Water Up to Your Elbows? How to Fix a Washing Machine that Won’t Drain
First, check your power source. Make sure the machine is plugged in. If it is, quickly unplug it and test the outlet with another electrical device. If the outlet is not operating, check your circuit breaker. If the outlet is operating, plug the machine in and proceed with troubleshooting.
Next, make sure that the cycle dial is turned to a position that would cause the machine to drain. The early positions in the cycle are set to retain water for cleaning purposes. Manually turn the dial to a spin cycle mode. This may open the drain. Make sure that the dial is in the position necessary to engage the machine. If it is in a pause mode, the drain will not open. On most machines, this means pull the knob out to engage the machine.
If the machine is still not draining, check to see that the lid is securely shut. If it is, open it. Most top-loading machines have a safety button that ensures that they will only drain and spin if the lid is closed. For safety reasons, make sure that nothing is hanging into the machine, and depress the button with a flat head screwdriver. If the water drains, check the inside of the lid to see if the depression guide is securely attached. This could be your problem.
If these tasks fail, we’re going to trouble-shoot a few of the less likely, but least messy options. After all, you’d hate to cover your laundry room with water for no reason. Get some sort of large laundry basket that you can put wet clothes in and empty your washing machine. Try to engage the spin cycle again. Very often, an overloaded or off-balance machine will not drain or spin. If this is not the case, try running a wash cycle from the beginning without clothes. Do not add detergent. If, by chance, soapsuds locked causing the blockage that is retaining water, this should break them apart and allow the machine to drain.
Well, you’re still reading, so your washing machine must still have water in it. At this point, if you have a wet/dry vacuum, I recommend sucking out about half of the water in your washing machine. The reason is that if any of the next procedures work, water is going to start spouting out of the back of your machine, so you might as well minimize the mess. You’ll also want to have a bucket ready to direct the water into.
Behind your washing machine is a plastic box where the water lines into your washing machine come from and the drain hose from your machine empties out. Remove the drain hose from the drainpipe. More than likely, it just rests in there so removing it is just a matter of lifting it up and pulling back. Quickly put the end of your hose in the bucket in case it starts draining. If the water drains out of the hose, there is a clog in your drainpipe. Try snaking it out. If the water still doesn’t drain, pour some water down the drainpipe just to be sure that it is functioning properly. If it is, proceed.
Pull the washing machine out so that you have access to the back. Check your drain hose for any kinks. If there are kinks, work them out. If not, there should be a squeeze clamp holding the hose to the back of your washing machine. Squeeze this clamp and remove the hose. Quickly put your bucket where the hose was in case water starts pouring out. If the machine drains, the problem is your drain hose. Either snake it to remove the clog or replace it.
If your machine is still not draining, try snaking it through the drain where the hose was attached. Then, put the hose of your wet-dry vacuum over this drain and try to suck it clear. After trying that, snake it again.
If your machine still will not drain, feel confident that you have tried everything within reason that could be expected from a novice appliance repairman. Now you must assess your situation and decide whether you want to call in a professional or replace your machine.
