Five Warning Signs Your Home's Dishwasher Drain Could Be Clogged

You might be surprised to discover that your home’s dishwasher actually has a drain. In fact, many of the appliances around your kitchen and laundry area rely on drains. Dishwashers are connected to the drainage system of your kitchen sink and if that gets clogged, your dishwasher won’t work properly. It could be caused by food, other debris or buildup but, whatever the reason, there’s nothing more annoying than when your dishwasher can’t deliver on its promise.

Knowing the signs of a clogged dishwasher drain is important, especially for getting the problem resolved quickly. Early detection can actually go a long way, but what are the warning signs?

Five Early Warning Signs Your Dishwasher Drain Is Clogged

Unsure if you’re dealing with a drain clog? Don’t worry, your appliance will alert you through a variety of warning signs like slow drainage, gurgling, backups, standing water and dirty dishes.

Have you ever seen those commercials where they stick this disgustingly caked-on pan into the dishwasher, drop some little soap capsule in and guarantee it’ll get the dish looking spotless?

That would be nice but it doesn’t happen in the real world. If you haven’t been scraping plates there’s an increased risk of food particles wreaking havoc on your appliance’s drain. But clogs can happen not only because of what’s inside your dishwasher but from what could be hiding in the kitchen drain line – all of the food, grease and other stuff that goes down the sink drain. So, what are some warning signs that your dishwasher could be dealing with a clog in the kitchen?

• Slow Drainage: If you notice your dishwasher or kitchen sink is draining slowly, there could be a clog forming, or even extensive buildup hiding in your kitchen’s line. Slow drains might not seem like cause for concern but putting it off and letting it go a while longer could lead to a much larger problem, one that requires immediate attention.
• Gurgling Sounds: Have you heard loud gurgling coming from your dishwasher or kitchen sink? If so, it’s time to act. These sounds mean there’s a problem, in the form of a clog with the drains connected to the dishwasher, rather than the actual dishwasher itself, as the noise is wastewater struggling to get past whatever blockage is in the drain.
• Water Backups: Are you noticing a wastewater backup in your dishwasher when running the sink water and not even using the appliance? It could be the direct result of food, debris or even buildup stuck in your kitchen drains that created a clog and it is pushing wastewater through the drain and then back into the unused dishwasher. 
• Standing Water: When you open the dishwasher, are there standing puddles of water? That probably means there’s a clog, either in your dishwasher drain or your kitchen drain pipe – sometimes it’s an easy fix like removing food particles in the dishwasher’s strainer, sometimes it’s much worse.
• Dirty Dishes: The whole point of having a dishwasher is to alleviate the work of cleaning your dishes to save you time. If it’s not getting your dishes spotless, the culprit might just be a lack of water entering the unit. A drain clog can prevent the standard amount of water from cleaning dishes and you’re left with half-cleaned and unsanitary dishware.