Dishwashers come up with very annoying problems often, and one of the most annoying ones I’ve experienced is a dishwasher that won’t fill with water. This problem is common with some models of the Amana dishwasher, but why won’t an Amana dishwasher fill?
Your Amana dishwasher will only fill with water if the water supply valve is turned on. Also, any obstruction to the overfill protection float or float switch could cause it to work improperly, causing the water inlet valve to stop supplying water before the dishwasher is full. Finally, an issue with the water inlet valve might be why your Amana dishwasher won’t fill.
The technical terms from the preceding paragraph might seem hard to understand, but that’s why there’s more. In this article, I’ll explain all the points I’ve raised to give you a clear picture of why your Amana dishwasher won’t fill. Also, we’ll troubleshoot each of those problems to get your dishwasher working again.
Why Amana Dishwasher Won’t Fill?
Your dishwasher relies on a steady water supply from the water inlet valve to clean your dishes properly. If the inlet valve cuts the supply short before the dishwasher fills up, the dishwasher stops working correctly, as you won’t have enough water to wash the dishes.
From that little explanation, it’s evident that most issues with your Amana dishwasher not filling are from your water inlet valve. Here are some faults that could prevent the valve from supplying enough water to the dishwasher.
Insufficient water supply
Lack of a continuous and sufficient water supply source is one of the funniest and shockingly common reasons your Amana dishwasher won’t fill. For any model of the Amana dishwasher to work, you must connect it to a water source that runs continuously, while supplying a reasonable volume of water.
The problem with an insufficient water supply occurs when the water volume is too low to work with the appliance or when there’s no water at all. In both cases, there’s nothing wrong with your Amana dishwasher; instead, you should focus on fixing any issues with your household plumbing that may cut off any water supply to the appliance.
Paused washing cycle
There are several reasons why your Amana dishwasher could pause a washing cycle, causing it not to fill with water. The appliance can’t keep working during a power cut, as it relies on a constant electricity and water supply to keep your dishes clean.
Also, opening the door in the middle of a washing cycle will effectively pause it. If the dishwasher isn’t full of water before the pause, the water inlet valve will stop supplying water anyway. Finally, you may have accidentally triggered the pause by pushing the START/RESUME button in the middle of a wash.
You can confirm if a paused washing cycle is the problem by checking if the START/RESUME indicator is flashing. If it is, there are no issues with your dishwasher, and you only paused the washing cycle by mistake. However, you should continue reading the article if the indicator isn’t flashing.
Faulty or stuck overfill protection float (float switch)
The float switch (or overfill protection float) helps the water inlet valve to detect when it has supplied enough water to fill up the dishwasher to ensure it stops the supply before the appliance overflows. With its crucial function, you can probably already imagine what would happen if it were to get faulty.
The float switch is mildly expensive to replace, but thankfully, sustained damage isn’t the only reason why it might not be working properly. It may also be that it’s obstructed by some debris, making it unable to detect if the dishwasher is full, inevitably misleading the water inlet valve to supply too little water.
Faulty water inlet valve
The water inlet valve is the part of the device saddled with the responsibility of supplying the rest of the unit with water. So, when the dishwasher isn’t getting as much water as it should, it’s impossible not to mention potential faults with the water inlet valve as one of the reasons.
The most common reason your water inlet valve may not be supplying enough water is that it’s clogged, and you can solve that by unclogging the valve. On the other hand, the device might be damaged, a fault that will require you to replace it since there’s currently no way to repair it.
Incorrectly positioned drain hose.
The FAQ section on Amana’s official website listed a wrong drain hose position as one of the reasons their dishwashers may not be filling with water, but I don’t see that as a widespread problem. Since it’s better to be safe than sorry, you should check the position of the drain hose to see if it has any effect on the issue.
According to Amana, your dishwasher’s drain hose should be at least 20 inches above the ground from where it connects to the rest of your plumbing system. It’s something you should check, especially if your drain hose is too close to the ground.
How to Fix Amana Dishwasher That Won’t Fill
Before trying extensive fixes on your dishwasher, you should note that the recommendations in this section may void your warranty. If your dishwasher is still under warranty protection, you shouldn’t attempt to fix it when you can have Amana come around to repair or replace it for free.
On the other hand, you can cause more damage by trying to fix your dishwasher yourself. If you’re not confident in your ability to fix it properly, you should consider seeking the help of a technician. Even if you’re not under warranty protection, you should be able to get somebody from Amana to fix your dishwasher for a fee.
However, if you have some technical experience and enjoy DIY projects, fixing a faulty dishwasher isn’t half bad. Without further ado, here are some solutions you should try to get your non-filling dishwasher to fill up again.
Fix your water supply
As mentioned in the preceding section, your Amana dishwasher needs a constant water supply to work as designed. So, the appliance not filling up might be due to your home’s plumbing system not supplying it with enough water to do the dishes and not a fault of the dishwasher itself.
You can confirm (or debunk) this theory by simply checking if the pipes that should supply water to the dishwasher do supply water. If they don’t, you already know what the problem is. In short, you don’t need a technician that fixes dishwashers but a plumber to get your home’s plumbing system in order.
Resume a washing cycle
When there’s a sudden power cut, your Amana dishwasher pauses the current washing cycle, but it doesn’t resume automatically when the power is restored. Also, opening (or unlatching) the door during a washing cycle will have a similar effect as a power cut, which might be why the appliance hasn’t filled with water.
If that is the problem, you can fix it by pressing the START/RESUME button after confirming the door is firmly locked and latched. Before doing that, however, you should consider checking if the Start/Resume indicator light is flashing, which is how you confirm it’s a paused washing cycle.
If the light isn’t flashing, you may have a bigger problem than you think.
Fix or replace the float switch
If the two recommendations above do not work for you, the problem might be with one of your dishwasher’s internal components. The float switch is the internal component most likely to prevent your Amana dishwasher from filling with water, but there are two sides to it.
For one, dirt or debris might obstruct the float switch, an issue you can fix by clearing its path to allow it to move freely. If that fixes the problem, you’re lucky, as you’ll have to replace the entire component if it doesn’t.
The float switch is not a repairable component; once it’s faulty, you’ll have to buy a replacement. Thankfully, Amana does sell it on its parts website, and with little help, you can install it and get it to work.
Fix the water inlet valve
If your water inlet valve is faulty, your Amana dishwasher will likely overflow rather than not fill up completely. However, a clogged water inlet valve will not supply water at its maximum capacity, potentially preventing it from filling up. A simple cleaning procedure should fix the problem with the valve, getting your dishwasher to work again.
If that doesn’t work, however, you may have a bigger problem with the Amana dishwasher. You can try a mechanical repair, which will likely not work. If it doesn’t work, the only fix is buying and installing a replacement water inlet valve, consuming both time and money.
Conclusion
There’s no chance of your dishwasher doing your dishes if it can’t get enough water to complete the task. If your dishwasher won’t fill, the problem is likely with the water supply or the float switch. This article has explained all you should know about a dishwasher that isn’t filling with water and how you can fix it.
