Won't drain on your Maytag PDB1100AWZ
A dishwasher that won't drain is failing somewhere in a short chain from the sump to the house drain: the drain pump pushes water out of the tub, the drain hose carries it up and over a loop or through an air gap, and the water enters the house drain through either a dedicated standpipe or the inlet on a garbage disposal. Each point in that chain can clog — and the single most common cause isn't the pump. It's food debris accumulated in the sump filter at the bottom of the tub. On brand-new installations, a specific failure mode dominates: the garbage disposal inlet has a factory 'knockout plug' that the installer has to remove before connecting the dishwasher. If that plug was forgotten, no water can pass regardless of how healthy the dishwasher's pump is. Check the sump filter first on an existing install, and check the disposal knockout on a new install, before assuming a component has failed.
- Kill the breaker before opening any panel: Dishwashers are typically hardwired to a dedicated 120V circuit rather than plugged into an outlet, so there's no plug to pull. Always turn off the dishwasher's breaker at the panel before removing the kick plate, accessing the drain pump, or working inside the tub. Verify power is off with a non-contact voltage tester before reaching in.
- Sharp debris in the sump and filter: Broken glass, toothpicks, fruit stickers with backing staples, and small bones or shells collect in the sump and filter. Always inspect visually before reaching in, and pull debris out with tweezers or a disposable tool — not bare fingers. A small shard of glass in the sump is easy to miss and easy to cut skin on.
- Standing dishwasher water is not clean: Water trapped by a failed drain cycle carries detergent residue, food particles, and the slippery proteins and fats from whatever was rinsed off dishes. It can irritate skin and eyes, and it smells bad if left sitting for more than a day. Wear gloves when bailing water from the tub or cleaning the sump.
- Don't force additional cycles with water in the tub: Running another cycle on top of standing water risks overflow onto the floor and through the door gasket. Cancel the current cycle, bail water out of the tub manually with a cup or sponge, and diagnose the drain path before starting any new cycle. The door gasket is not watertight against significant volume.
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