In the world of professional home appliance repair, a few complaints and issues are particularly common, though experienced home repair technicians have heard just about everything about nearly every broken kitchen appliance imaginable. Sometimes, the complaint is an easy fix that can be described to an apt do-it-yourself go-getter over the phone, and other times it could lead to a service call and an in-depth mechanical or electrical appliance repair job. "My dishwasher won’t drain or fill” is a common occurrence, though it’s closer to unique since it’s a description of something that can be a symptom of either a quick repair or a complicated, lengthy task. It all depends on the circumstance, but if you’ve found yourself saying the same thing, it never hurts to consult with an appliance repair professional, who can help you decide where to go and what to do next to get your kitchen life back in working order.

 

The Simple Stuff

 

Unless you’re someone who thoroughly rinses off all dishes before loading them into your dishwasher, chances are a fair bit of food particulate ends up swirling around during a regular cycle. Most of the time, these bits are small enough that they don’t cause problems, but other times they can be troublesome. For instance, at the bottom of most dishwasher units is a ‘float’ – a component that senses the internal water level during a cycle and adjusts the water level accordingly to make sure the right amount of water comes into the dishwasher. Sometimes, food can block and jam up this component, stopping the appliance from knowing what to do next. As a result, you may end up opening up your malfunctioning dishwasher to find a small lake at the bottom and some decidedly unclean dishes in the rack. Luckily in cases like this, it is usually relatively easy to simply clean out the cluttering junk that’s causing the dishwasher jam and get everything back to normal.

 

The Tough Stuff

 

Sometimes, on the other hand, a dishwasher that won’t drain can be an indication of a deeper and more complicated problem, including the possibility of a broken pump or something wrong with an internal hose or pipe. If what you’re really looking at is a broken dishwasher pump, the only real option is to call in a professional and let them apply their experience and know-how to get your dishwasher back up and running in no time. While it may be tempting to try to fix these more complicated issues yourself, it’s important to recognize the potential safety hazards (if the pump was broken because of a short or other electrical problem) or future damage (if, while fixing one problem, a pipe was to be ruptured, the damage going forward could be extensive).

 

Whether your most recent complaint around the house is "my dishwasher won’t drain or fill” or something else about a different broken appliance, most people could benefit from a consultation with an expert. With a bit of research and asking the right questions, you can find a repair company that will help you learn what you can do at home by yourself and what you should just leave in the hands of the professionals.