Help! My Neff Dishwasher Is Not Draining

Anyone would get pissed off when the dishwasher gets blocked. It can be annoying, especially the whole process of getting rid of water out of it. The water is usually dirty, and it may even produce some odour. Despite the disappointments, it is quite easy to unblock your dishwasher to achieve a smooth water flow without the need of getting an expert or professional to help you. Also, you do not need to replace your machine. This article will enlighten you on areas you are supposed to check if your dishwasher fails to drain. Also, we will give you some steps to follow to achieve a smooth water flow. 

Why won’t my dishwasher drain?

When your dishwasher fails to drain, you may be left with a pool of dirty water in the bottom of your machine. One of the main causes that lead to this unpleasant occurrence is the clogging of the filters. Filters are typically placed in the bottom area of the machine. If you do not keep them in good condition, the grime and dirt may clog them. Regular cleaning and removing debris and dirt from it will keep it in good condition. In case the filters are clear, the problem lies in other areas. 

Why is my dishwasher not filling with water?

This usually happens when you activate anti-food protection on your machine. The process of repairing this is fairly easy, and you can do it alone at home. You will need to follow the following steps:

1. To reset the anti-food setting, you will need to remove the kickback first: a thin piece of wood separating cupboards from your floor from beneath your machine’s door. 
2. Remove the screws from the bottom cover at the base of your machine to access the reservoir, which will then be filled with water. 
3. Drain all the water using a cotton cloth, absorbent towel, or a sponge.
4. Pull the floating switchback down, so it gets into contact with the base.
5. After resealing your machine, turn the power on, and everything should work accordingly at that point.

After doing all this and you realise the dishwasher is not filling with water, the blockage may be between the dishwasher tub and the water pump. You can easily fix this by removing the spray arms first and then running the machine for a short moment to clear the blockage. 

Why does my dishwasher make my glasses cloudy?

If you live in places with hard water, you will not escape the build-up of limescale, resulting in cloudy glassware. We recommend you experiment with the rinse dosage your machine dispenses until you find an ideal setting for your needs and gives better results. Note that cloudy appearance in glasses can come after a long time, regardless of whether the water is hard or soft. To reduce the cloudy effect on your glass, ensure your glasses are dishwasher-safe first before loading them. 

Areas to check when your Neffe dishwasher is not draining

In case your dishwasher is not letting water out, you should check the following areas in the machine:

1. Piston valve

Commonly, the piston valve stops the pumping out of the dishwasher. The piston valve is located along the back wall of the machine’s tab. If your machine is designed with a filter, you will need to remove it. The next step will need you to remove the machine’s piston valve, typically located behind the filter. 

After accessing the piston valve, you can check whether it’s faulty by pressing up on the spring. Once you have completed it, the piston ought to stop the valve’s opening in the top. The piston can be in a bad state, and it may dissolve and fail to stop up the opening. If your piston is in this state, you will not have any other alternative other than replacing it. 

2. Drain solenoid

This is another common issue with some dishwashing machines that causes them not to drain as expected. To check the solenoid, the first thing you will need to do is to unplug the dishwasher from its power supply and remove its bottom panel. Once your machine is off, you should check the drain solenoid attached to the machine’s main pump. Reach beneath the dishwasher and push down on the solenoid. If it fails to move down, it will indicate that the situation is bad, and you will need to replace it. 

Suppose it pushes down, you might think it is in good condition, but that is not always the case. You may need to recheck it by following the steps below:

• Reconnect your dishwasher to the power supply.
• Run the dishwasher into a cycle and if it has a mechanical timer, turn it slowly to energise the solenoid.
• If the solenoid does not energise even after turning the timer all the way around, you should replace it.

For those with electronic control, you will need to start the dishwasher and leave it for a couple of minutes, followed by starting or resetting. After doing that, the drain solenoid is expected to energise. If it doesn’t, you should replace it. Sometimes, the timer may affect this area, especially when it is frozen or melted down. So, you may need to replace it as well. 

3. Check valve

The problem might be lying at the check valve, and you should check it as well if the problem is not with the filters of your machine. You will find the Check valves only on the dishwashers with both drain solenoid and a drain pump. If your dishwasher lacks both, it will not have a check valve. 

Check valve is located at the point where the drain pump connects to the black hose. To gain access to the check valve, you will need first to remove all the water from your dishwasher. You can try to remove the water using a Wet-Vac as it has proven to be effective when removing water. After the dishwasher is dry, disconnect the dishwasher from the power and remove it from under your cabinet.  

Remove the machine’s black hose and drain the water in it. After removing it, you will see the check valve: a little red rubber flap. If you realise it’s torn, the flat may have drained down, but you will still have the red ring; you need to replace the valve. At times, the check valve may swell up and hang in the machine’s pump. So, replacing it will be the most effective solution.

4. Drain pump

If your dishwasher is not draining, the drain pump may be the source of the whole problem. We have already established that not all dishwashers have a drain pump. To check if the drain pump is faulty, check whether it is getting enough power first. It should get 120V when you put the dishwasher into a drain cycle. If it’s getting enough power and the pump is not running, check for other technical problems or replace it. 

5. Drain hose

The dragon hose may have clogged, and this might be the main cause of your drainage failure in your dishwasher. To check the drain hose, you will need to get rid of the water in your dishwasher. Preferably, use a Wet-Vac.  After removing the water from the dishwasher, remove the drain hose and ensure all the water in it comes out.  Check for obstructs, and if any, remove them. If you installed garbage disposal recently, check whether the metal knockout is still there. Check its air gap, and if they are not right, the dishwasher might have been siphoning water back.

How to drain filter-blocked Neff dishwashers manually

The following steps will help:

1. Turn off the power

It is very important to remember before doing anything on your dishwasher; you should always remember to switch it off or unplug it from the socket. This helps prevent the cases of electrical interferences which pose a great risk, such as electrocution.  

2. Remove and wash the filters

The Neff dishwashers work efficiently until their filters get blocked. This leads to a slow passage of water or even completely blocks the water from draining. What you will be forced to remove them, clean them and fix them in their respective places. You should do this weekly to ensure water flow efficiently. 

The Neff dishwashers tend to be very efficient there is blocking in their filters. When the dishwasher’s filters get blocked, the rate of water flow decreases. You will need to remove the filters from the dishwasher, clean and put them back. It’s important to do this after every one week if you use the dishwasher regularly to prevent blocking.

3. Check the sink waste for blockages

Suppose even after checking, removing obstructions, and straightening the waste hose, the water is still not draining. You may now need to check the sink. Also, you should check the water pipe that your sink is connected to. Scrutinise it carefully and check for any blockages. In case you find any obstructions, they might cause your dishwasher failure to drain water properly and smoothly, affecting the water cycle. You should clean the pipes connected to the sink by removing clogged debris and food and washing them with clean, soapy water. If fatty residues cause the blockage, you may opt to unblock the sink using hot water as it will easily melt down residues and clear the filters.

In addition, make sure the sumo is correctly placed, and there aren’t any particles stuck on it. After cleaning, you are certain that everything is alright. Refit the filters properly into their right places. To prevent future blockage, we recommend you check the condition of your filters regularly. This will improve their efficiency and your kitchen life will improve drastically. 

Take away

You might have realised that all our steps are quite easy to follow and that you might not require a technician to help you unblock your Neff dishwasher. All the areas we have mentioned above require regular checkups to prevent any misfortunes. When you notice any change in the way your dishwasher is draining water, you should immediately check where the fault lies.