For any dishwasher to properly clean the dishes, it must drain appropriately. Failure to do so will result in dirty dishes you wouldn’t want. But how do you explain a Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher not draining?
Well, a Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher won’t drain due to excess suds, a drain hose, drain filter, garbage disposal, or air gap obstruction, a stuck check valve, or a drain pump, timer, drain impeller, solenoid valve, or float switch failure.
It usually takes one of those 11 issues to stop your Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher from draining. And remember, if the dishwasher doesn’t drain, the dishes won’t come out clean, which means it will fail in its primary role.
Fortunately, these are issues you can correct, and this troubleshooting guide should enable you to do just that. Ultimately, you won’t have to pay an expert for the job, and you get to save money and time.
Let’s get into it!
In a rush? Consider the quick fixes below when your Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher has difficulty draining.
Quick Troubleshooting Guide for a Frigidaire Gallery Dishwasher Not Draining
| – | Likely Issue | Quick Fix |
| 1. | Excess Suds | Avoid detergent overuse and only use the recommended detergent. |
| 2. | Drain Hose Obstruction | Clear kinks and clogs from the drain hose |
| 3. | Drain Filter Obstruction | Clean the drain filter. |
| 4. | Garbage Disposal Obstruction | Clean the garbage disposal. |
| 5. | Air Gap Obstruction | Clean the air gap thoroughly. |
| 6. | Stuck Check Valve | Unstick the check valve. |
| 7. | Drain Pump Failure | Clean the drain pump if it’s clogged, but replace it if the motor is defective. |
| 8. | Timer Failure | Replace the timer if the dishwasher remains stuck on fill mode and overflows. |
| 9. | Drain Impeller Failure | Replace a damaged drain impeller. |
| 10. | Solenoid Valve Failure | Replace the solenoid valve if it fails the electrical continuity test. |
| 11. | Float Switch Failure | Replace the float switch if it fails the electrical continuity test. |
Why Is My Frigidaire Gallery Dishwasher Not Draining?
Consider the 11 issues below if your Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher won’t drain:
1. Excess Suds
Are there too many suds? If yes, that’s likely why your Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher won’t drain. Too many suds force the dishwasher to take in more water, which cannot drain out efficiently. In the end, the dishwasher struggles to drain.
Overall, this could be a case of just putting too much detergent. And if that’s not it, you could be using the wrong detergent – something the dishwasher manufacturer hasn’t endorsed.
Fix
Only use the recommended amount of detergent. Don’t overuse it. While at it, ensure you only use the detergent type Frigidaire recommends.
2. Drain Hose Obstruction
If there’s an obstruction along the drain hose, it’ll restrict drainage. Wastewater won’t just pass out. Typically, this happens when there are kinks on the drain hose. If there aren’t any, then the issue could be a clog.
Fix
Check the drain hose for kinks and straighten them out. If the hose is clogged, dislodge the clog, perhaps with a thin wire or vacuum cleaner.
3. Drain Filter Obstruction
The drain filter catches food debris and other potential clogs before they can clog the drain hose. So, if the drain hose is blocked, the issue most likely relates to a drain filter fault.
Over time, the drain filter clogs up with the materials it traps, and when that happens, the clog prevents wastewater from passing through the drain filter into the drain hose, which stops your dishwasher from draining.
Fix
Inspect the drain filter for obstruction and clean it thoroughly as the manufacturer recommends. Ordinarily, soapy water will do, and ensure you rinse it afterward.
4. Garbage Disposal Obstruction
The garbage disposal grinds food chunks and debris before being drained away. Sometimes, however, these vast chunks obstruct it and prevent it from doing its job. In the long run, your dishwasher struggles to drain.
Fix
Inspect the garbage disposal for clogging and clean it.
5. Air Gap Obstruction
The air gap is mounted to the sink to prevent backflow. In that case, it stops wastewater from flowing back to your dishwasher and messing up your dishes. This component, however, fails in its job when it clogs up.
Fix
Inspect the air gap for clogging and clean it.
6. Stuck Check Valve
The stuck valve or flapper lets dirty water pass through before reaching the drain hose. This one-way valve sits in the washer and not around the sink, as is the case of the air gap.
Sometimes, however, dirt and debris obstruction could cause it to remain stuck, and once that happens, the valve ends up allowing wastewater to flow back, which could be why the dishwasher won’t drain.
Fix
Clear any obstruction around the flapper to unstick it. If it won’t unstick, replace it.
7. Drain Pump Failure
The last thing you want is for your dishwasher’s drain pump to fail, which will spell disaster for the draining process. One way a drain pump may fail is by excessive clogging. Like the drain filter, hose, and other parts I’ve mentioned, the drain pump shouldn’t clog, as that’ll prevent the dishwasher from draining.
Another way the drain pump may fail is if the motor is defective. In such a case, the motor won’t run, and since it doesn’t do so, the drain pump can’t pump out wastewater.
Fix
Perform a quick Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher drain pump test using these steps:
- Open the dishwasher and smell it. If it’s smelly, the drain pump is likely clogged
- Switch off the dishwasher’s power socket and blow air directly through the pump
- If air passes through, then that confirms the pump is clogged
- If it doesn’t, then test the pump motor terminals with a multimeter
- The absence of continuity affirms that the pump motor is faulty
In the above case, clean the drain pump if you detect clogging. Replace it, however, if the pump motor is defective.
8. Timer Failure
The timer is another component you wouldn’t want to fail. If it does, the dishwasher will stay in fill mode for a long time, forcing it to draw in excess water, which can’t drain out as it should. So, this could be the reason your Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher struggles to drain.
Fix
Consider replacing the timer if your dishwasher overstays in fill mode and won’t stop filling up. If unsure, talk to a dishwasher expert.
9. Drain Impeller Failure
You also wouldn’t want the drain impeller to fail. That could happen when it breaks. In such a case, the impeller fails to draw water from the dishwasher through the drain hose.
Fix
Inspect the drain impeller for damage and replace it if that’s so.
10. Solenoid Valve Failure
The solenoid valve is critical in allowing water to pass through and drain out. This component is present mainly on older Frigidaire dishwashers and often struggles to open and close when it fails.
Fix
Test the solenoid valve with a multimeter to see if it shows continuity. If it doesn’t, replace it.
11. Float Switch Failure
Lastly, consider that your Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher might not be draining wastewater because the float switch is malfunctioning. This switch monitors the water level in your dishwasher. Subsequently, if it fails, the dishwasher may continue overfilling, affecting drainage.
Fix
Test the float switch with a multimeter. Replace it if it won’t show electrical continuity, which affirms its fault.
How to Drain Frigidaire Gallery Dishwasher – Summary
Generally, these steps are critical in draining a Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher that won’t drain:
- Use the recommended detergent type and avoid using too much of it in case of too many suds
- Clear any kinks and clogs from the drain hose
- Clean the drain filter to eliminate any clog
- Also, clean the garbage disposal and air gap to remove any dirt clog
- Try to unstick the check valve if it appears stuck
- Clean the drain pump if it’s heavily clogged, and replace the drain pump if it lacks continuity
- Replace a defective timer or damaged drain impeller
- Replace the solenoid valve or float switch if any of them fails the multimeter continuity test
People Also Ask
1. Why Does My Frigidaire Dishwasher Leave Water in The Bottom?
Your Frigidaire dishwasher leaves water in the bottom, most likely due to a clogged drain filter. If so, you should clean the drain filter to unblock it. However, if the issue is not with the filter, then it could be the drain pump that won’t pump out all the water, and if so, replace it.
2. Where Is the Reset Button On a Frigidaire Gallery Dishwasher?
Frigidaire Gallery dishwashers don’t have a dedicated reset switch. However, you can reset the dishwasher by pressing Cancel for about 3 seconds on the control panel. You can know if the dishwasher has reset if the control panel turns off or the light changes.
3. How Do I Force My Dishwasher to Drain?
The easiest way to force a dishwasher to drain is to reset it. If the dishwasher has a reset button, use it. But if it doesn’t, press Cancel for about 3 seconds before releasing it.
Note, however, that the dishwasher may still fail to drain after a reset. Once that’s the case, you should inspect it for clogging and unclog it. That means cleaning any clog on the drain filter, hose, air gap, garbage disposal, and check valve.
And if the drain pump is defective, you may have to replace it. Don’t forget to check for excess suds, as that could be a product of overusing the detergent or just applying the wrong type.
Concluding Thought on the Frigidaire Gallery Dishwasher Not Draining:
Shared above are the things to check when your Frigidaire gallery dishwasher struggles to drain. It all starts with checking for excess suds, and if so, don’t overuse the detergent and only use what Frigidaire recommends.
Then check for an obstruction involving the drain hose, drain filter, garbage disposal, air gap, and, by extension, the drain pump, and unclog them if that’s the case.
Replace a drain pump, solenoid valve, and float switch that lacks continuity. And if the check valve is stuck, try to release it and replace a damaged drain impeller.
If you cannot correct the drainage after that, you can talk to Frigidaire or any reliable dishwasher professional around you.
Also Read: