Top 4 Reasons Your Dishwasher is Clogged – And How to Fix It
Dishwashers are a super-convenient appliance to have in your home. No long post-cooking or eating clean-up times. Just a few adjusted settings and your dishes are ready for reuse. However, what appears like a great way to be efficient can also become a costly, messy problem if the dishwasher gets backed up. That problem is, most often, a clog.
There are a handful of reasons why a dishwasher would clog, with the most common being a blocked drain hose, a full filter basket, improper installation, or a broken sewer line. If you clean out the accessible components and can’t resolve the situation, then it’s time to enlist a professional plumber.
Reasons for dishwasher clogs
- Your drain hose is clogged. The drain hose is connected to your kitchen sink drain or garbage disposal. When sludge builds up within the hose, it can cause backups that will ultimately result in a clogged dishwasher.
- Your filter basket is clogged. Ever wonder how scraps of food don’t make it into your kitchen pipes? It’s primarily because of your dishwasher’s filter basket. Clogging happens when you don’t clean this filter regularly. If your filter has some deposits, be sure to use sprinkle and rinse vinegar in the filter to help with the clogging.
- Your new garbage disposal wasn’t installed properly. Did you recently get a new garbage disposal? If so, improper installation can clog your dishwasher. How? It’s possible that the knockout plug was never removed when your garbage disposal was installed. Just remove the plug, and try using your dishwasher to see if that might be the issue.
- Your sewer line is broken. When dishwashers clog, people hardly think, “I wonder if it’s the sewer line?” Believe it or not, a broken sewer pipe could clog your dishwasher in the same way it can clog fixtures like toilets, tubs, and more.
How to fix a clogged dishwasher
- Figure out what the problem is. Really take a deep look around your dishwasher and drains for anything that seems or feels out of place. You might find that the problem is not worth DIY and will require a professional diagnosis.
- Have the right tools. If you have some basic plumbing chops and are confident that you’ve identified where the clogging originates, make sure you’re well equipped to solve the problem.
- Call the professionals. Dishwasher clogs might be more difficult to solve than you think. Save yourself the time and hassle by bringing in a licensed professional.
Call a plumber to unclog your dishwasher?
If you find yourself with a clogged dishwasher, don’t resign yourself to cleaning dishes by hand from now on. At Ohio Buckeye Plumbing, we offer expert drain cleaning service so you can get back to enjoying your convenient kitchen appliance. Schedule an appointment today at (440) 283-9377.