How to Troubleshoot No Power and the Water Not Draining in a KitchenAid Dishwasher

KitchenAid dishwashers are equipped with an LED display on the front panel to alert you when the appliance malfunctions or encounters a problem. However, if your dishwasher will not drain and has no power, the display panel will not help you. Try troubleshooting the electrical connections as a starting point to fixing the problem yourself before spending money on a service call. Minor issues can be corrected in a few minutes. Even if you cannot solve the problem, narrowing the malfunction to a specific area, such as a bad water pump, will save the time and cost if you must call in a technician.

Step 1

Open the cabinet next to the dishwasher where the power cord for the appliance connects to a wall outlet or the household wiring. Verify that the KitchenAid power cord is connected to the electrical supply.

Step 2

Turn the circuit breaker for the kitchen off and on, then check the KitchenAid front panel to see if the LED display is illuminated. A tripped circuit breaker will shut down the dishwasher and stop it from draining. If the KitchenAid still has no power, continue troubleshooting.

Step 3

Lift the latch on the KitchenAid door, and lower it to look inside the dishwasher. Pull out the bottom rack and lift it out of the appliance.

Step 4

Bail out some of the water in the bottom with a plastic cup until the filter screen is exposed.

Step 5

Twist the screen counterclockwise to remove it. Clean the part under running water and replace it. By this time, an overheated motor resulting from a clogged filter may have cooled sufficiently that the KitchenAid will operate again. If the water pump strains to drain water through a clogged filter, the dishwasher motor overheats and either shuts down or trips the circuit breaker. If the appliance still will not operate, the pump may be bad or there may be an internal wiring problem that requires a trained technician to repair it.