Hey, I had that happen, and it turned out to be some little metal thingy that fell out of place under the dishwasher.  They simply plugged it back in and all was well (minus the 40 dollar visitation fee of course).

Oh, there’s the dilemma. Do I pay someone to look at it and risk them saying it’s a dead duck or do I just save the service fee and put it toward a new one? How long are dishwashers supposed to live? I think mine is about 8 years old. Doesn’t seem *that* old....

We replaced ours a while back.  We went to a Sears Outlet store where “distressed” appliances are about 1/2 price.  “Distressed,” in this case, meant it had a single unobtrusive scratch.  You know those magnets that say “Washed/Unwashed?” Covers it right up.

I happen to have a wet/dry vac, so I sucked the water out and ran the cycle again.  There was this little popping type noise that wasn’t happening that usually happened just before water started draining.  Also, when I moved the dishwasher out I found the little metal thing with a ring attached to the end of it rolling around under it.  I just didn’t know where it went or if it was even part of the dishwasher.

If you know someone mechanically inclined in the smallest measure, they could tell you if it is the metal thing or the pump itself.

Also - most dishwasher drain through a hose to the kitchen sink or disposal - and it is a TEENY little hose and can get blocked very easily with junky stuff, which might cause it to not drain.

Eight years seems a little early for failure of a dishwasher.

Ooh. That popping sound doesn’t happen with mine, either, but there is a motor sound. Hmm. Someone is coming over on Sunday to pull it out and take a look underneath and at the hose. I don’t have a wet dry vac, so I suppose I’ll have to bail the water out the old fashioned way. Ick. Keeping fingers crossed.....!!!!

Trust me, no stone will be left unturned on Sunday before we decide on if you really do need a new one. E hates this about me LOL! And a lot of times in the end he tells me I am a smart chick, what made you think of that? We had a lot of happy customers that were glad he brought me on the job site a time or two!

Back in the day, we used to do all of our dishes by hand in the sink. Seems like an odd thing to do, so maybe I’m misremembering.

No, I don’t think you’re misremembering. People really did do that. Isn’t that the strangest ritual? Well, I did it yesterday, as a matter of fact. The soap suds were kind of fun. Made me love my dishwasher more than ever, though.