Washing Machine Not Draining or Spinning? Here's What to Check
When a wash finishes and the clothes come out sopping wet, the machine has usually failed to drain, failed to spin, or both. The two problems often go together, because most washing machines will not spin until the water has drained away. Here is how to narrow it down.
Why is my washing machine not draining or spinning?
A washing machine that will not drain or spin has usually got a blocked drain pump filter, a kinked or blocked drain hose, or an unbalanced load, and it will not spin until the water has gone because spinning a full drum would flood the floor.
Those three cover most calls and you can check all of them yourself. Beyond them the drain pump has failed, the door lock or lid switch is not registering closed, or the control board has lost track of the cycle, and those are a technician's job. The sections below run through the checks in the order that finds the fault fastest.
Washing machine drains but will not spin
If the water goes but the drum will not spin up, the drain is fine and the fault is on the spin side: an unbalanced load, the door lock or lid switch, the drive belt, or the motor.
Redistribute the load and run a spin cycle first, because one heavy item will stop most machines spinning up. If a balanced load still will not spin, a front loader that cannot lock its door will not spin either, and you will usually see a code or a flashing light for it. On a top loader the lid switch does the same job. A machine that hums through the spin phase with the drum not moving has a belt that has stretched or come off, or on a top loader a worn motor coupling. A drum that grinds or rumbles when you turn it by hand has bearings on the way out, which is covered in a washing machine making noise on spin.
Is it the washing machine or a blocked laundry drain?
If water comes back up out of the standpipe or the laundry tub while the machine drains, the machine is doing its job and the blockage is in the house drain, which is a plumber's work rather than an appliance repairer's.
The tell is where the water ends up. A machine that leaves water in the drum has a fault on the machine side: filter, hose or pump. A machine that empties but floods the floor from the standpipe or the tub has pushed the water out fine and the drain cannot take it away. Lint is the usual cause, and a standpipe that has taken years of it blocks at the trap. Pulling the drain hose out of the standpipe and tipping a bucket of water down the pipe tells you which it is in about a minute.
If the hose is pushed too far down the standpipe it can siphon or seal against the pipe, so leave it a loose fit with only a hand's width inside. That one is a machine-side fix and needs no plumber.
Check the load balance
The simplest cause is an unbalanced load. A single heavy item like a doona, or all the washing bunched on one side, can stop the machine spinning up to speed. Open the door, redistribute everything evenly, and run a spin cycle. If it works, that was the problem.
Clean the drain pump filter
Front-loaders have a small filter, usually behind a flap at the bottom front of the machine. Put a towel and a shallow tray down first, because water will come out. Unscrew the filter and clear out lint, coins, hair clips and the odd sock. A blocked filter is one of the most common reasons a machine will not drain.
Check the drain hose
Look behind the machine for a kinked or blocked drain hose. If the hose has been pushed too far down into the standpipe, or the standpipe itself is blocked, the water cannot escape.
Listen during the drain phase
Set the machine to drain and listen. If you hear the pump humming but no water moves, the pump may be jammed or failing. If you hear nothing at all, it could be the pump, the lid switch or door lock, or the control board.
Check the door lock
Front-loaders will not spin unless the door is locked shut. If the door lock is faulty, the machine may fill and wash but refuse to spin. You will sometimes see a fault code or a flashing light for this.
When to call a technician
Pumps, motors, door locks and control boards are where DIY usually stops. These involve water, electricity and moving parts, and the wrong move can turn a small fault into an expensive one.
If your machine still will not drain or spin after the checks above, Wollongong Service Company can help. We service every major brand across the Illawarra and South Coast. Book a repair or call 02 4229 3777.
