A humming noise coming from your dishwasher can be a good and a bad thing. It's good in that it means your dishwasher pump is working, but at the same time, if your GE Nautilus dishwasher is humming and not draining, it means that there's a problem with your dishwasher drainage system. Fortunately, the solution might not be too complicated.
How Dishwashers Work
GE Nautilus dishwashers have three different connections to the utilities in a standard home: electricity, water and sewer. The water supply provides the dishwasher with water for mixing with soap inside the dishwasher cabinet. This mixture is then pumped out through the dishwasher spray arm and cleans off the dishes. Following the wash cycle, the dishwasher empties through the drain valve and into the drain hose by means of a pump. The process then repeats with water only.
Clogged Drain Hoses
If your Nautilis is humming and not draining, check the drain hose first. The hose runs from underneath the cabinet to where it hooks up to the inlet underneath the sink. To check, turn off the power supply for the dishwasher. Remove the lower panel from underneath the dishwasher door with a screwdriver. Trace the drain hose to where it connects underneath to the dishwasher pump. Loosen the clamp on the end of the drain hose and pull it off the pump. Loosen the clamp at the other end of the drain hose where it connects to the tailpiece or garbage disposal. Rinse out the hose with a garden sprayer or run a plumber's snake through the hose. Replace the hose, secure the hose clamps and turn on the electricity.
Drain Solenoids
When the control circuit signals the solenoid, the solenoid opens and allows the water inside the dishwasher cabinet to drain out into the drain hose line. If the solenoid is shorted out or otherwise not working, it won't open and will cause the water inside the dishwasher to back up. Test a drain solenoid for continuity with a ohmmeter. Shut off the electricity for the dishwasher and remove the panels underneath the dishwasher door. The solenoid is usually connected to the pump. There may be two or four wires, depending on the model. Check the continuity between the points with the ohmmeter. Remove the solenoid and replace if it is bad.
Drain Blockage
A GE Nautilus dishwasher that isn't draining might not have something wrong with it. The problem in this case may lie in your drain line. A curved part of pipe called the p-trap sits between where the dishwasher drain hose connects -- either the tailpiece or the garbage disposal -- and keeps water trapped inside, which prevents sewer gases from rising up through the sewer lines. Clear out a clogged p-trap with a plumber's snake or, for tough clogs, simply take the p-trap out of the plumbing by loosening the couplings at either end. Keep a bucket on hand to empty out the water inside the p-trap. Replace the p-trap once the clog has been cleared.
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