Washing Machine Not Draining
A blocked filter or hose causes most non-draining faults, and UK rules on spare-parts availability affect how easy the rest are to fix.
Photo: Iain Watson via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Before calling a repairer, most washing machines that fill up but will not drain can be checked in three steps: the drain hose, the pump filter, and, if both are clear, the drain pump itself.
Checks in order
- Unplug the machine first. If the drum still holds water, follow the handbook to drain it safely, usually through a small emergency-drain tube near the pump filter; have a shallow tray and old towels ready to catch the water.
- Check the drain hose behind the machine for kinks, crushing or a blockage, and straighten or clear it.
- Open the pump filter, usually behind a small flap or panel at the front of the machine, and clear out any coins, hair clips, buttons or lint trapped inside; check that the impeller behind the filter turns freely by hand.
- If the machine still will not drain once the hose and filter are clear, the fault is more likely a failed drain pump, a blocked connection to the sink or standpipe, or a control fault, and it is worth calling a qualified appliance repairer rather than continuing to guess.
Spare parts and your right to repair
Since 1 July 2021, UK regulations have required manufacturers, importers or their representatives to make defined spare parts available for household washing machines and washer-dryers for at least 10 years after a model stops being sold. Some parts, including door hinges and seals and plastic parts such as the detergent dispenser, must be made available to any user as well as to professional repairers; others, including the drum, motor, pump and electronic control assembly, are supplied only to professional repairers. The rules were brought in to make appliances more worth repairing rather than replacing, though they do not set or cap the price of parts or a repair visit.
If the checks above do not solve it, contact the manufacturer or an authorised repairer with the model number from the appliance's rating plate to hand. Most non-draining faults trace back to a blocked filter or hose rather than a machine that needs replacing.
