An inch of murky water at the bottom of the dishwasher looks like a $280 repair. It's usually not. Nine out of ten drain problems trace to three things you can fix in half an hour: a gunked-up filter, a kinked or clogged drain hose, or a knockout plug someone forgot to remove from the garbage disposal.
Not sure this is your exact problem?Point your camera at it — SpotFix AI diagnoses it free in seconds, with a step-by-step AR guide for your exact model.
Scan It FreeScoop with a bowl, then towel-dry the basin so you can see the filter area at the bottom.
Twist out the cylindrical filter at the tub floor (most models: quarter-turn counterclockwise). Rinse under hot water and scrub the mesh — food sludge here is the #1 cause.
With the filter out, feel the sump opening for debris — glass shards, fruit stickers, and bones love to lodge in the check valve.
Pull the unit forward (or check under the sink) and make sure the hose isn't kinked. Disconnect it at the sink end and blow or flush water through — a slimy biofilm clog is common.
If the dishwasher drains into a disposal installed in the last few years, confirm the knockout plug was punched out — a missed plug blocks 100% of drainage. Also run the disposal; a full disposal backs water into the dishwasher.
If it still won't drain, the drain pump may have failed — scan the model sticker with SpotFix AI to identify the exact pump (usually $35–$70) and see the AR replacement walkthrough.
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