Water is Not Flowing from My Dishwasher to the Disposal
It is always fun to find problems inside apartment homes after the tenants have moved out. Many of the problems that we discover are the result of the tenant not disclosing or afraid to 
disclose that something is not working correctly. Many residents are afraid that if something is broken, they will be responsible financially. Many of these are regular maintenance issues and the management would happily repair.
Today we discovered a clogged drain line between the dishwasher and garbage disposal. As you can see in the photo, the clogged line was solid and little or no fluids were getting through. Since there was an air gap installed in the sink any water discharged from the dishwasher would flow through the air gap and into the sink. That is the purpose of the air gap; if there is water coming from the air gap there is a problem with the drain hose. Many people have had water flowing from this air gap for so long , they believe it is supposed to be like this.
How does a clogged drainage hose happen?
There are a couple of ways that a clogged drain hose can happen. If the dishes that are loaded into the dishwasher are not rinsed of the solids, much of this will flow through the hose. Too much solids may cause a blockage in the line. Even a partial clog can escalate into a full clog later. Rinsing the dishes can help prevent this from happening.
The most common blockage that we see is at the other end of the drain line, at the disposal. Too often a resident will put large amounts of food waste into the sink disposal. Running the disposal chops the debris into small bits and if not done correctly the food bits can get jammed up into the drain line. With enough food and drying out, a dam can be created. That is exactly what we saw today.
How can this drainage clog be prevented?
The disposal gives the false belief that you can put anything down the drain. This is not true. It is best to scrape the majority of solids into the garbage, then rinse the dishes and add to the dishwasher. There are many food items that should be avoided entirely when rinsing dishes at the disposal. Get to know which foods can clog your drain.
A dishwasher, air gap, disposal can all be helpful and convenient if used correctly in your apartment unit. If you have a problem, notify the management of owners, this can prevent bigger problems in the future.
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