Dishwasher water coming out of air gap. A dishwasher is not all about washing dishes. They enable you to keep your sink clean and play a major role in maintaining your health by sanitizing.
The dishwasher contains check valves to prevent wastewater from backup into the dishwasher. But sometimes, it gets hard to check valves due to clogging and getting stuck while running a cycle.
The manufacturer designed the air gap to minimize the chances of getting the contaminated water back into the dishwasher.
If you are facing the issue of dishwasher air gap leaking, there must be an issue with draining. To diagnose and fix the issue, you may follow the guidelines below.
Dishwasher water coming out of air gap
In this article, we will discuss the regular working of the air gap. We will share tips to resolve the issue when your air gap starts spurting water.
You may use different ways to remove the clog from the Air gap, drain tubes, or hose. Let’s go through the way to get successful results without wasting time.
Dishwasher Air Gap Working
Mostly a dishwasher air gap is attached to the countertop or the sink. The air gap divides into two individual extensions. Both contain different lengths.
The first extension connects the dishwasher to the air gap, and the other connects through the garbage disposal inlet or sink drain.
Both extensions never meet as they split through the gap of air.
The dirty water flows from the drain hose to the air gaps, drops into the second branch via a gap of air, and then goes into the kitchen drain.
The air gap from where the water runs via air helps to prevent contamination by stopping the wastewater from backup.
But with time, the air gap may gets clogged due to debris or food particles. It may cause of won’t drain properly and results in the dishwasher air gap leaking.
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Things You’ll Need To Fix Air Gap Leak
Follow the steps given below.
Check Any Loose Connection
If you are experiencing air gap leakage and there might be possible that you have a loose connection.
To diagnose the issue, you must check the hoses that connect the drain. Clamps can Mount the items firmly.
But sometimes, it gets loosed. So it would help if you inspected all the clamps of the air gap assembly.
If you find any loose connection might be the culprit of air gap leakage. To fix the issue, you have to tighten them and inspect whether the issue is resolved or not.
Inspect Clogs
One of the most common issues of air gap leaking is a blockage. So to inspect the issue, you must detach the air gap metal cover to access the plastic cap. Now remove the plastic top.
The procedure of removing the plastic top varies based on the dishwasher model.
You may inspect whether you are required to remove the screws or can pull the top up by pressing from both sides.
When you have inspected any air gap blockage, move it using a suitable tool like a stick or a tweezer.
Remove The Knockout plug
If you have installed a new garbage disposal and the air gap start leaking, there might be possible that you have not detached the knockout plug contacted with the water line.
If you want that your dishwasher drains properly, then you are required to Detach the knockout plug while installing the garbage disposal.
If you are not sure whether your garbage disposal has a knockout plug or not, then you need to detach the hose.
Grab a screwdriver, place it on the knockout insert, and hit the screwdriver with a hammer. It would be best to put pressure on the knockout so it can fall into the garbage disposal tank.
Check Clog In Drain Tubes
Another common issue that may be a culprit of dishwasher air gap leaking is blocked drain tubes.
A drain tube plays a vital role in maintaining efficiency.
But if the tube gets blocked with debris or food particles, it may disturb the whole performance of the dishwasher.
To relieve this headache, you must check for any Junk or clogs in the drain tubes.
You may rinse the drain tubes with hot water to get back the smooth draining by removing the junk or clog from the tube.
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Alternate Method To Unclog Air Gap
If you suspect that your dishwasher’s air gap is filled with debris, the contaminated water is coming out from the air gap.
You may use another valuable handy item to break down the heavy clog from the pipe. So you require a long bottle brush or a piece of cable.
Access the bottom air gap assembly and insert the brush cable in the hole of the gap outlet. You have to move it as you use a plumber snake.
Or you may make a push-and-pull movement. But it would be better to be gentle. Don’t try to use too much force as it can defect the tube. Rinse the hot water to wash out the clock from the tube.
Tiny Holes On the Hose
It might be possible that your hose has some tiny holes causing the leakage issues. So you must detach the drain tube and attach one end to the air gap.
Run the dishwasher and turns on the water supply in it. Now to find out the holes, you must give an order to your dishwasher for draining.
It is hard to look for the holes as these are tiny, but you can use a trick of paper towels. Attach the paper towels to the outer surface of the hose.
You will see the moisture on the paper towel from where the hose has cracks or holes. Fix it if you find them repairable otherwise, a replacement will be the best decision.
Wrapping Up
In this article, we explain the reasons for water coming out from the air gap. You may also diagnose the issues and fix them by following the instructions.
The tips and tricks will be beneficial in diagnosing the problem. If you feel any nervousness, then feel free to contact a professional.
