You open the washer and the clothes are sitting in a tub of water. Before you start bailing, it helps to know that a washer that won’t drain almost always comes down to one of five causes, and two of them you can check yourself in a few minutes.
This guide walks through the simple checks, the usual causes, how to tell them apart by symptom, and the point at which it is time to call a technician.
Start with the simple checks
Three things stop a healthy washer from draining and none of them need a tool.
- The cycle. Some cycles, such as hand wash or a rinse-and-hold, end with water in the tub by design. Run a drain and spin cycle and see whether the water leaves.
- The drain hose. Pull the washer forward and check that the hose behind it is not kinked, crushed or pushed too far down the standpipe. A hose jammed deep into the standpipe can siphon or airlock.
- The pump filter. Most front-load washers have a small access door at the bottom front. Put down towels, open it slowly and clear the filter. Coins, hair ties and small socks live here.
The usual causes
If the simple checks do not solve it, the problem is inside the machine. In rough order of how often we see them in Springfield homes:
- Clogged pump filter or sump. Debris stops the pump from moving water. Clearing it often fixes the problem for good.
- Failed drain pump. The pump hums but moves nothing, or does nothing at all. The impeller may be broken or the motor burnt out. This is a common, moderate repair.
- Blocked drain hose or house drain. Lint and detergent sludge build up in the hose or the standpipe. If the sink or standpipe backs up when the washer drains, the problem is the house plumbing rather than the washer.
- Lid switch or door lock. Many top-loaders will not drain or spin if the lid switch has failed, and front-loaders will not drain if the door lock has a fault. The washer thinks the door is open.
- Control board or pressure switch. Less common, but a control that never sends the drain command, or a pressure sensor that thinks the tub is already empty, produces the same symptom.
How to tell which it is
The sound the washer makes during the drain cycle is the best clue.
- Humming or buzzing with no water moving: the pump is powered but jammed or failed.
- Silence during the drain portion of the cycle: a lid switch, door lock, pressure switch or control fault.
- Water drains slowly and gurgles: a partial blockage in the hose or house drain.
- Water drains, then comes back: a siphon or a drain hose pushed too far into the standpipe.
- An error code such as Samsung 5E or nd, LG OE, Whirlpool F9 E1 or F21: the washer has already decided it is a drain problem. The code narrows the system but not always the part.
What not to do
- Don’t keep restarting the cycle. Each attempt runs the pump dry or against a jam and can burn out a pump that was only blocked.
- Don’t force a locked door. If the water is above the door seal, forcing it floods the floor. Switch the washer off at the outlet and let a technician drain it.
- Don’t pour drain cleaner into the washer. It damages seals and the pump and does nothing for a jammed impeller.
When to call a technician
Call when the simple checks are done and the washer still won’t drain, when the pump hums without moving water, when the door is locked with water inside, or when the machine shows a drain error code after the filter has been cleared. A drain pump replacement is a routine repair, and on a washer under ten years old it is almost always worth doing.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the questions we hear most about this problem.
Can I drain a washer manually?
Yes. On most front-loaders the small drain hose next to the pump filter lets you empty the tub into a shallow pan. On a top-loader, lower the drain hose into a bucket below the level of the tub. Have plenty of towels ready.
Why does my washer drain but leave the clothes soaking wet?
That is usually a spin problem rather than a drain problem: an unbalanced load, a worn belt or clutch, or a door lock fault. See our washer repair page for the spin and drain symptoms we repair.
How much does a drain pump repair cost?
It depends on the model, but a drain pump is one of the more affordable washer repairs. Our $75 diagnostic fee covers the inspection and diagnosis and is applied toward the approved repair.
Related services
Need a hand with it? Alliance Appliance Services diagnoses first and explains the repair before any work starts. Call (571) 303-8548 or request a repair online. We serve Springfield, Alexandria, Fairfax, Arlington and the surrounding Northern Virginia communities.