Denys Mitchell Key Takeaways
- A thin film of water around the filter can be normal, but several centimeters of dirty water after a cycle is a drain fault.
- To drain an Asko dishwasher by hand, switch it off, scoop the water out and clean both filters.
- If the water returns, check the drain hose for a kink, the 40-centimeter high loop, the disposal knock-out plug and the air gap.
- Do not run more cycles on top of standing water: it gives poor cleaning and risks overflow.
- A pump that hums without moving water, with clean filters, needs a technician.
The Bottom Line
Scoop the water, clean both filters and check the drain hose before you suspect the pump. If the pump hums and the water stays, the pump needs a technician; the price is confirmed after diagnosis, with a written estimate before work begins.
You open the door at the end of a cycle and find a pool of grey water sitting in the tub. Asko dishwasher water in the bottom of the tub is the single most common reason owners search for how to drain the machine by hand, and the useful answer has two parts: how much water is too much, and the order in which to clear it. The machine usually tells you the second part itself: on the F3 page, a drain timeout means the pump could not clear the tub within the allowed time. For the full list of causes, our Asko dishwasher not draining guide is the parent of this one.
| What you see | Likely cause | First move |
|---|---|---|
| A thin film around the filter | Normal on most dishwashers | Nothing, check the manual |
| Several centimeters of dirty water | Clogged filter or blocked path | Clean the filter first |
| Pump hums, level does not fall | Blocked outlet or jammed impeller | Check the pump inlet |
| Water backs up into the sink | Air gap or disposal connection | Clear the air gap, check the knock-out plug |
| Smell from the standing water | Stagnant water, a secondary sign | Drain it and clean the filter |
Is Water in the Bottom of an Asko Dishwasher Normal?
A small amount around the filter can be, but several centimeters of dirty water after the cycle is not. The F3 page describes the fault exactly that way: dirty wash water standing in the sump area when you open the door, confirming the drain pump has not cleared the tub. A thin film of clean water in the sump is how most dishwashers rest, and your manual is the place to confirm what yours does.
The difference is easy to spot. Clean water that barely covers the sump is rest water. Grey, greasy water that covers the filter and rises toward the lower basket is a drain fault, and every extra cycle on top of it makes the cleaning worse.
How Do You Drain an Asko Dishwasher by Hand?
Switch the machine off, scoop out the water and then clear what stopped it. The order below follows what the F3 page lists as safe checks, and none of it needs a tool or a panel off.
- Turn it off and take out the lower basket. This exposes the filter assembly on the tub floor.
- Scoop the water. Use a cup and a bowl, then a sponge or towel for the last of it. Do not tip the machine.
- Lift out the filters. Turn the cylindrical filter counterclockwise and lift it out, then lift out the flat mesh filter underneath.
- Rinse and brush them. Warm running water and a soft brush remove grease and food particles.
- Clear the recess. Wipe out the space under the filters with a cloth.
- Refit and test. Put the filters back, close the door and run a Quick Wash to see whether the water now drains.
The code page says Asko recommends cleaning the filter after every 10 to 15 wash cycles. If you cannot remember when you last did it, the filter is the likeliest cause of the water you found.
What If the Water Comes Back After a Clean Filter?
Then the blockage is further along the path, in the hose or the connection. The F3 page lists a kinked or blocked drain hose as the second most likely cause, and it gives the checks to make once the filter is clean.
- The hose behind the machine. Slide the dishwasher forward and look for a kink, or a hose crushed against the cabinet wall.
- The high loop. The page says the hose should rise to at least 40 centimeters above the floor before it drops to the drain connection.
- The disposal knock-out plug. If the hose joins a garbage disposal, check that the knock-out plug inside the inlet was removed when it was fitted.
- The air gap. If you have one, take the cap off and clear any build-up.
An old corrugated hose can also hold debris inside. The page suggests detaching it and flushing it with water from a tap.
Is It Safe to Keep Running It With Standing Water?
No, not until the water drains. The F3 page says running wash cycles on top of standing water gives poor cleaning and risks overflow, and the stagnant water soon starts to smell. Switching the machine off for 30 seconds clears the code from the display, but the code returns at the next drain phase if the cause is still there.
Stop if water spills onto the floor, or if the pump hums and produces no flow at all after you have cleaned the filters. Both are on the page as reasons to stop and call.
How to Stop the Water Coming Back
Most standing water is a maintenance problem, and the routine that prevents it is short. Our filter guide gives the schedule, and the habits below do most of the work.
- Rinse the filter monthly. It is the part that catches the food the machine does not grind, and the first place a drain fault starts.
- Scrape, do not pre-rinse. Starchy residue from pasta and rice is a common cause of blocked filters, and detergent works better with something to act on.
- Run a hot maintenance cycle every three months. It clears the grease film that narrows the drain path.
- Check the hose after any change. A new disposal, a moved machine or a new cabinet can leave a kink, a missing high loop or a knock-out plug still in place.
Spray arms matter too. If one rack comes out dirty and the other clean, the holes in an arm are probably silted up, and clearing them with a toothpick usually helps.
When the Pump Is the Problem
When the filter, the hose and the connection are clear and the water still stays. The page puts it down to a jammed impeller or a failed pump motor, and it says what to do first: with power off, reach into the filter recess and feel round the pump inlet for hard objects such as glass fragments, seeds or label material. Wear rubber gloves, because broken glass cuts.
- Foreign object in the impeller. A fruit pit, a glass shard or a label is lodged and the pump cannot turn.
- Failed pump motor. The windings have burned out and the pump cannot move water.
- A relay fault on the board. If a drain fault continues after pump replacement, the page points at the control board.
On this site a diagnostic visit starts from $89, and the final price is confirmed after the diagnosis on site, with a written estimate before any work begins. To avoid the problem in future, our dishwasher filter maintenance guide sets out the monthly routine. Our dishwasher repair service covers the drain path. Schedule a visit or contact us with the code, if any, and the model number.