First, check whether water is still in the tub
- Water sitting in the tub and clothes that are just wetter than usual are different problems, so check which one you've got.
- Standing water? Give the cycle a few minutes, then try a drain and spin cycle if your washer has one. With a bulky or waterproof load, check which cycles your manual allows first. On some washers, other cycles can shake hard enough to injure someone or damage the washer, walls or floor.
- Still full? Turn off the power and check the drain hose you can reach, then a filter your manual says you can open if your washer has one.
- A backing-up standpipe needs a plumber. A full tub that only hums needs appliance service.
Opening the lid to sopping laundry can mean two quite different things. We'd look for water in the tub first, because that tells you whether to follow the drain checks or start with the spin.
| What you see or hear | Where to start |
|---|---|
| Water is sitting in the tub | Check whether the cycle paused, then try the washer's drain cycle. |
| The tub is empty but the clothes are soaking | Check the load and spin setting. |
| The tub is full and the washer only hums | Turn it off and arrange appliance service. |
| A light flashes or a code appears | Write down the exact message and check its meaning for your model. |
| The standpipe or sink backs up | Stop using the washer and call a plumber. |
What can stop a washer draining
There are a handful of possible reasons, and most of them you can check without tools. We've put them in the order to check, starting with the ones that don't involve moving anything or letting water out.
- A cycle that's paused, soaking on purpose or was stopped by accident.
- A lid or door that isn't fully closed.
- Too many suds, from too much detergent or the wrong kind.
- A drain hose that's kinked, squashed, clogged or not installed the way your washer needs.
- A clogged drain pump filter, on washers that have one you can reach.
- A blocked standpipe or household drain, which is a plumber's job.
Past those, a faulty drain pump or something stuck in the pump can also leave water in the tub. That's where the do-it-yourself checks end and a technician takes over.
Water is still sitting in the tub
Give the washer a few minutes first. On many GE top-loaders, a pause between cycles can last up to 3 minutes. A pause or soak stage can leave water in place before the cycle continues. Check which cycle you picked and whether it was stopped by accident. On GE top-loaders with a dial, don't turn it forward during a pause, because you can skip the part that pumps the water out.
- Check the cycle, close the lid or door normally and use the washer's controls to resume it. If it pumps out, check the clothes. If water remains, try a drain and spin cycle if your washer has one. With a bulky or waterproof load, check which cycles your manual allows first. On some washers, other cycles can shake hard enough to injure someone or damage the washer, walls or floor.
- If water remains after that attempt, turn off the power and check the part of the drain hose you can see without moving the washer. Straighten a reachable kink without disconnecting the hose, then restore power and retry a drain cycle your washer allows. If it still holds water, check the filter only if your manual says you can open it.
- If your washer has a filter you can open, drain the remaining water and clean the filter using the steps in the filter section. If the water then pumps out, the restriction may have cleared. If there is no accessible filter or the washer still won't drain, arrange appliance service.
Suds can stop a washer pumping out its water, too. Measure your detergent and use the amount the detergent maker recommends.
Flashing lights or a code on the display? Write down exactly what you see, because messages vary by model. For example, E21 on an Electrolux front-loader means the water is taking too long to pump out. Check your washer's instructions for the action that goes with its exact message. On some newer GE washers, a CAnCELEd message starts a 4-minute lockout. Wait for it to end; unplugging the washer restarts that timer.
Got an LG front-loader with the door locked and water still inside? Getting an LG door unlocked starts with what the display is telling you, so check that before you try anything else.
Book through your washer brand's support site or service line. Tell them the model number, whether water is still standing in the tub, the exact lights or code, any humming and what happened when you ran the drain cycle. Check your written warranty before booking, since coverage depends on its terms. Ask what your own charge covers, including diagnosis, labor and parts. The FTC's warranty guide (opens in a new tab) can help you check the terms.
If the washer is also leaking or making odd noises, mention that too, and our washing machine troubleshooting checks cover those symptoms while you wait.
The tub drained but the clothes are soaking
An empty tub with soaking clothes points you to the spin first. A tightly packed or unbalanced load may not spin properly and comes out wetter than usual.
Check the cycle as well. Gentle and delicate cycles spin slowly on purpose to protect fabrics, which leaves more water in the clothes. Too much detergent, or non-HE detergent in an HE washer, can make enough suds to slow the spin and leave the load very wet.
To rebalance a load, stop the cycle and wait until the basket has stopped and the lid or door unlocks. Don't force or bypass the lock, and never reach into a moving basket. Spread the clothes out evenly, close the lid or door and run a rinse and spin or drain and spin cycle again.
If the tub empties but the clothes are still soaking after you rebalance, book service and tell them it drains but doesn't spin the water out.
If the washer also rocks or thumps during the spin, our checks for a shaking washing machine cover load balance and leveling in more detail.
Bulky and waterproof loads are a special case on some washers, so check which cycles your manual allows before you spin one again.
Hear water sloshing but can't see any in a top-loader's tub? That can be the balance ring, a sealed ring of liquid that helps the basket spin smoothly. It's a normal sound in that situation. Check for visible water before treating the sound as a drain problem.
Check the drain hose you can reach
We'd check the drain hose before opening any filter, because straightening a hose doesn't let any water out and opening a filter does.
Unplug the washer or switch off its circuit breaker first. Pressing Start or Pause doesn't cut the power, and you want it off while your hands are near the machine.
Then follow the hose from the back of the washer to the standpipe or sink, as far as you can see it without moving or tilting the washer. A kinked or squashed hose can stop it draining, so gently straighten any kink you can reach and leave the hose connected. If the washer is sitting on the hose, leave that to the installer or a technician.
Once any kink is out, plug the washer back in or switch the breaker back on and run a drain and spin cycle your washer allows. If the water goes, you've found a restriction worth watching for on the next load. If it stays, continue to the filter check only if your washer has one you can open.
If the trouble started after the washer was installed or moved, have the installer check the drain hose's height and how far it enters the standpipe or sink against your washer's installation instructions. The measurements differ: on Samsung washers, the hose should enter the standpipe or sink by 6 to 8 inches and sit 18 to 96 inches above the floor for a standpipe; Whirlpool's Laundry Tower washer allows no more than 4.5 inches of insertion and needs a standpipe at least 30 inches high. On a GE GTW485ASWWB, the drain outlet must be less than 8 feet above the floor. The installer should follow your washer's own instructions; Samsung's hose setup steps (opens in a new tab) show its measurements.
If the standpipe or sink backs up or won't take the water, call a plumber. Don't pull the hose out or reach into the plumbing to hunt for a clog.
Front-loader with a drain pump filter
Some front-loaders have a drain pump filter you can clean yourself, and a clogged one can stop the water draining. Filter locations vary by model and not every washer has one you can get to, so check your manual before you open anything.
LG front-loaders and combo units have pump filters, while LG top-loaders do not. Samsung top-loaders don't have a removable pump filter. If your washer has no filter you can open, finish the external checks and book appliance service if it still won't drain. For a Whirlpool front-loader with a filter door, match your washer to its pump filter cleaning steps (opens in a new tab).
- Unplug the washer or switch off its circuit breaker.
- Lay down towels and set a container underneath that's big enough for the water left in the washer.
- Open the filter access cover and let the water out into the container through the small drain hose beside the filter. No hose? Use the draining steps in your manual.
- When the water stops, unscrew the filter, clear out the lint and debris and screw it back in. Some caps need pushing in as you turn them, so follow your manual.
- Close the filter and the small hose cap all the way, then shut the cover. A loose cap will leak, so make sure both feel snug.
If the filter won't budge or the water won't stop coming, stop there and book service. Otherwise, plug the washer back in and run a drain and spin cycle your washer allows to see whether the water goes.
If water stays in the tub after these checks, turn the washer off and book appliance service.
Other questions about a washer that won't drain
Can I pull the drain hose off to empty the washer?
Leave it connected. Some manufacturer advice includes unplugging the washer and taking the hose off to look for a clog, but disconnecting hoses is more than we'd ask you to do yourself. If the hose looks fine from outside and the tub is still full, book appliance service.
Is the drain pump broken?
It can be. A faulty drain pump is one reason a washer won't drain. Tell the technician whether the tub is full, whether it hums and which checks you've already done.
What if the standpipe or sink backs up?
Stop using the washer and call a plumber. The household drain needs attention; don't disconnect the hose yourself.
How do I know it's actually fixed?
After you straighten a kink or clean a filter your manual says you can open, run a drain and spin cycle if your washer has one and that cycle is allowed for the load. Check that the water leaves the tub. If the problem comes back, book appliance service.
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