The Maytag dishwasher fill and drain path is short: a Maytag dishwasher fills when the water inlet valve opens and lets water into the tub, and it drains when the drain pump pushes the used water out through the filter and the drain hose. A float switch or flow meter tells the control board when enough water has come in, and the board decides when to start and stop each step. Knowing that path makes most fill and drain problems far less mysterious, because each symptom points at one stage.
How does a Maytag dishwasher fill with water?
When a cycle starts, the control board opens the water inlet valve. Our guide on inadequate water filling explains that during a normal cycle the valve opens and lets water flow into the tub for a timed interval, while a float switch or flow meter watches the water level and signals the board when the correct amount has entered. The water arrives from the shutoff valve under your sink through the supply hose to the inlet valve, which sits behind the lower panel on most models.
The inlet valve has a small mesh screen where the supply hose connects. Sediment and mineral deposits can build up on it over time and slow the fill. If any link is compromised, whether it is the valve, the sensor or the water supply, the dishwasher will fill too little or not at all. Our Maytag dishwasher inadequate water filling guide goes through those causes.
What does the dishwasher do with the water once it is in?
A circulation pump at the bottom of the tub sends the water up to the spray arms. Maytag dishwashers use two or three spray arms, which are the lower arm, the upper arm and sometimes a ceiling spray nozzle, to distribute water through the wash cycle. The water drains back through the filter, is picked up again by the pump and sprayed again. That is why a clean filter matters so much: a clogged filter recirculates dirty water through the spray arms.
Our guide to cleaning your Maytag dishwasher filter and the spray arm maintenance guide cover the two parts an owner can care for.
How does a Maytag dishwasher drain?
When the wash steps end, the drain pump starts and empties the tub. The pump sits at the bottom of the sump, and the used water passes through the filter before it leaves. From the pump the water goes through the drain hose, which loops up to the underside of the countertop, called a high loop, or connects to an air gap before it goes down to the disposal or drain pipe. A missing high loop allows backflow from the sink.
If the dishwasher is connected to a garbage disposal, a clogged disposal can back up into the dishwasher, and a new disposal’s knockout plug has to be removed from the dishwasher inlet for water to pass. Our Maytag dishwasher not draining guide covers those checks.
What is the control board’s job?
The control board runs the sequence. It opens the inlet valve, reads the float switch or flow meter, starts the circulation pump, starts the drain pump and moves the cycle along. A step that does not finish, for example a fill that never reaches the right level, can stop the cycle or show a code. Maytag dishwashers also use flashing light codes, which our flashing light codes guide explains in order to help you read what the board is saying. Where the board has stopped the cycle, the code tells you which stage failed, and that tells a technician which part to test first.
Where does AquaStop fit in?
AquaStop is Maytag’s leak protection, and it works alongside the fill path rather than being part of normal filling. Our guide on how it works describes a double-walled supply hose, a mechanical shutoff valve at the tap end and an electronic float sensor in the base. It is a separate system, so read how Maytag AquaStop works if you want the full picture of what protects the kitchen from a leak.
What can you check yourself at each stage?
Keep your checks to the outside and to the parts you can reach without tools. For fill, confirm the water shutoff valve under the sink is fully open and the supply hose is not kinked. For wash, check that the spray arms spin freely and the holes are not clogged. For drain, clean the filter, check that the drain hose is not kinked and that the high loop is in place, and run the disposal if the dishwasher drains into one. These are the same first checks our troubleshooting guides give.
Do not disconnect hoses with the water on, and do not open the lower panel to test the valve or the pump. The inlet valve and the pump are wired parts, and testing them is a technician’s job. If you see water near an electrical outlet, switch off the breaker at the panel while standing on a dry floor, and never pull a plug from a wet outlet.
