How To Drain Frigidaire Dishwasher [Inc. Mid Cycle]

Dishwashers need to drain dirty water at least two times during their cycle. But what if your Frigidaire dishwasher won't drain? Is there something you can do about it, or should you call your trusted plumber right away? We asked the experts regarding this concern, and here's their advice.
To drain your Frigidaire dishwasher, you need to check and remove the blockages on its drain hose, filter, and drain pump. Check the garbage disposal and air gap for clogs as well. By removing the accumulated food debris and dirt that's blocking the way, water will be able to flow continuously from your dishwasher into your drain system.
Keep reading so we can tell you more about these troubleshooting tips and what you can do when you notice that the water is not draining properly mid-cycle. We'll also teach you how to reset your Frigidaire dishwasher. Let's get this started!
Beautiful young smiling woman doing dishes in a modern kitchen with dishwasher, How To Drain Frigidaire Dishwasher [Even During Mid Cycle!]

How to Drain Your Dishwasher

Transparent and black and white dishes as well as cutlery and glasses are washed in the dishwasher, inside view, drops and splashes of water.

A dishwasher is truly one of the most helpful appliances we have in the kitchen. It saves us time and energy. Imagine, you just have to put the dirty dishes, cookware, and utensils inside it, and they'll come out all clean and dry after a few minutes!
You might be asking yourself, how does it do that anyway? A dishwasher is basically a robot that's programmed to clean your dirty dishes. It accomplishes this chore by completing a series of tasks.
For a quick rundown, here goes. It starts by adding water to the dishwasher and then:
  • heating the water,
  • opening the dispenser for the detergent,
  • spraying water at the dishes,
  • draining the dirty water,
  • rinsing the soap off,
  • then draining the water again.

The last step, which is optional, is heating the air inside the dishwasher to dry the dishes.

Like we said at the start of this article, you need to drain the dirty water at least two times. This is important in ensuring that the dishes are clean. However, you might encounter instances when the water in your Frigidaire dishwasher doesn't drain.
You open it thinking that the plates and cookware are already clean, but instead, you find dirty standing water at the bottom of the kitchen appliance. What could be wrong? Should you call a plumber right away?
Here are the possible reasons and some troubleshooting tips for you so that you can get your dishwasher to drain the water properly.

Blocked Drain Hose

The water has to go somewhere, right? In the case of dishwashers, the drain hose is connected to the sink's or garbage disposal's drain pipe. Of course, if something is blocking the way, water won't be able to pass through.
Sometimes there are kinks on the hose because it was moved out of its original position. You just simply need to straighten it out to allow water to move freely.
If the hose is clogged, you would need to remove the obstruction. Here are the steps that you can follow:
  1.  Turn off the dishwasher and remove the plug.
  2. Locate your dishwasher's drain hose. Check the manual for its location; it is usually at the lower part of the front panel.
  3. Remove the drain hose from its connections to the pump and garbage disposal.
  4. Use a straightened wire hanger or something long to be able to reach and remove the obstruction.
  5. If you cannot remove the clog, you would need to have the drain hose replaced.

Dirty Dishwasher Filter

A hand taking out a dirty drain filter of dishwashing machine close up.

It is recommended that you clean your dishwasher's filter regularly. It is responsible for sifting through the food particles and dirt so that the large ones won't make their way into the hose and cause blockage later on. But if you don't remove these huge pieces of food, they'll block the way to the hose and water won't be able to drain properly.
Here are the steps to clean your dishwasher filter:
  1. Remove the bottom rack of your Frigidaire dishwasher.
  2. While pressing the wash arm down, turn the filter counterclockwise.
  3. Lift the spray arm this time to be able to retrieve the filter.
  4. Clean the filter by putting it under running water to get rid of the accumulated residue.
  5. Put back the spray arm and filter in their proper location.
  6. Turn the filter clockwise and press down the spray arm to secure everything in its place.

Drain Pump Issues

This component of your dishwasher is responsible for moving water out of the appliance into the drain. It uses an impeller or rotor to exert pressure on the water. But if food particles are stuck in this section, the pump won't be able to push water out.
The drain pump also has a motor to keep it running. If the motor is no longer working, the dishwasher can't drain the water. You can check this with the help of a multimeter. If the meter shows no continuity, it means the motor is dead and needs to be replaced.

Garbage disposal and air gap issues

Garbage Disposal under the modern sink, waste chopper concept

It could also be that the reason why your unit isn't draining water is because of its connections. Remember, the dishwasher is sharing the drain with your garbage disposal.

You can check this part as well as the air gap for any blockage. By removing the obstruction, water will be able to flow continuously from the dishwasher into the main drain pipe.
Remove the cap on the air gap and clean it using a soft-bristled brush or paper towel. Continuously run water down your garbage disposal to remove blockages on the drain system. These steps would help address the water drainage issue.
These are the parts that you should look into to ensure the proper flow of water out of your dishwasher into your drain system.

To help you further, here is a video that demonstrates how to address this particular concern regarding your Frigidaire dishwasher.

How do I drain my Frigidaire dishwasher mid-cycle?

If you notice that the water is pooling at the bottom of your dishwasher mid-way through its cycle, here's what you can do:
  1. Cancel the cycle and turn your unit off. You can always pause or cancel the cleaning cycle anytime and the dishwasher will be unlocked.
  2. Remove all the dishes and put them in the sink.
  3. Turn off the power source for your dishwasher and garbage disposal for your safety.
  4. Use an old towel to remove the water that has accumulated at the bottom of your dishwasher.
  5. Proceed to check the components mentioned above to address the drainage issue.
There you have it! You now have the proper information so you can troubleshoot the draining issues of your Frigidaire dishwasher at any part of its cycle. See if these will work for you so that you don't have to call a plumber or dishwasher technician and save on labor costs.

How do you reset a Frigidaire dishwasher?

Open dishwasher with clean dishes after washing

There could be times when you might find your Frigidaire dishwasher acting up like you were just able to use it the night before and the following morning it doesn't seem to want to work anymore.

You've checked the parts we've mentioned above to find out that there's nothing in there that's blocking the drain hose, filter, drain pump, or even the air gaps and garbage disposal.
Like other electrical appliances, it might just need a reset to have it back in good running condition. Before you panic, be informed that Frigidaire dishwashers don't have an actual reset button. But you can still reboot them.
Look for the cancel button on the right side of the control panel and simply press it for about three to five seconds. This would turn the unit off. Wait for around five to ten minutes before you restart it. This would give the appliance time to reboot and sort its electrical connections.
If this doesn't work, you can try switching off the circuit breaker where your dishwasher is connected and unplugging the unit. Wait for about 10 minutes before you plug it back and switch it on again.
After enough time has passed, turn on your dishwasher, load your dishes, and choose your cycle settings.

Final Thoughts

Open dishwasher with clean dishes in the white kitchen

As always, check the possible reasons first why your dishwasher isn't draining. There might be a simple solution to the problem after all and you can have your kitchen appliance working properly in no time.

For more helpful resources about your Frigidaire dishwasher, you may read the following posts:

How To Unlock A Frigidaire Dishwasher?

How Old Is My Frigidaire Dishwasher? [Serial Number Lookup Tips]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *