Appliance RepairWasher & Dryer RepairWasher Wont DrainWashing Machine RepairHow to fix a washer that won’t drain

Oh no! All of a sudden the clothes are sopping wet at the end of the wash cycle…Now the wash cycle is failing during the middle of a load!…If you’ve experienced either of these, or the below symptoms before with your front-loading washing machine, it’s most likely a clogged drain pump filter. Below, we’ll explain how you can repair your own washer in a few simple steps and avoid a costly visit from the repair man.

Common Symptoms of this Repair:

• Washing machine won’t drain or spin
• Washing machine not draining completely
• Whirlpool washer won’t drain or spin
• Kenmore washer won’t drain
• How to empty a washing machine full of water

How to fix a washer that won’t drain:

It doesn’t matter if it’s a Kenmore, Whirlpool, GE, or other front-loading washing machine, they all seem to experience this over time and when it happens, you might panic for a minute because these washers aren’t cheap! Not to worry though. In our case, we have a Kenmore HE2 front loading washer that we bought new from Sears about 8 years ago. Who knows how many countless number of loads we’ve run through it over the years. But today, it started to give us an error message of F21.

1. Check to see if your drain hose is kinked
   So the first thing we did was check the owners manual – which luckily my wife saves whenever we get a new appliance. It said to check for a “kinked” hose or a clogged drain line, and if that didn’t solve the problem, to call the local Sears Kenmore service location. You guessed it – it didn’t solve the problem. We realized that we’d never actually checked the drain pump trap on the washer and that was the most likely place to start.
2. Remove the front panel of the washing machine
   With a few quick steps, we were able to pull off the 2 front panels, and locate the drain pump trap.
3. Clean out the drain trap.
   Ours was severely clogged with all kinds of “stuff”, but only took a few minutes to clean out the trap and then put the panels back on. Grab a bucket and place it in front of the drain trap before you unscrew it. It will take several turns to unscrew and make take a little force to get it started. Remember, it should be tight when screwed back in all the way so that water doesn’t leak out.

Sure wish all of the home repairs could be this easy!!

Hopefully you’ll find that it’s an easy fix for you too. For step by step instructions on how to repair your own washer, unclog your drain pump filter, and troubleshoot a few additional things along the way, just check out the below video on how to fix your washer that won’t drain. Who knows what you’ll find in yours?!?!