Why Your Dishwasher Is Not Filling Up With Water and What to Do

A dishwasher is supposed to make your life easier. When it malfunctions, though, leaving you with a bunch of dirty dishes and forcing you to consider going back to hand washing, it feels anything but easy. However, don’t pull out your hand towels, elbow-length rubber gloves, and dish soap from the back of the cupboard just yet. When your dishwasher is not getting water, you can perform a number of troubleshooting steps that may give you clean dishes again—while avoiding dishpan hands.

How a Dishwasher Cycle Works 

When your dishwasher is not cleaning your plates and glassware, the troubleshooting process becomes easier if you have a general understanding of how a dishwasher works.

The appliance adds water to the bottom of the basin as the first step, which is why it’s such a problem when your dishwasher is not getting water. Without this initial loading of water, none of the other steps work.

The appliance heats the water inside and then uses a pump to force it through the rotating arms. The dishwasher adds detergent. After washing, the appliance drains the dirty water. It then adds fresh water for the rinse cycle before draining again and drying the dishes.

Why Your Dishwasher Is Not Getting Water

Problems with one of the dishwasher's parts, such as the drain hose, the overflow protection float, or the water supply valve, can keep your dishwasher from getting water. In some cases, the dishwasher may not fill up properly because the door isn't fully closed.

How you fix your dishwasher depends on the source of the problem and the appliance's age. The average dishwasher life span is 15 years, so if yours is past its prime, replacing it makes sense.

1. Drain Hose Position

The drain hose carries dirty water away from your dishwasher. But, if it's not positioned correctly, it can also siphon clean water away from the dishwasher, before it has a chance to run. Check the position of the drain hose to make sure it's at the right height. If you're not sure what the correct height is, consult the manual that came with the dishwasher or reach out to a repair person for help.

Also, take a look at the hose itself. If it has a kink or dent, that could create a blockage and prevent your dishwasher from filling up with water. Smooth out the kink to see if that improves the problem.

2. The Dishwasher Door is Open or Unlatched

If the door on the dishwasher does not latch properly, a safety mechanism built into the machine will activate, and the dishwasher will not fill with water. Often, the appliance will emit a warning beep or flash a warning light if the door is still open, but not every machine has this feature.

If you have large pieces of silverware in the cutlery basket, it’s possible that they are hanging over the edge of the machine, blocking the door from closing. If a tray inside the dishwasher is not fully pushed in, it could also prevent the door from closing completely.

You may have a broken latch or a broken sensor on the latch, which can cause the machine to believe the door is not closed properly. If this is the case, you may have to call in a local repair person to fix the latch.

3. The Overfill Protection Float is Stuck

A dishwasher has a float mechanism inside the machine that prevents it from overfilling with water. As the appliance fills with water, the float rises until it reaches its maximum height. It then signals the unit to stop filling with water.

If the float is locked in place or has a sticky substance on it that doesn’t allow it to rise, it may signal the appliance to stop filling with water too soon, leaving the dishwasher without enough water to wash the dishes.

Find the float mechanism, which is usually located in a front corner of the interior of the appliance and inspect it for blockages and sticky substances. Make sure it is clean and can move up and down freely.

If the drain valve has a clog and cannot remove water, your dishwasher will not fill with water because the float mechanism will not lower when water sits in the bottom of the unit. 

You can learn how to unclog a dishwasher yourself or call a repair person to fix the problem.

4. The Water Inlet Valve Isn’t Opening

The water inlet valve is the mechanism that allows water to fill the dishwasher’s basin. It must be open, or the dishwasher will not fill with water.

This valve can be tricky to find on your own, as you must remove an interior access panel near the bottom of the unit and on the side where the water supply connects to the dishwasher.

When you check the valve, make sure it opens and closes freely, and check its interior for any blockages. Be sure to turn off the water supply to the dishwasher and cut the power to it before working on the inlet valve.

If the valve appears operational, the dishwasher’s electrical control panel may be malfunctioning, which will leave it unable to send a signal to open the inlet valve. A repair person can run a diagnostic test to check.

5. The Water Supply Valve Is Closed

If water is available everywhere but the dishwasher, check the water supply valve for the unit. This valve shuts off water to the appliance in case of emergency.

It could be that someone turned the knob to the off position and forgot to turn it back to the on position. Most dishwashers have their own supply valve that you can turn on and off—usually located underneath the sink near the dishwasher. Look for a valve on a pipe that connects to the dishwasher. Turn the valve to the left, counter-clockwise, until it’s fully open.

Troubleshooting a Dishwasher Yourself vs. Calling a Pro 

If you cannot decipher the reason why your dishwasher is not getting water, there’s no shame in calling in a local dishwasher repair person. They can run a diagnostic scan on your appliance and will have the needed tools to make the repairs.

Dishwasher repair cost can range from $160 to $300, depending on the complexity of the problem. However, some significant issues, such as replacing a pump, may cost $600 or more.

If the appliance is still under warranty, you may be able to have the repair done for no out-of-pocket cost.