WasherRepair.center (844) 398-5711Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm Book a visit
A front-load washer in a US home laundry room with its small lower filter door open and a shallow pan and towel on the floor beneath it, cloudy water in the pan.

Washer
Not Draining

Water stays in the tub after the cycle ends, or the washer stops before the spin with the drum still full.

(844) 398-5711

Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm

  • 5 checks before you book
  • 5 questions that narrow it
  • 5 causes, cheapest first

Book a visit

Three short steps, about a minute.

or call (844) 398-5711

What it
usually means.

Draining is a simple job for a washer: the pump pushes water up the drain hose and into a standpipe or laundry sink. When the tub stays full, something is blocking that path or the pump is not running. By far the most common blocker is small stuff from pockets, such as coins, hair ties and baby socks, caught at the pump or its filter. A kinked drain hose, a clogged standpipe or a failed pump motor come next. Listening for the pump at the end of the wash tells a lot: a hum without water moving is a jam, and silence is a pump or control that is not getting power.

A technician crouches beside an open front-load washer in a US home laundry room, reading a multimeter held against a wiring harness. The 5 causes, cheapest first

Answer these first

01

Do you hear the pump hum or buzz when the washer should be draining?
02

Is there a coin trap or filter door at the lower front of the washer?
03

Is the drain hose kinked behind the washer, or pushed too far into the standpipe?
04

Does the standpipe or laundry sink back up when the washer tries to drain?
05

Does the washer show a code when it stops with water inside?

Check these
before you book.

Washer not draining: 5 checks, and none of them costs anything.

01

Look behind the washer for a drain hose that is kinked, crushed or pushed deep into the standpipe.

02

If your washer has a filter door at the bottom front, drain it slowly into a pan and clear what is inside.

03

Listen at the start of a drain-and-spin setting for a pump hum, a buzz or nothing at all.

Also worth checking

  • Pour a bucket of water into the standpipe or sink to see whether the house drain itself is slow.
  • Bail or towel out the standing water before a technician arrives, so the door can be opened safely.

How soon does it need a visit?

Not urgent, but do not leave wash water in the tub for days: it sours and the smell sets into the clothes and the boot. Bail out the water and move the laundry to another wash if you can.

The causes,
cheapest first.

5 things washer not draining turns out to be, from clogged pump filter or coin trap to lid switch or door lock not reading closed.

The cost guide
  1. 01 no repair

    Clogged pump filter or coin trap

    Many front loaders and some top loaders have a filter behind a small door at the bottom front. Clearing it, with towels and a shallow pan ready, often solves the problem outright.

    No repair: check it yourself
  2. 02 low

    Object jammed in the drain pump

    A sock or a bra wire that gets past the filter can stop the impeller. The pump hums but no water moves.

    Fixed by drain pump repair
  3. 03 low to moderate

    Failed drain pump

    A pump whose motor has burned out stays silent even with a clear path. Replacing the pump is one of the most common washer repairs.

    Fixed by drain pump repair
  4. 04 low

    Kinked or clogged drain hose

    A hose crushed when the washer was pushed back, or one packed with lint and sludge, blocks the water on its way out.

    Fixed by drain pump repair
  5. 05 low to moderate

    Lid switch or door lock not reading closed

    Many washers will not drain or spin unless the lid or door reads as locked. A failed switch can leave the tub full at mid-cycle.

    Fixed by door lock and lid switch repair See washer door won't unlock
  6. What it costs

    Every repair on the site's cost scale, side by side

    Open the cost guide

The makes
it happens on.

14 makes on this site; washer not draining can show up on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page.

All 14 brands

Washer Not Draining,
where we come out.

9 metros, each with its own page.

All service areas

Tampa BayFL · 31 areas

OrlandoFL · 30 areas

Miami / South FloridaFL · 47 areas

New York MetroNY · 75 areas

HoustonTX · 36 areas

ChicagoIL · 50 areas

Los AngelesCA · 95 areas

San DiegoCA · 31 areas

San Francisco Bay AreaCA · 74 areas

A parent and a child loading towels into an open front-load washer together in a bright laundry room
For the heart of your home.

Questions about
washer not draining.

How do I get a front-load door open with water still inside?
Most front loaders unlock after a few minutes once the cycle is canceled, but the water level has to drop first on some models. Drain the tub through the filter door, slowly and with towels, and the lock usually releases.
I cleaned the filter and it still will not drain. What next?
Then the blockage is deeper, in the pump or the hose, or the pump is not getting power. Listening for the pump at the start of a drain setting is the next clue.
Can a clogged house drain look like a washer problem?
Yes. If the standpipe backs up while the washer pumps out, the washer is doing its job and the drain line is the problem. That is a plumbing call rather than a washer repair.
How can I keep the pump from clogging again?
Empty pockets before each load, wash small items in a mesh bag, and open the filter door every few months if your washer has one.

Back to your everyday

Still seeing washer not draining?

Book with what you checked above — 5 answers save the technician the first part of the visit.

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