Short answer
Standing water at the end of a cycle is almost always a blocked filter, a badly routed drain hose, or a failed drain pump. Clean the filter and check the hose before anyone quotes you for a pump. If the filter is clear and the machine is silent when it should be draining, the pump has failed and it gets swapped, not fixed. A dishwasher under 8 years old is worth a new pump, and past 10 years the money goes further on a new machine.
Tell a blockage from a dead pump in ten minutes
- Run a cycle to the drain step and listen at the door. A working pump whirs steadily for about a minute.
- Switch the dishwasher off at the wall switch or unplug it, then scoop the standing water out with a cup and a towel.
- Twist out the cylinder filter in the floor of the tub and rinse it under the tap. Lift the flat screen under it if it comes free.
- Clear the sump with your fingers. Glass chips, fruit stickers and broken plastic collect in the hole under the filter.
- Open the cabinet under the sink and look at the dishwasher drain hose. It should rise to the underside of the counter or to an air gap before it drops to the disposal or the standpipe.
- Straighten any kink in that hose and check the clamp where it meets the disposal inlet.
- Pour a quart of water into the tub and run a rinse cycle.
If the tub drains and stays empty, the blockage was the problem and you are done. If water still stands and the drain step is silent, the drain pump has failed. If dirty water rises into the kitchen sink instead, the sink drain line is blocked and the dishwasher is working.
Repair or replace
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Filter and sump packed with debris | Clean them. Rinse the filter once a month and the machine drains fine. |
| Drain hose kinked or run flat under the cabinet | Repair. Re-route it with a high loop or an air gap and clamp it tight. |
| Drain step silent, filter clear, machine under 8 years old | Replace the drain pump. The pump is a part swap, not a repair. |
| Drain step whirs but no water moves | Replace the pump. The impeller is seized or the winding is shot. |
| Drain step silent, machine over 10 years old | Replace the dishwasher. A pump and a visit cost a third of a new machine that comes with a warranty. |
| Dirty water comes up in the sink when the dishwasher drains | Clear the sink drain line and the air gap first. Leave the dishwasher alone. |
What it costs
Runhome contractor estimates ran from $280 to $620 to replace a dishwasher drain pump and from $925 to $2,150 to replace the dishwasher as of October 2026, including the trip and assessment.
| Option | Range |
|---|---|
| Replace the drain pump, parts and labour | $280 to $620 |
| Replace the dishwasher, unit plus install | $925 to $2,150 |
Can I do it myself?
Yes for the filter and the hose, no for the pump on most machines. Scooping the water out, rinsing the filter, clearing the sump and fixing a low or kinked hose take about 30 minutes with a towel and a screwdriver. A pump swap means pulling the machine out of the cabinet, tipping it on its back, disconnecting the water line and the drain, and splitting the pump off the sump housing. Hire for this if the dishwasher is wired into a junction box behind the kickplate, because that box carries mains power and has to be opened and re-landed. Hire for it too if the machine sits on a finished floor you cannot slide it across.
What a contractor will ask you
Have these ready and you skip the back-and-forth.
- Brand and rough age. The rating label sits on the edge of the door or on the tub lip.
- When it first stopped draining fully at the end of a cycle.
- Whether dirty water backs up into the kitchen sink when you run the sink or the dishwasher.
- A photo of the dishwasher front with the door open, showing the bottom of the tub and the cabinets either side.
- Where the drain hose ends: a garbage disposal, a standpipe, or an air gap on the countertop.
- Whether the machine plugs into an outlet in the next cabinet or is wired in behind the kickplate.
Common questions
- Is it worth replacing a dishwasher drain pump?
Yes on a machine under 8 years old. The pump and the visit run $280 to $620 against $925 to $2,150 for a new machine installed. Past 10 years, put the money toward the replacement.
- Can I run the dishwasher with standing water in it?
No. The dirty water never leaves the tub, so dishes come out gritty and the sump keeps filling with food. Scoop the water out, then run a test cycle.
- Why does my dishwasher drain into the sink?
The drain hose sits too low or the air gap is blocked, so water takes the easy path. Water that rises into the sink basin points at the sink drain line, not the pump. Clear that line and give the hose a high loop.
- How long should a dishwasher take to drain?
About 60 to 90 seconds of steady whirring near the end of the cycle. Silence at that point means the pump never started. A whir with no water moving means the impeller is seized.
- Does a clogged garbage disposal stop the dishwasher from draining?
Yes. The dishwasher hose empties into the disposal, so a clogged disposal or an unpunched dishwasher plug blocks it. Run the disposal with cold water, then test the dishwasher.