Water will not drain. Motor is working. Drain does not appear to be clogged.

Remove the dishwasher drain line from the under sink connection. Direct that end to a bucket and run the drain option on the dishwasher.

1. Does water drains to the bucket. Then your under sink hook up to the dishwasher is clogged. Clean it with a screw driver.

2. No drain water comes to the bucket then

2.1 When on drain do you hear a humming noise. If yes then your drain motor working. That means mostly your dishwasher drain line clogged.

2.2 If humming noise is like a fan (impeller) running then drain line clogged.

2.3 If humming noise is like a small struggling to run. Then something stuck in the drain motor impeller.

wow !! you sure seemed to be very through in your troubleshooting , but one thing I read that you did not see/test was the drain solenoid valve , this is a medium size valve just near the pump that opens to drain line from pumps discharge to allow the water to exit the machine , otherwise it just gets to go up and around the machine again , these especially on "used well" machines tend to rust up and stop moving , a new replacement and there off running again

Three things to inspect are:

1. Clogged drain hose - cause water to back up to the pump and shut down
2. Clogged drain tube - usually occurs when the drain hose is attached to a drain tube that empties out into the homes sewer system. Just like a clogged drain, water will back up all the way through the drain hose into the pump and shut down.
3. Clogged or bad drain pump - Many times, debris left in pockets will work it's way into the drain pump. Over time, enough debris (paper, coins etc) could lodge itself into the pump. When the machine tries to empty or spin out, the pump becomes overwhelmed and shuts down. Sometimes, you may even see a puddle of water appear under the washer due to a clogged pump. This can also happen if the pump itself is worn out and no longer working up to specifications.

Best of luck with your repair.
Greg

Hi,

The drain out is clogged...

Here is a tip that I wrote that will help you to figure out what is going on with your garbage disposal and why it is not working.

Garbage Disposal Clogged or Jammed

heatman101

If the water is not draining from your dishwasher, verify the following:

Verify that there is not a clog in the drain hose or air gap. This is typically the reason that a dishwasher won't drain and the clog is usually where the drain hose attaches to the garbage disposal or sink drain pipe. Remove the hose and clear any clogs, then reinstall.

Verify that water from the sink drain is not making it's way into the dishwasher. I would recommend creating a high loop in the dishwasher drain pipe, which is attached to the sink drain, under the sink. The high loop can be fastened to underneath the countertop. This will prevent any water from entering the dishwasher from the sink; it also prevents the dishwasher drain water from making it's way back into the dishwasher
Verify that the pumps drain impeller is working. You can reach the impeller from inside the dishwasher after removing the lower rack, spray arm, and arm support. This typically involves removing a few screws. Once upper parts are removed, inspect the drain impeller, which pushes the water toward the drain port, for any cracks or missing blades. If the impeller is defective, the water will not drain properly and you would need to replace it.

Verify that the drain valve is working; many are controlled with an electric solenoid that opens the valve, sending the water to the drain. There is a chance that the solenoid or the diverting lever could be stuck which would prevent the water to drain. If so, try to free up the solenoid and lubricate the lever. Otherwise the solenoid or pump assembly may have to be replaced.

Verify that the motor is turning/ working and verify that there is power to the motor. If the motor hums but doesn't turn, it may need to be replaced. Motors can get stuck if not used regularly. If the motor is defective, the water will not drain and you would need to replace it.

There are ways to test the pump and motor with a multimeter. If you are not comfortable with doing this, you may want to have a technician test it for you.

HI. check the following areas for faults.

1. Air gap / Drain hoses
If there is an air gap (located in the sink, near the faucet), check to see if it is clogged. Unscrew the top cap and see if there is anything blocking inside. Note: If there is no air gap installed, the dishwasher might not drain properly.

If the drain hose is clogged, the dishwasher would not drain. If there is an air gap installed, it is very common that a hose going from the air gap into the garbage disposer is clogged. Remove and clean the hose. Make sure to reattach the hose before starting the dishwasher.

Note: If you recently had a garbage disposer installed, it is common to overlook removing the drain plug.

2. Broken belt
Some dishwasher models use a belt to drive the pump. Replace the belt if found broken.

Note: Sometimes the belt would just come off the pump. Even though it might not be broken, it is recommended that you replace the belt, because it is probably too stretched out.

3. Pump
Some models have two impellers inside the pump - one, wash impeller, takes care of the wash cycles, the other, drain impeller, drains the water out. If the drain impeller is broken (broken blades, shaft), the dishwasher would not drain. Replace any broken pump components.

4. Drain solenoid
Some models (for example most GE dishwashers) use a drain solenoid to drain water out. Sometimes the solenoid gets stuck, preventing the water from draining out. Try to free up the solenoid. If unsuccessful, you might have to replace the pump assembly.

5. Motor
If the motor is stuck, it is sometimes possible to free it up by manually spinning the motor.

Replace the motor if defective.

6. Timer
Replace if defective (note: uncommon problem).

Most likely your lid switch.

part number is 3949247
some newer models use 8318084

OE is a drain error (indicating the machine has not drained out in under 10 minutes). If the drain pump is not coming on at all then you have a bad drain pump motor. If it is trying to drain then you may have a clogged up drain hose. The most likely cause is a bad drain pump motor. Hope this helps.

Exactly the same problem. Washed a small area rug that appeared to have pretty much disintegrated. Machine would not drain. Got the same e 20 code. Checked the drain hose, and it was fine. Reamed the house drain just to be sure. Drum appears to have drained, but now the motor runs, and no water enters the machine. Both water hoses are flowing. No further error codes. Nada.

Try blowing into the drain line with a wet/dry vac. This sometimes removes clogs. Otherwise, hold the hose above the unit and fill it with water. If there is no clog the water should appear at the bottom of the dishwasher after a few quarts.