Choose the check that matches what you see
- Match your first check to the symptom: wet laundry, poor drainage, a leak or an unusual sound.
- Settings, load size and external hose connections give you useful checks before repair work.
- Some problems need professional help. For a Bosch display code, use the separate US support examples below.
If your laundry finishes wetter than expected, we'd check the spin setting and how tightly you've packed the drum first. Both can leave extra water in clothes, so those checks address a possible cause before you move on to the drain hose.
Before attempting repairs, consult your appliance's Use and Care Guide or installation instructions. Different washer models need different repairs, even when the symptom looks similar. Whirlpool's general troubleshooting guidance (opens in a new tab) supports the symptom checks here; use your own appliance's instructions for the details that depend on its design.
Choose the branch that matches what you can see or hear. Water left in the laundry points you toward spin and drainage checks, water escaping outside calls for a leak check, and a new sound needs attention to when it happens. You don't need to work through unrelated symptoms before addressing yours.
Your clothes come out too wet
Look at the selected cycle and spin speed. Gentle and delicate settings use slower spins to protect fabrics from stretching or wrinkling, which leaves more water behind. If you've chosen one of those settings, the extra moisture may come from the cycle choice.
For greater water removal, select a faster-spin cycle, such as Normal, while keeping that fabric-protection tradeoff in mind. Whirlpool's spin-setting advice (opens in a new tab) connects faster spinning with less water left in the load. The useful improvement to look for is laundry that comes out less wet.
Next, check how tightly the laundry is packed. An oversized load can slow the spin speed, leaving clothes excessively damp. Remove items to lighten it and leave the remaining laundry loosely packed; when putting loads together, group similar items to help prevent an imbalance.
If the power failed during this wash, turn on a spin cycle to let the remaining water drain. A power interruption can prevent the washer from reaching its full spin speed, so this action addresses an interrupted cycle. An unbalanced load and a leveling issue are other possible reasons for poor spinning.
Water isn't draining properly
Find the drain hose at the back of your washer and look for a crushed or kinked section. Straighten that section to let water flow freely, following Whirlpool's external drain-hose check (opens in a new tab). The condition you're correcting here is a visible bend or compression in the hose.
Poor drainage and wet clothes can overlap because a kinked drain hose, an incorrect hose installation height or an unsuitable spin speed can cause either symptom. That makes the location of the water useful: clothes holding excess moisture and a machine struggling to drain can lead you to some of the same checks.
Keep this procedure to the external hose check. Investigating a clog in the hose or drainpipe involves a separate removal procedure, which needs your model's Use and Care Guide. If the hose is already straight and water still isn't draining, move to that model-specific guidance or seek professional assistance.
Water is leaking from a hose or the door
Turn off the washer's water valve before checking a leak to prevent further leaking. Look at the fill and drain hoses where they connect to the machine. Both need to be properly attached, so include both connections in your inspection.
Check for damaged, loose or missing rubber washers as well as loose connections. Tighten loose connections or washers as needed, following Whirlpool's external leak checks (opens in a new tab). A damaged or missing washer is a different finding from a connection that simply needs tightening.
For water leaking specifically from a front-load washer's door, the door seal is the most likely place to look. Wipe the seal with a damp rag to remove dirt and debris. This check targets the surface where debris can interfere with the seal.
If wiping doesn't solve the door leak, gently pull the seal back and look underneath for trapped debris. If you find a tear, the seal needs replacement. Contact an appliance repair professional for that work; cleaning addresses dirt, while a torn seal calls for a replacement.
The washer rattles, clicks or grinds
Listen for when the noise happens as well as what it sounds like. Some clunking and grinding can be normal when the drive system changes from agitation to full spin. If it's louder than usual and sounds like metal grinding on metal, contact an appliance repair professional.
Rattling or vibration is typically associated with an off-balance or unlevel washer. If your load is excessive, use the load-reduction check above and listen for whether the sound settles. Persistent vibration may point to a leveling issue that needs attention beyond this load check.
Clicking at the beginning of a cycle can be the lid locking into place. During the wash, metal buttons or zippers can click against the machine. Empty pockets before loading clothes so coins and other small objects don't fall between the basket and tub.
A continuous hum while the load washes is a normal operating sound, often accompanied by periodic gurgling as water leaves during spin and drain cycles. Whirlpool's sound guidance (opens in a new tab) distinguishes these operating sounds from noises that need repair. Compare the sound with the stage of the cycle where you hear it.
Bosch US example for E16 or F16
For a Bosch washing machine, Bosch's US E16/F16 guidance (opens in a new tab) identifies an open door. Close the door and proceed as usual. This code's first action is a door-closure check.
If E16 or F16 remains after you've closed the door, verify that it's properly closed. A continuing error after that check is the point to ask for help: contact Bosch Customer Support at 1-800-944-2904 for additional assistance.
Bosch US example for E23 or F23
Bosch's US E23/F23 guidance (opens in a new tab) identifies activation of the AquaStop hose. This system provides leakage protection, so the displayed error means water leakage may be present.
The codes that call for Bosch support
Bosch's US E17/F17 guidance (opens in a new tab) identifies a water-supply-time condition: the allowed water supply time has been exceeded. Bosch directs this troubleshooting to Customer Support.
Bosch's US E19/F19 guidance (opens in a new tab) means the heating time has been exceeded. Bosch says this heating problem can have several causes and calls for a proper assessment through Customer Support.
Bosch's US E25/F25 guidance (opens in a new tab) identifies a turbidity-sensor issue. For any of these three code pairs, contact Bosch Customer Support at 1-800-944-2904 for assistance with troubleshooting.
If you own a Whirlpool washer and the applicable symptom checks haven't resolved the trouble, seek Whirlpool repair assistance. Follow the repair-service link on Whirlpool's troubleshooting page (opens in a new tab) to get further help with your machine.
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