Is Your Dishwasher Clogged?

Dishwashers are one of those appliances that are pure luxury. Nobody needs a dishwasher, but they’re amazing, and when yours isn’t working properly, dishes can begin to pile up frighteningly fast. Unfortunately, a clogged dishwasher simply isn’t unusual. After all, you’re loading your dishwasher with (scraped) dirty plates. All that food accumulation has to go somewhere. That somewhere is your pipes, and sometimes all that residue gets stuck. So what do you do when your dishwasher isn’t draining properly?

When it comes to plumbing, you’ll ideally start where you’ve noticed the issue (ie: at your dishwasher), and then expand outwards.

Clogged Filter Basket.

A good dishwasher from a reputable manufacturer will have a filter basket that helps to prevent lingering food scraps from entering the pipes. In Calgary, the filter basket will likely also collect minerals and be subject to lime scale build up. Between food particles and lime scale, you should clean the filter basket routinely. Soaking it in vinegar can help dissolve away the mineral deposits.

Clogged Drain Hose.

If cleaning your filter basket doesn’t help, you’ll need to expand your search out. Check the drain hose that connects your dishwasher to either your kitchen sink drain or your garbage disposal. Drain hoses can get a nasty build-up of sludge that blocks the dishwasher from draining. If you feel confident cleaning plumbing yourself, take some time to clean the dishwasher drain hose and any other drain pipes under your sink. Otherwise, contact your local Calgary plumber to flush your system and break apart any clogs.

Clogged Drain Line.

Whenever any plumbing fixture starts to malfunction, it’s a good idea to take an honest look at your other fixtures. Has your sink been draining slowly? Or can you hear water gurgling back up the sink when the dishwasher drains? It’s perfectly possible that you have a partial clog in a drain line, and there’s nothing wrong with your dishwasher at all! Your trusted plumbing partner can help find and eradicate partial and full clogs that are disrupting the optimal function of your dishwasher and other plumbing fixtures.

The Calgary plumbers at Plumbing Paramedics pride themselves on serving Calgary homeowners. From small plumbing struggles and annual plumbing maintenance to full renovations and full-on emergencies, there is no job too big or too small for our team. Having a clogged dishwasher? Call us today!