When you think about all of the food and scraps that we put into our dishwashers and down our drains, it’s not surprising thatthings can back up every once in a while. One common symptom of clogged drains in your kitchen is your dishwasher not draining.
If you see a lot of standing water at the bottom of the dishwasher in your San Francisco area home, there are a few things you can try on your own before calling a professional to fix the problem.
Three things you can do when you dishwasher is not draining
- 1. Clear your garbage disposal. Often times, the water from your dishwasher will drain through your garbage disposal. If this is the case, you’ll want to keep your disposal as clear as possible in order to allow water to freely pass through it. If your disposal is full, the water can back up and leave standing water in your dishwasher. Make sure to completely run your disposal and loosen up any clogs.
- 2. Clean your air gap. Many kitchens will have an air gap installed on the counter next to the faucet that prevents water from your sink backing up into your dishwasher. If the air gap is clogged with buildup, it can lead to your dishwasher not draining properly. One common sign of a clogged air gap is water flooding onto your counter. To clear the air gap, take off the cap and remove any debris that you can see.
- 3. Break up drain clogs with a homemade solution. If your dishwasher drain is clogged and causing water to back up, you can try using a homemade solution of vinegar, baking soda and hot water to break up the clog. First, pour a solution of baking soda and vinegar down the basket at the bottom of your dishwasher. After letting it settle for 10-15 minutes, pour a pot of boiling hot water down the basket and see if that clears the clog.
If you have any questions about your dishwasher not draining, or if you’d like the help of a professional plumber, contact Cabrillo, your San Francisco plumbing, heating and cooling company. We service the San Francisco area and surrounding cities like Palo Alto, Daly City, Belmont and Orinda.