — the Terms set out how that works. If we do find the fault and the machine turns out to be beyond economical repair, the diagnostic fee still applies: the diagnosis was the job, and knowing not to spend money on a repair is worth having.
Do I get charged twice if a part has to be ordered?
No. If a part needs ordering we book a return visit to fit it, and there is no second call-out fee. You pay for the part and the labour to finish the job, nothing else.
How long is the warranty?
12 months on parts we supply and fit, and 3 months on workmanship. If the same fault comes back within 7 days of the repair, we return with no call-out fee.
Can you give me an exact arrival time?
We book a two hour arrival window rather than a fixed time, Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm, so the day's route holds together and everyone gets seen when they were told. A 9–11am window means the technician arrives somewhere in that window. If you ring before 10:30am, same-day may be possible.
Book a repair
Tell us the appliance and the suburb. We'll come back with the next available window, usually within one business day.