Flooded Floor From Dishwasher

Mop up the water from the bottom of the dishwasher using rags and a bucket. Turn off the power to your dishwasher before inspecting any of its components. There is usually a power outlet adjacent to the dishwasher inside your cabinets. Disconnect this cord or, if you can't find the outlet, turn the power off at the main breaker.

Check the pump, which is in the bottom of the dishwasher, for large objects obstructing drainage. If food, paper or other debris blocks the sump area at the rear of the tub, your dishwasher may not drain.

Check the kitchen sink drain and garbage disposal for clogs. Your dishwasher will usually drain into the kitchen sink drain or a garbage disposal. If these are clogged, the water will not go down the pipes and may back-flow into your dishwasher, causing flooding.

Run the disposal to clear it if this is the problem. Plunge your sink drain to clear any clogs there as well. Do not reach into the disposal drain. This could lead to serious injury.

Open the cabinet beneath the sink and examine the drain hose that connects the dishwasher to the sink. If there is a kink in the hose, the water may not drain out of the dishwasher properly. Replace the hose if this is the problem.

Ensure that the total length of the drain hose is not more than 120 inches. A hose that is too long will also have drainage problems.

Check the height of the drain hose loop. Dishwashers that do not use an air gap require a drain loop. This loop should be at least 18 inches above the floor. If the hose is not looped at this height, dirty water from your sink can flow back into your dishwasher.

Reposition the hose to the proper height. You can attach the hose to the underside of the countertop to do this.

Lift off the metal cap on your sink that covers the air gap. Unscrew and remove the plastic cap beneath.

Pour about 1/2 cup baking soda into the air gap drain. Follow this with 1 cup of vinegar. Leave this to bubble in the drain for about 10 minutes and replace the caps.

Reconnect the power to the dishwasher, or flip the breaker back on. Run water into the sink and then run a cycle through the dishwasher to see if it drains.

Disconnect the power to your dishwasher at the outlet or the breaker if cleaning the gap does not fix the problem.

Remove the screws on the top and the sides of the dishwasher door panel and lift the panel away. Behind this will be a circuit map that indicates where you can find the drain valve solenoid. Some models may not drain if this part malfunctions.

Remove the solenoid wires from their terminals and attach each to a volt ohmmeter. If there is no voltage, contact a technician for repair.

• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Screwdriver
• Volt ohmmeter
• Bucket
• Rags

• Always run your garbage disposal before running a cycle through your dishwasher, to clean it out and prevent flooding.

Thanks