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GE Dishwasher Not Draining: Causes & Fixes

GE Appliances documents that some water left in the bottom of a GE dishwasher is expected, and how much depends on the filter design: on models with an Ultra Fine filter, water in the sump (filter area) is normal but should not cover the tub floor, while on models without an Ultra Fine filter GE calls 1 to 2 cups of clean water covering the tub floor normal.

Before you work on your dishwasher

  • Power: Unplug the dishwasher or switch off its circuit breaker before removing panels or touching wiring.
  • Water: Turn off the water supply valve before disconnecting hoses or the inlet valve.
  • Heat: Water and the heating element can be hot right after a cycle; let the dishwasher cool first.
  • Sharp debris: Wear gloves when reaching into the filter or sump; broken glass often collects there.
  • Stop: If you smell burning, see smoke or sparks, or find water near wiring, switch off the breaker and call a technician.
  • Disconnect power before accessing internal dishwasher parts: Unplug the dishwasher or switch off the circuit breaker that powers it before removing panels, the filter, or the drain pump cover, or before reaching into the sump.
  • Shut off the water supply before disconnecting hoses: Turn off the water supply before disconnecting the drain hose, siphon connection, or water inlet, or before pulling the dishwasher out for service.
  • Hot water and steam scald risk: Open the dishwasher door carefully during or right after a cycle. Hot water or steam can escape and cause burns; wait until water noises stop and steam subsides before fully opening the door.
  • Sharp debris near the filter and drain pump: Wear gloves and use caution when removing the filter, pump cover, or other parts for cleaning; broken glass or other sharp debris can collect near the drain pump impeller.

Why your GE dishwasher is not draining

  1. The water level is normal for this GE filter design: GE Appliances documents that some water left in the bottom of a GE dishwasher is expected, and how much depends on the filter design: on models with an Ultra Fine filter, water in the sump (filter area) is normal but should not cover the tub floor, while on models without an Ultra Fine filter GE calls 1 to 2 cups of clean water covering the tub floor normal. Difficulty 1/5.
  2. Fine/Ultra Fine filter or sump area blocked: GE's own not-draining article starts at the filter and sump: owners of models with Fine and Ultra Fine filters are told to remove and check both, to confirm no paper or large object is covering the sump area at the rear of the tub, and to clear out large food pieces such as noodles, lettuce, or bones. Difficulty 1/5.
  3. Drain hose blocked or kinked below the sink: GE tells owners to check the drain hose where it connects below the sink for a blockage or a kink, and adds an installation-specific point: new GE dishwashers ship with a white corrugated drain hose that should be used, because re-using an old, worn-out hose can promote kinking or a blockage. Difficulty 2/5.
  4. Kitchen sink drain or disposer clogged: GE's drain troubleshooting treats the household side of the connection as part of the fault: the kitchen sink drain must not be clogged, and where a disposer is installed GE says to run it to clear the drain system. Difficulty 2/5.
  5. Air gap blocked with debris: Where a GE dishwasher's drain plumbing includes an air gap, GE instructs owners to take the cap off and clean out any build-up of debris, and states that clearing it lets water flow better as the dishwasher drains. Difficulty 1/5.
  6. No high drain loop, or loop below GE's height: GE makes the high drain loop a condition of correct draining rather than an option: when the installation has no air gap, GE says the drain hose must contain a high drain loop attached to the underside of the counter, and GE's water-in-the-bottom-of-the-tub article puts that loop at a minimum of 32 inches above the floor. Difficulty 3/5.
  7. Disposer drain plug never removed: On a GE dishwasher plumbed into a garbage disposer, GE points at the disposer's own drain plug: if the disposer was recently installed or replaced, the plug inside it must have been removed. iFixit's GE-specific page locates that plug inside the nipple where the dishwasher drain hose attaches to the disposal. Difficulty 2/5.
  8. GE drain fault code (C1 or C3) in the display: GE's dishwasher fault-code list contains codes that point straight at the drain: C1 for a pump-out during drain that has run longer than 2 minutes, and C3 for a dishwasher that will not drain, with GE noting that not all codes are found on all models. Difficulty 4/5.
  9. Over-sudsing from the wrong detergent or too much of it: GE gives detergent its own heading on the not-draining article: the wrong type or too much of it can cause over-sudsing that prevents the dishwasher from draining properly. Difficulty 1/5.
  10. Drain pump or check valve stuck or failed: iFixit's GE-specific not-draining page separates two failures in the pump area of a GE dishwasher: a check valve and ball, normally sitting underneath the filters, that sticks in the closed position, and a drain pump whose measured impedance between terminals falls outside roughly 15-40 ohms. Difficulty 4/5.

Find the cause for your dishwasher

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

Cancel the cycle the way GE documents, then look again

About 5 minutes

  1. Press and hold the Start or Start/Reset pad for 3 seconds; GE says this cancels any set cycle on most models, including Delay Start or Delay Hours.
  2. Wait for the panel to clear, then open the door and check the tub again.
  3. Start a short cycle and note whether the water level drops at the end of it.

Read the display for a GE drain fault code, then reset

About 5 minutes

  1. Look at the display for a code: GE documents C1 (pump-out during drain exceeded 2 minutes) and C3 (the dishwasher will not drain).
  2. H2O and PrS are different faults: GE defines them as a low water situation and an invalid pressure-sensor signal.
  3. Switch the dishwasher's power off for a minute or two, then back on; GE says this sometimes clears a fault, error or function code.
  4. If the code returns, GE says service may be required.

Decide whether this water level is normal for your GE model

About 3 minutes

  1. Look in the bottom of the tub for a removable cylindrical Ultra Fine filter.
  2. With an Ultra Fine filter: water sitting in the sump (filter area) is normal, but it should not cover the tub floor.
  3. Without an Ultra Fine filter: 1 to 2 cups of clean water covering the tub floor is normal.
  4. In either case the water should not reach the front of the center raised island in the tub floor.

Clear the air gap cap, if the installation has one

About 10 minutes

  1. Look for a small chrome cylinder on the sink deck or countertop next to the faucet.
  2. Lift the cap off and clean out any build-up of debris inside.
  3. Refit the cap and run a short cycle to see whether the water leaves the tub.

Remove and clean the Fine and Ultra Fine filters the way GE specifies

About 15 minutes

  1. Switch the dishwasher off at its breaker or disconnect switch and let the tub cool before reaching in.
  2. Take out the bottom rack, twist the Ultra Fine filter counterclockwise and lift it out.
  3. Rinse the Ultra Fine filter in warm soapy water with a sponge; GE says scouring pads or brushes can damage it.
  4. Twist the two retaining posts toward the back and bottom of the tub counterclockwise to release the Fine Filter (mesh plate) and rinse it.
  5. Check the sump area at the rear of the tub for paper, large objects, or food such as noodles, lettuce, or bones.
  6. Refit the Fine Filter, then the Ultra Fine filter, and twist clockwise to lock.

Check the disposer drain plug and the sink drain

About 10 minutes

  1. Run the garbage disposer from its wall switch. Never put your hands into the disposer: GE warns that serious injury could occur.
  2. Run the sink faucet and watch whether the sink itself drains normally.
  3. If the disposer was installed or replaced recently, look at the inlet nipple where the dishwasher hose attaches and confirm the factory drain plug inside it was removed.
  4. Make a habit of running the disposer before each dishwasher cycle, as GE recommends.

Check the drain hose where GE says it fails: the sink connection

About 10 minutes

  1. Open the sink cabinet and follow the dishwasher drain hose to where it connects below the sink.
  2. Check that connection for a blockage and the hose run for a kink.
  3. Note whether the hose is the white corrugated hose supplied with the dishwasher or an older hose reused from a previous installation.
  4. Do not pour drain cleaner into the dishwasher; GE prohibits it.

Measure the high drain loop against GE's figure

About 10 minutes

  1. Find the highest point the drain hose reaches under the counter.
  2. Measure from the floor to that point with a tape measure.
  3. Compare it with the Installation Instructions for your dishwasher; GE describes a high drain loop as a minimum of 32 inches above the floor, attached to the underside of the countertop.
  4. If there is no air gap in the plumbing, GE requires the high drain loop.

How to fix a GE dishwasher not draining

No repair needed: GE documents this water level as normal

About 2 minutes · Difficulty 1/5

  1. Leave the water where it is: GE says it helps keep the pump seal lubricated.
  2. Re-check only if the water turns dirty, rises above the front of the center raised island, or covers the tub floor on an Ultra Fine filter model.

Clean the air gap cap

About 10 minutes · Difficulty 1/5

  1. Lift the air gap cap off the sink deck.
  2. Clean out the build-up of debris inside.
  3. Refit the cap and re-run a cycle.

Clean the Fine and Ultra Fine filters and the sump area

About 20 minutes · Difficulty 1/5

  1. Power the dishwasher off at its breaker or disconnect switch and let the tub cool.
  2. Remove and rinse the Ultra Fine filter, then the Fine Filter, following GE's twist directions.
  3. Clear the sump area at the rear of the tub of paper, large objects, and food debris.
  4. Refit both filters and lock them, then run a cycle.
  5. GE says filters need this routine maintenance every other month or more depending on usage.

Use the right detergent in the right amount

About 60 minutes · Difficulty 1/5

  1. Stop using hand dish soap or oversized doses of automatic dishwasher detergent.
  2. Run a cycle with no detergent to clear existing suds, then resume with the dose the detergent package specifies.

Clear or straighten the drain hose at the sink connection

About 30 minutes · Difficulty 2/5

  1. Straighten any kink and free the hose from anything pressing on it.
  2. Clear the blockage at the sink or disposer connection mechanically; GE prohibits drain cleaner in the dishwasher.
  3. If an old hose was reused from a previous installation, fit the white corrugated hose supplied with the dishwasher.

Clear the sink drain and run the disposer first

About 20 minutes · Difficulty 2/5

  1. Run the disposer from its switch to clear the shared drain system.
  2. If the sink drains slowly on its own, clear the household drain line before troubleshooting the dishwasher further.
  3. Adopt GE's habit: run the disposer before every dishwasher cycle.

Remove the disposer's drain plug

About 30 minutes · Difficulty 2/5

  1. Switch the disposer off at the breaker and never reach inside it by hand.
  2. Disconnect the dishwasher drain hose from the disposer inlet nipple.
  3. Knock out and retrieve the factory drain plug following the disposer's own installation instructions, then reconnect the hose.

Raise the drain hose into a proper high loop

About 45 minutes · Difficulty 3/5

  1. Attach the drain hose to the underside of the countertop so its highest point is at least the height GE's installation instructions give (GE describes 32 inches above the floor).
  2. Do not plumb any other device into the dishwasher drain hose.
  3. Re-measure from the floor to the highest point to confirm.

GE dishwasher models with this problem

  • GDF520PSF6SS

Parts involved in a GE dishwasher not draining

  • GE variable drain pump kit (WD26X25104)

When to call a technician about a GE dishwasher not draining

  • Have the drain pump and check valve diagnosed by a technician
  • Book GE service when a drain fault code survives the power reset

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 - Not Draining, GE Appliances (retrieved 2026-09-18)
  5. Dishwasher - Water in the Bottom of the Tub, GE Appliances (retrieved 2026-09-20)
  6. Dishwasher - Error, Fault or Function Codes, GE Appliances (retrieved 2026-09-18)
  7. Dishwasher - Canceling the Delay Start Option, GE Appliances (retrieved 2026-09-20)
  8. Dishwasher - Water in the Tub, GE Appliances (retrieved 2026-09-20)
  9. Dishwasher - How to Clean Fine and Ultra Fine Filters, GE Appliances (retrieved 2026-09-20)
  10. GE Dishwasher Drain Pump Repair, iFixit (retrieved 2026-09-20)
  11. WD26X25104 - GE Variable Drain Pump Kit, iFixit (retrieved 2026-09-20)
  12. GE Dishwasher Not Draining, iFixit (retrieved 2026-09-20)

Last updated October 2, 2026 · facts last verified September 20, 2026 · How we source and verify

Guidance only; follow your appliance manual and local codes. If anything looks unsafe, stop and call a qualified technician. Safety disclaimer