Washing Machine Not Draining? What to Check Before You Call

Standing water or just soggy clothes

A washer that won't drain and one that won't spin fast enough can look alike when you open the lid. We'd work out which one you have before touching anything, because slow spinning leaves more water in the clothes (opens in a new tab), while water sitting in the tub points to the cycle, the drain hose or a clog.

Water is still sitting in the tub

Give it a few minutes first. GE says many of its top-loaders pause for up to 3 minutes (opens in a new tab) between parts of a cycle. Some washers also have a soak cycle that pauses the wash on purpose, so check which cycle you picked. If yours has a dial timer, GE's advice is not to turn it forward during a pause, because you can skip the part of the cycle that pumps the water out.

Still full? Close the lid or door properly and run a drain and spin cycle if your washer has one, using the cycle names and buttons on your own washer. With a bulky or waterproof load, check which cycles your manual allows before you start, because on some washers other cycles can shake hard enough to cause injury or damage.

Too much detergent can also make enough suds to stop the washer pumping the water out, so measure it 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 (opens in a new tab), and your washer's manual or the brand's support site will tell you what yours means.

If the tub is full and the washer just hums, turn it off and book service. GE says something may be stuck in the pump, which is a job for a technician.

The tub drained but the clothes are soaking

When the tub is empty but the clothes come out soaking, look at how the washer spun. A tightly packed or unbalanced load may not spin properly (opens in a new tab) and comes out wetter than usual. 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 also make enough suds to slow the spin, which leaves 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.

Waterproof and bulky 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? GE says that's most likely the balance ring, a sealed ring of liquid that helps the basket spin smoothly. It's a normal sound.

Check the drain hose you can reach

We'd check the drain hose before opening any filter, because opening a filter lets water out and straightening a hose doesn't.

Unplug the washer or switch off its circuit breaker first. Pressing Start or Pause doesn't disconnect the power.

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 compressed drain hose can stop it draining (opens in a new tab), so gently straighten any kink you can reach, leaving 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 to see whether the water goes.

If the trouble started after the washer was installed or moved, have the installer check how the drain hose is set up. Samsung calls incorrect drain hose installation the most common reason for drain problems, and the right height and insertion depth come from your washer's own installation instructions.

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 (opens in a new tab). Check your manual before you open anything. Not every model has one you can clean (opens in a new tab), and Samsung's top-loaders don't have a removable pump filter at all. If yours doesn't have an owner-access filter, leave clog checks to service.

1. Unplug the washer or switch off its circuit breaker.
2. Lay down towels and set a container underneath that's big enough for the water left in the washer.
3. Open the filter cover and drain the water into the container through the small drain hose beside the filter first. No hose? Use the draining steps in your manual.
4. When the water stops coming out, 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.
5. Close the filter and the small hose cap completely, then close the cover. A loose cap will leak.

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. If it still won't drain, book service.

On a GE GTW485ASWWB top-loader

These steps are for the GTW485ASWWB, so check the model and serial numbers under the lid before you use its controls (opens in a new tab).

On models with a Fill light, a flashing light can mean an automatic drain or certain faults. The washer turns on the pump and locks the controls for 4 minutes, so wait until the pump sound stops before you pick a cycle. Don't unplug it to skip the wait, because that restarts the 4-minute timer. Let the lockout finish before you unplug it to check the hose, too. If the problem keeps coming back, book service.

If you paused the cycle on purpose, close the lid and press Start/Pause to carry on. For standing water, close the lid, turn the cycle knob to Drain & Spin and press Start/Pause. Turning the knob only picks the cycle. It doesn't start it.

It also drains by itself when water is left in it with the lid open for more than 15 minutes (the Fill light blinks three times, over and over) or with the cycle paused and the lid closed for more than 24 hours. That can explain water disappearing before a cycle finishes.

An out-of-balance load can make the Spin and Rinse lights blink, though the exact pattern varies by model, and the washer may try to rebalance it but still not reach full spin speed. Before you open the lid to spread the load out, wait for all moving parts to stop and, where fitted, for the Lid Lock light to go off and the Unlocked light to come on.

Bulky, waterproof and water-resistant items get only the Bulky or Delicates cycle, because other cycles can cause excessive vibration, injury or damage with those loads. Don't mix waterproof and non-waterproof items, and don't use Drain & Spin for those loads. If their water won't drain on Bulky or Delicates, book service.

The top of the drain outlet should be less than 8 feet (2.44 m) above the floor. If yours sits higher, have the installer correct the drain route.

When to call a plumber or book service

• The standpipe or sink backs up or won't take water: call a plumber.
• Water stays in the tub after these checks, or a full tub only hums: turn the washer off and book appliance service.
• The tub empties but the clothes stay soaking after you rebalance the load: book service and say the washer drains but doesn't spin the water out.

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. GE owners can start at GE Appliances support (opens in a new tab).