GE Monogram Dishwasher Not Draining / Drain Fault

What Drain Fault indicates

At each drain step the control runs the drain pump to push water out through the drain hose into the disposer or air gap. If the water does not leave, the dishwasher may flag a drain fault or simply abort with standing water and a wash that did not complete. The most common blockage points are the bottom filter/sump, the drain hose, the air gap, and the disposer inlet knockout.

Likely causes

• Clogged sump filter, check valve, or drain path inside the tub
• Kinked, clogged, or improperly looped drain hose
• Disposer knockout plug not removed, or clogged disposer/air gap
• Drain pump jammed on debris or with a failed impeller
• Failed drain pump motor or its control circuit

What causes Drain Fault

Food soil and grease build up in the sump filter and check valve, the drain hose kinks or clogs, and on a new disposer install the knockout plug is sometimes left in place, blocking the dishwasher drain entirely. The drain pump itself can jam on debris (glass, a seed, a label) or fail electrically.

Symptoms you may notice

• Standing water in the bottom of the tub after the cycle
• Dishes still dirty or filmy because dirty water never left
• Humming from the pump area with no water movement, or no pump sound at all
• Water backs up into the sink or air gap spits water
• Cycle stops early or repeats the drain attempt

Parts typically replaced for Drain Fault

• Drain pump — When the pump is electrically failed, jammed, or the impeller is broken
• Sump filter / check valve assembly — When the filter or check valve is clogged or damaged
• Drain hose — When the hose is split, collapsed internally, or permanently clogged
• Air gap — When the air gap is clogged and restricting flow

Owner-safe checks for Drain Fault

• Remove the bottom filter and clear food debris, then check the sump for visible objects
• If a disposer was recently installed, confirm the dishwasher knockout plug was removed
• Run the disposer and clear the sink/air gap of food backup
• Check that the drain hose under the sink is not kinked and is properly high-looped

When to call a technician

Many drain failures are owner-clearable: cleaning the filter, clearing the air gap or disposer, and confirming the knockout plug was removed. If the tub still will not drain after those checks, the drain pump or internal drain path is likely failed and needs a technician to test and replace.