Frigidaire Dishwasher Not Draining: Causes & Fixes

Why your Frigidaire dishwasher is not draining

1. Glass trap and filter packed with food soils: Frigidaire puts its glass trap and filter first when a Frigidaire dishwasher will not drain: food and debris collect there and block the drain path, and on models that report it the control raises i40, which Frigidaire defines as a clogged filter or sump caused by food soils building up. Difficulty 1/5.
2. Drain hose kinked after being bumped or moved: Frigidaire treats a drain hose that has been bumped or moved as a cause in its own right: a kink in the drain line leaves water pooled in the bottom of the dishwasher after the cycle finishes, and its i20 guidance adds that the hose must not be pinched or restricted anywhere along its run. Difficulty 1/5.
3. Cycle stopped part way through: A Frigidaire that halted part way through a cycle can hold water without having any drain fault at all. Frigidaire also warns that on some of its models flashing indicator lights are the normal way the control reports a drainage issue, so the flashing itself is a symptom rather than a second failure. Difficulty 1/5.
4. Disposer knockout plug never removed: Where a Frigidaire drains into a food waste disposer, Frigidaire asks owners to verify the disposer's knockout plug came out; iFixit's Frigidaire guide places that plug right inside the nipple the dishwasher's drain hose attaches to, and says the dishwasher cannot drain properly while it is there. Difficulty 2/5.
5. Disposer or its drain tube clogged: Even with the knockout plug gone, the disposer a Frigidaire drains into can be the blockage: iFixit's Frigidaire guide has you run the disposer first because it usually shares the dishwasher's drain, flush it with cold water for 20 seconds, and clear the drain tube if debris has packed into it. Difficulty 2/5.
6. Drain hose below Frigidaire's 32 inch minimum height: Frigidaire gives a number for its own dishwashers rather than a general rule: the drain hose has to be kept at a minimum height of 32 inches from the floor and then fed down to the drain connection, not up. A hose below that height, or one that climbs into the drain, stops the tub emptying completely. Difficulty 2/5.
7. New install without a proper high loop: The first question Frigidaire's drain troubleshooting asks is whether the unit is newly installed, and the check it names is that the drain hose was installed properly with a high loop and no kinks. On a Frigidaire the hose leaves the tub through a loop on the outside of the machine before it reaches an air gap, check valve, or high loop under the sink. Difficulty 2/5.
8. Countertop drain air gap blocked: Frigidaire carries its air gap instruction inside the glass trap and filter guide: where a drain air gap was fitted for a built-in Frigidaire dishwasher, it has to be clean for the dishwasher to drain properly, and iFixit's Frigidaire page has you check the sink air gap fittings for obstructions. Difficulty 1/5.
9. Drain pump jammed or failed: A sound Frigidaire drain pump clears the tub in a few minutes, so water still standing after that is itself evidence against the pump; a low hum or a squeal while it should be pumping points the same way, and these pumps fail both mechanically and electrically. Difficulty 2/5.
10. Water has reached the base pan (i30 showing): Which code a Frigidaire shows says how far the problem has gone. i20 is Frigidaire's code for a unit that did not drain properly; i30 means the water has already reached the drain pan under the dishwasher and lifted the styrofoam float sitting in it, so the pan has to be dealt with as well as the drain path. Difficulty 3/5.
11. Check valve or check ball stuck closed: Frigidaire dishwashers carry a check valve, or on some models a check ball, that normally sits beneath the filters at the bottom of the tub; stuck closed it holds the water in. On other units the same valve is mounted underneath the machine, just before the drain hose. Difficulty 4/5.
12. Drain solenoid valve defective (single-direction motors): Some Frigidaire dishwashers use a drain solenoid valve to let the water out, and a failed solenoid leaves the tub full. Which kind you have is readable from the motor's wiring: two or three wires is a single-direction motor with a solenoid to check, while four wires is a reversing motor that has none. Difficulty 4/5.

Step-by-step checks for a Frigidaire dishwasher not draining

How to fix a Frigidaire dishwasher not draining

When to call a technician about a Frigidaire dishwasher not draining

• Frigidaire's own instruction once the drain checks are done: contact its support center
• Have a technician free or replace the check valve under the machine
• Have the drain pump tested and replaced
• Have the drain solenoid valve tested behind the lower cover plate

Sources

1. Dishwasher SP.. Instruction Manual, Bosch Home Appliances US (retrieved 2026-09-18)
2. Dishwasher SHSM63****, SHS863****, SHS843****, SHVM63****, SHV863**** Operating Instructions, Bosch Home Appliances US (retrieved 2026-09-18)
3. Dishwasher SMS6HAI01A User Manual, Bosch Home Appliances US (retrieved 2026-09-18)
4. Dishwasher - Drain Hose Guide, Frigidaire / Electrolux (retrieved 2026-09-20)
5. Dishwasher Glass Trap and Filter Guide, Frigidaire / Electrolux (retrieved 2026-09-20)
6. Dishwasher Error Code i20 - Unit did not drain properly, Frigidaire / Electrolux (retrieved 2026-09-19)
7. Dishwasher Error Code i40 - Clogged filter or sump, Frigidaire / Electrolux (retrieved 2026-09-20)
8. What can I do if my dishwasher is not draining?, Frigidaire / Electrolux (retrieved 2026-09-18)
9. Dishwashers - Not Draining, Frigidaire / Electrolux (retrieved 2026-09-20)
10. How to Fix the Frigidaire Dishwasher i30 Error Code, iFixit (retrieved 2026-09-19)
11. Frigidaire Dishwasher Not Draining - iFixit Troubleshooting, iFixit (retrieved 2026-09-19)
12. Samsung DW6000J series dishwasher user manual, Samsung Electronics America (retrieved 2026-09-18)