How to Fix a Washing Machine

Match what the washer does

We'd start with what the washer does during a load, because each failed stage points to a different place. The outlet powers the controls, the closed door or lid lets a cycle start, inlet valves admit water, and the drain must clear it before the load can finish spinning. After a fix, run the shortest cycle that repeats the failed action.

The washer has no power

1. Look at the cord and plug. Leave a damaged cord unplugged. Otherwise, seat the plug directly in the wall outlet and press Power. A lit display sends you to the start checks.
2. If it stays dark, unplug the washer and test the outlet with a working lamp. A lit lamp with a dark washer points to a washer fault.
3. If the lamp is dark, reset a tripped GFCI, then switch a tripped laundry breaker fully off and on. Retest the lamp. If it stays dark or the breaker trips again, stop the electrical checks.

The controls light up but it won't start

1. Cancel Pause or Delay Start, clear clothing from the latch, and close the door or lid fully. Press Start. A running cycle confirms that a waiting setting or open closure held it up.
2. If Control Lock or Child Lock is lit, hold the marked button or button pair for about 3 seconds until the indication changes. Try Start again, holding it for about 3 seconds if the panel marks a hold action. If the cycle begins, the start conditions are clear.

The washer won't fill

1. Open both hot and cold wall valves fully, straighten bent fill hoses and run a fill test. If filling stays slow or absent, compare flow from the hoses.
2. Stop and unplug the washer, close both valves, and put towels and a bucket below the washer-end connections. Disconnect the hoses. Aim each hose into the bucket in turn, briefly opening its wall valve for about the same time. A markedly weaker stream points to that faucet or hose. Close the valves before reconnecting.
3. With power off and both valves closed, gently brush grit from the inlet screens, or rinse a screen that lifts out without force (GE Appliances' screen-cleaning steps (opens in a new tab)). Refit screens and hoses, open both valves, and test filling while watching for drips. Normal filling and dry connections confirm the fix; comparable hose flow and clean screens with no fill point to an inlet-valve or control repair.

If water enters but runs straight out, stop the cycle and measure the standpipe from the floor. A 39-inch minimum is common, but hose-depth limits differ: Whirlpool specifies no more than 4.5 inches inside the pipe, while Samsung specifies 6 to 8 inches (opens in a new tab). Match your washer's installation measurements, keep the pipe opening free to admit air, and secure the hose. In a fill test, water should stay for washing; continued loss points to a washer fault.

Water stays in the drum

1. Run Drain Only or Drain and Spin. A falling water level shows that draining works during this test; standing water sends you to the hose.
2. Straighten a crushed or sharply bent visible drain hose without changing its standpipe position, then test again. An empty drum confirms the restriction. For a persistent blockage, follow the deeper checks for a washer that won't drain.
3. If water remains and the washer has a lower-front pump-filter door, turn it off, unplug it, and place towels and a shallow pan at the door.

4. Open the access door. If there's a small drain tube, unclip it, remove its cap and drain into the pan, emptying the pan as needed. Before loosening the filter, drain all water using your washer's residual-water procedure, and stop this check if there is no drain tube or you cannot drain the water by the owner's procedure.
5. Remove debris, rinse or gently brush the filter, and screw it firmly back in. Replace the tube cap, close the door, restore power and run a drain test. An empty drum and dry filter area confirm the fix; standing water or a new drip points to a pump or internal blockage that needs repair.

Many top-load washers have no removable pump filter. If yours has a basket lint filter, stop the washer and wait for the basket to stop completely before releasing the basket lint filter. Release and open it, remove lint, rinse and brush away remaining debris, then close and reinsert it until it clicks into place. That filter is separate from the pump; standing water after the drain and hose tests points to a pump or internal blockage.

Clothes stay wet after draining

1. Look for No Spin, Low Spin or Delicate. Choose a faster spin only if the fabric care label allows it, then run Spin Only. Clothes that come out noticeably less wet show that the setting was the cause.

2. A moving basket can injure your hand. Pause the washer and wait for it to stop completely before reaching in to move laundry. If the setting suits the fabric, remove excess clothes and spread the rest evenly. Balance a heavy garment such as jeans with towels or similar clothing, then retry Spin Only; for bulky, absorbent, or waterproof items, use the cycle your washer permits. A steady spin and less-wet laundry confirm a load problem.
3. If the washer rocks, level its feet and test again. A balanced load that drains but still won't spin points to latch, drive, motor or control repair. For load and leveling detail, see how to fix an unbalanced washer.

Water leaks from the washer

1. If water starts at a supply-hose connection, dry the floor first, then unplug before handling the hose. With both valves closed, unscrew the wet connection over a towel. Replace a torn or missing rubber washer or cracked hose; reseat an intact hose squarely. Open the valves and watch both ends while idle and during a short fill test. Dry connections confirm the fix. The Whirlpool washer leak checks (opens in a new tab) show these areas.
2. For a front-load door leak, remove trapped hair, thread or clothing and wipe the gasket folds. For escaping foam in an HE washer, measure HE detergent: about 2 tablespoons suits a normal load, and concentrated detergent may need less. A short wash should leave the door and floor dry; a torn gasket needs replacement.
3. For water appearing during pumping, look for a damaged or displaced drain hose, standpipe overflow or a filter you just opened that needs reseating. Dry the floor, run a short drain test and watch the first new wet point. A backing-up standpipe identifies the house drain; water from inside the cabinet identifies an internal leak. A washer leaking from the bottom needs the same first-wet-point test.

Stop owner checks for a recurring puddle, torn seal, failed drain or spin test, no fill despite clear screens and good supply flow, no wash movement after the cycle checks, persistent grinding, damaged cord or repeated breaker trip. Call an electrician for the circuit, a plumber for a backing-up standpipe, or an appliance technician for the washer. Use authorized service if warranty coverage may apply. Give them the symptom, cycle stage, code and test results, and request an itemized quote showing the visit fee, any credit, parts, labor and return trip.

An independent-shop drain-pump repair costs $85 to $400, built from a $35 to $100 pump plus 1 to 2 hours of labor at $50 to $150 an hour.

Questions after the first checks