Maytag dishwasher MDBH945AWW standing water in bottom between cycles

We had this dishwasher installed in December 2009, I think, and I just noticed standing water in the bottom. I Googled around and found some posts about other dishwashers - that there may be some kind of removable cover in the bottom, but it appears that I have no manual that shows anything like that, and the manuals online don't seem to show anything I can do.

 

Your dishwasher uses a separate discharge pump. There is a replaceable flapper inside the pump.
I've left you a link below. When you click on link...you'll see an expanded view of your unit. Under that pic click on view full size and the pic will open in a new window. You can click on pic and get a full size one. Use cursor to drag around pic. The part you are looking at is part # 15.

Also.....make sure your drain line is routed high above the dishwasher and then down to drain. I usually bring the line all the way up the back of the machine to just under the countertop thru a clip and then down to drain.

You may want to check out drain line first.


http://www.searspartsdirect.com/part...&prst=&shdMod=

 

Am I missing the link?
...

OK- see it now, thanks.

I'm wondering about another post on the web ( different unit ) that said the output may be blocked by food debris and to clear that first. Trying to figure where to do that on this one...

 

Ok, here's what mine looks like now. That round thing on the lower right seems to be a float that goes into the pump, so if that's clogged, I need to get it off and clear it, but I tried unscrewing it and just pulling up on it gently and it doesn't come off. Didn't want to force it and risk breaking something. Am I on the right track?

I figure I can mess with the line later. Yes, the line going out to the garbage disposal is running below it, so I need to fix that too. Idiot who installed it!

 

Yes that is the float. That is there for water fill purposes. It's not the access for the pump.

The drain pump is part number 14 in the link I left you. You need to take it out from the bottom to clean it. Normally, you could just pull the hose off and a clog may be there.

The amount of water in the bottom of your unit is what the level would be for a normal wash. Based on the level (full)...... you have a clog, the pump is stalled, or the pump motor is bad.

 

I just ran a load yesterday and it must be pumping some of it out, right? Or this would have overflown? It stays constant and that color.

What hose should I pull off to clear a clog? I don't even see one. Or is it in the bottom too?

When it ran yesterday it sounded like a pump was really straining.

From these few parts diagrams, I'm not even clear where the pump exit hole is, in this washer, or how to get to that bottom area you talk about.

 

Ok......the water level in your picture tells me that the washer has filled up with water because it is at the float level. The water level it's at right now is the normal water level. It wont go higher than that.

So basically you are washing with the same water......over and over. Nothing is draining...or very little and nothing is filling....or very little.

You will have to remove the kick panel at the bottom front of the dishwasher for access to the pump and drain hose. The pump gets its water from the sump area which is under that center cone shaped cover piece. You may have to remove that too and check for foreign material.

The picture shows you what the pump looks like. There you'll see that red flapper I mentioned earlier. The hose will be attached with a clamp over the white plastic pipe where that flapper is.

Remove hose slowly.

Have a pan ready to catch water. If hose is clogged and you remove it.....the entire tub will drain out.

Be sure power is turned off to dishwasher before poking around under there.

 

Thanks. Might need a few days but I'll report back.