--- title: "Dishwasher not draining: repair cost" description: "Kitchenaid dishwasher drain pump — kitchenAid dishwasher not draining: repair cost — water standing in the tub at the end of a cycle." url: "https://kitchenaidmiami.support/repair-cost/dishwasher-drain-and-pump-repair/" date_modified: "2026-08-23" Appliance type: "Dishwashers" --- # KitchenAid dishwasher not draining: repair cost ### The four free checks, in order Water leaves a KitchenAid dishwasher through a filter, a pump, a hose that should rise in a high loop, and then either an air gap on the counter or a spigot on the disposal. Every one of those can stop it, and only one of them is a part. - **The tub filter** under the lower rack. It comes out by hand and in this water it wants rinsing every month or two. - **The air gap** on the counter, if you have one. It clogs, and clearing it takes a minute. - **The disposal knock-out plug**, still in place on a machine installed after the disposal. This is the commonest reason a brand-new dishwasher will not empty, and it is not a repair at all. - **The drain hose loop** under the sink, kinked or lost when something was pushed under there. We would rather tell you it was the plug than sell you a motor, and that is not generosity — a company that quotes a pump for a plug does not get called back. ### Then the pump, and where the figure comes from A drain pump sits in a researched market range of about $200 to $400 for the part and the labor together. It is tested under load rather than by continuity, and the check valve is looked at with it: a pump that empties the tub and then lets the water come back is a valve rather than a motor. The machine is run through a complete cycle with somebody watching it drain before the appointment ends, because the second half of a draining problem often only shows on the second fill. ### Water arriving from underneath Treat that as the same day rather than next week, because it reaches the cabinet base and the flooring before it reaches you. One known source on machines of this era is the seal on the diverter shaft, and it is worth saying plainly that this is a group-wide issue across several badges from the same corporate group rather than something specific to this one — it has been reported to start leaking four to six years after manufacture. The hose clamps, the sump gasket and the door seal are the others. Which one it is comes from looking. ### What the figure is A starting point and a researched market range for South Florida rather than a quote for your machine. The exact cost is confirmed after an on-site diagnostic and agreed in writing before anything is opened. What moves this figure Researched market range: drain pump $200–$400 Three of the four usual causes are not the appliance A leak from underneath is looked at the same day Whether the pump is running at all A machine that hums and holds water and a machine that is silent are two different searches, and you can hear the difference from the kitchen. Telling us which on the phone changes what comes on the van. Which of the four it turns out to be The tub filter, the air gap on the counter, the disposal knock-out plug, and the high loop on the drain hose. Three of those four are outside the machine, all four are free to look at, and between them they end a large share of these calls at the visit fee. How the machine is fitted A fully integrated machine behind your own cabinet panel takes longer to bring out, level and reconnect than one with a stainless front, and this repair is reached from underneath. That is planned time rather than a surprise on the invoice. The four free checks, in order Water leaves a KitchenAid dishwasher through a filter, a pump, a hose that should rise in a high loop, and then either an air gap on the counter or a spigot on the disposal. Every one of those can stop it, and only one of them is a part. The tub filter under the lower rack. It comes out by hand and in this water it wants rinsing every month or two. The air gap on the counter, if you have one. It clogs, and clearing it takes a minute. The disposal knock-out plug, still in place on a machine installed after the disposal. This is the commonest reason a brand-new dishwasher will not empty, and it is not a repair at all. The drain hose loop under the sink, kinked or lost when something was pushed under there. We would rather tell you it was the plug than sell you a motor, and that is not generosity — a company that quotes a pump for a plug does not get called back. Then the pump, and where the figure comes from A drain pump sits in a researched market range of about $200 to $400 for the part and the labor together. It is tested under load rather than by continuity, and the check valve is looked at with it: a pump that empties the tub and then lets the water come back is a valve rather than a motor. The machine is run through a complete cycle with somebody watching it drain before the appointment ends, because the second half of a draining problem often only shows on the second fill. Water arriving from underneath Treat that as the same day rather than next week, because it reaches the cabinet base and the flooring before it reaches you. One known source on machines of this era is the seal on the diverter shaft, and it is worth saying plainly that this is a group-wide issue across several badges from the same corporate group rather than something specific to this one — it has been reported to start leaking four to six years after manufacture. The hose clamps, the sump gasket and the door seal are the others. Which one it is comes from looking. What the figure is A starting point and a researched market range for South Florida rather than a quote for your machine. The exact cost is confirmed after an on-site diagnostic and agreed in writing before anything is opened. ### I can hear it trying to drain. Then the motor is turning and something is in its way. Work down the four checks above in that order — three of them are outside the machine and all four are free — before anybody quotes you a pump. ### The display shows F8 E4. That is the maker's own code for a water level problem, and the float assembly under the tub floor being stuck or obstructed is the first thing it points at. Write it down and leave it on the display if you can — canceling the cycle is what erases it, and it is the only evidence the machine has produced. ### My dishwasher has no display. How do I read the code? It flashes it on the Clean light, in two bursts: the first burst is the F number, then a pause, then the second burst is the E number. Seven flashes, a pause, one flash is F7 E1. Count both before you cancel anything — it is the single most useful thing an owner of one of these can do. ### It is brand new and it will not empty. Check the disposal. If the dishwasher was connected to it after it was installed, the knock-out plug inside the disposal inlet may still be in place, and the water has nowhere to go. It is the commonest cause of this on a new installation. --- **[Read full article: Dishwasher not draining: repair cost](https://kitchenaidmiami.support/repair-cost/dishwasher-drain-and-pump-repair/)**