LG Dishwasher (LDFN454HT) drain pump issue (water does not drain)

last year

Dear all, new here so please bear with me. We have a LG dishwasher which is just a little bit over one year old and suddenly the drain pump does not work anymore. We got an error code "OE".

So we searched on youtube and called LG customer support. It seems that a lot of youtubers had similar issue and they were able to quickly fix it by replacing the Pump Casing Assembly (LG ABT72989206).

So we went ahead and ordered this part form Amazon ($194.80) and replaced it. However, after replace it, it's still giving us the OE error code and the water will not drain. The new part looks new so I think it should be a working unit (don't think it was a defective part returned by other customers).

That said, we did notice that the "Heater Connectors" seems a little bit burnt (black) but nothing like very bad. One of the connectors was difficult to disconnect, but eventually we were able to disconnect it from the old pump. The dishwasher did not make a high pitch noise, only kind of whining noise.

Any idea what else might be causing this "water does not drain" issue? We checked with the air gap, the pipes, kinks, etc. Everything else all seems to be OK. Thanks in advance!!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

W C
Original Author
last year
Here is an quick update. Last night when we installed the new pump (LG part# ABT72989206), we then ran a "turbo" cycle and after 30 mins into the cycle. The machine then stopped and showed the OE error code.

Just few hours ago, we tried again to "unclog" all the drain hose and cleaned the Air Gap, etc. Then we ran another "normal" cycle with empty dishwasher (which should take about 2.6 hours).

This time, the machine ran flawlessly for about 1.8 hours, but eventually still stopped without finishing the cycle and showed OE error code.

Another forum suggested that we should try to "vacuum" stuff out from the drain hose (we didn't think about this idea so probably would give it a try tomorrow). The hose can be disconnected on the Air Gap's end, but not on the end of the dishwasher. So probably "vacuum" stuff out is a good idea. We did use long flexible stick to try to "unclog" the drain hose, but didn't find anything that was clogging the drain hose.

Any other idea what might be wrong? Thanks again!
dadoes
last year
Does the pump run if Cancel/Drain is engaged when the machine is off with the OE drain fault flashing? If it doesn't, then disconnect the power for a minute (either unplug/replug the machine or flip the circuit breaker), and try Cancel/Drain again.

Also include a photo of the drain hose layout under your sink.

If the drain hose connects to a disposer port, then disconnect it and check for a clog in the port or in the drain hose.
W C thanked dadoes
Related Professionals
Enid Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Garden City Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Waco Bathroom Remodelers · Springfield Kitchen Remodelers · Jacksonville General Contractors · Bartlesville General Contractors · Norfolk General Contractors · Keene General Contractors · Concord General Contractors · Mason City Home Remodeling · Sanford Home Remodeling · Valdosta Carpenters · Jackson Carpenters · Trenton Custom Closet Designers · Elmira Custom Closet Designers
wdccruise
last year
dadoes: "Does the pump run if Cancel/Drain is engaged..."

Step #5 in LG Dishwashers – Troubleshooting an OE Error Code describes how to do this.
W C thanked wdccruise
dadoes
last year
Excuse me for participating in your discussion, I try to avoid it.

The OP didn't directly state above anything specific about whether the (new) pump does run when drain now fails, thus the reason I asked. Also, the drain pump apparently is a separate part from the circulation pump (which includes the water heater, re: the OP's reference when doing the replacement that the "Heater Connectors" appear slightly burned) ... so the OP may have replaced the wrong item if the drain pump is indeed failed.

I recently stayed at an Airbnb with a group of friends for several days. An LG dishwasher. It ran OK the first evening. Run the second evening, OE fault code the next morning, dirty water remaining in the tub. Cancel/Drain, the pump ran but no flow. Investigation found the double-length drain hose coiled flat on floor of the cabinetry and connected up to the disposer port. An additional full-length drain hose had been added due to insufficent length to reach the port. The disposer had been run on the second evening. Tried Cancel/Drain again on the next two days, the pump then didn't run at all. Left a detailed note for the host regards to the bad drain arrangement. I imagine it has exhibited a recurring problem.
W C
Original Author
last year
@dadoes, @wdccruise, thanks so much for helping out. Here are more data points.

At this point we think that it's not the pump that's the culprit.

For step5, for our model, it's pressing the Start button (after power it on) for 3 seconds.

Here is a sound when we turn on the machine and when we run a "drain only" cycle. Does this sound correct to you?

https://photos.app.goo.gl/6sC4fipTvGw8TGsP7

Can it be the inlet valves that might be the culprit? Thoughts? Thanks!

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=lg+dw+water+inlet+valve+replacement
dadoes
last year
The water inlet valve has no active function during draining. It has a passive function in that water fills into the machine before it's there to be drained. You could pour water into it with a bucket, the pump doesn't care. It should run without any water.

Assuming your short video is the drain pump attempting to run, that doesn't sound normal. You've presumably heard the machine operate during the previous year timeframe before this drain problem occurred. Is that the sound characteristics it exhibited?

Perhaps there's debris caught in the drain pump, obstructing it from spinning or blocking the outlet port.

Did you catch my comment above that the drain pump per parts listings is a separate part from the recirculation pump?