how do you unstop a dishwasher? mine will not drain the three inches of water in the bottom.?

Answer 1

Have you checked the dishwashers filters? If they are blocked it wouldn't empty properly.
If that'snot it check where the outlet pipe joins the waste pipes. In mine that connection just slips on and off. Remove the pipe at that point and check if there is a buildup of grease (where the hot dishwasher water joins the colder drain water) at that point. I used a pencil to remove the build up.
Reconnect and then see if your dishwasher will empty.
If that doesn't work, you can drain the remaining water in the dishwasher manually, by lowering the outlet pipe end to a lower point and emptying into a bowl or something.
The other thing to do - check is the pump working? Does it sound like the pump is running, when the dishwasher is supposed to be emptying? If not, you will have to get someone in to repair it.
Hope that helps, B

Answer 2

I have a rather unusual method that I use to unstop the dishwasher. Probably not quite orthodox, but it works. First
I bail out most of the water from the bottom ot the dishwasher. I then turn off the power to the dishwasher. Next I disconnect the drain hose where it connects to the drain from the sink. I bring in a garden hose and about a 1 and 1/4 inch variable clamp. I slide the clamp over the drain hose, put the end of the garden hose into the drain hose and tell my wife turn on the water. As soon as I see water coming into the dishwasher, I tell her turn it off. I have essentially back flushed the dishwasher's drainage system. I take out any goop I see that might have been giving me a problem. I then hook every thing back together and restore the power to the dishwasher and give it a test. If you don't have pump or timer problems this will fix it.

Answer 3

I do not know the type of dishwasher you have but it may have a bad hose that could be a problem but the first thing you should try is cleaning out the drain itself. I have successfully accomplished repairs on similar problems by just using a wet or dry vacuum on the drain and cleaning out the line that way. as the line may have a clog that prevents the pump from evacuating the water in the time allowed by the cycle timer. You may have to disconnect the hose at the pump end to allow the vacuum to move air but most pumps are impeller type and this shouldn't be necessary
This type of remedy also works on clogged sink drains, just use wet rags around the end of the vacuum hose nozzle and the overflow inlets and you have an instant unclogged drain.

Answer 4

The draining part occurs when you first start the cycle. Try restarting the cycle. It could also be as a result of food stuck in the debris catcher. Consult your manual or find the manual online by googling the make and model.

Answer 5

Sounds like your drain is clogged. It's probably full of food if you don't rinse your dishes. Don't use drain openers as they are toxic and may get on your dishes.. Call a plumber.