A washing machine that will not drain is usually blocked, not broken — most often a clogged or kinked drain hose, or a pump filter (coin trap) packed with lint, coins and small items. The drain pump itself, a faulty lid switch on a top-loader, and a blocked household standpipe are the next most likely causes.
Unplug and deal with the water first
Unplug the washer and put towels and a shallow tray down before touching the drain hose or filter — there will be water. If the tub is full, bail it out or use the drain-hose trick below rather than forcing a panel open.
Check the drain hose
- Pull the washer out and look behind it
A kinked or crushed hose is the simplest cause — and common after the washer has been moved.
- Check the hose is not pushed too far down the standpipe
A hose that is shoved in too deep can seal the pipe and stop drainage.
- Look for cracks or collapsed sections
Replace a damaged hose rather than patching it.
Clean the pump filter
Most front-load washers have a small access panel at the bottom front hiding a filter that catches coins, lint and small items. When it fills, draining slows or stops entirely. Open it slowly (water will come out), clear the debris, and refit it firmly. Top-loaders usually have no accessible filter, so the hose and pump matter more.
Check the standpipe and household drain
If the drain pipe behind the wall or the standpipe is partly clogged, wastewater backs up and the washer can stop mid-cycle. A gurgling sound from the nearby sink or a standpipe that overflows while the washer drains points here — see our common plumbing problems guide.
The drain pump itself
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Washer hums but no water leaves | Pump jammed by an object, or a failing pump |
| No sound at all during the drain step | Pump or its wiring failed |
| Loud grinding or rattling during drain | A foreign object in the pump impeller |
A lid switch on a top-loader
If a top-load washer will not move to the drain or spin step, a faulty lid switch can stop it even with a clear drain. If the lid appears closed but the washer behaves as if it is open, the switch is worth testing. Related symptoms are covered in our won’t spin guide.
When to call a technician
If the hose, filter and household drain are all clear and it still holds water, the drain pump or control is the likely cause and needs a technician. Drain-fault error codes are explained in our guides for Kenmore, Electrolux and Samsung washers, and our repair cost guide helps with repair-or-replace decisions.
