A washing machine such as a dishwashing machine, preferably of the drawer-style or table-top style, or a laundry washing machine, the washing machine having at least one low-height wash liquid conduit connecting the outlet of a sump region of a washing tub to a wash pump. A cover plate is provided for covering a section of the washing tub base and the at least one low-height conduit is formed between the base of the washing tub and the cover plate by a combination thereof. The surface of a heating unit forms a surface of the low-height conduit and the sump is provided with multiple outlets.