Appliance Spares
Quick answer: The most common cause of a Maytag, Speed Queen or Amana washing machine not draining is the drain pump — usually an impeller jammed by a coin, sock or bra wire, sometimes a worn seal or a pump that has simply given up after decades of work. Replacing it is a medium-difficulty job most people can do at home with basic tools. Here is how to confirm the pump is at fault before buying anything, and how to tell these brands’ three different pump designs apart.
Last updated August 2026
Confirm it is the pump before you order
These American-designed machines are simple and honest about their faults, so a few minutes of checking usually settles it. Bail the water out first — a bucket and an old towel — because every check below is easier with an empty tub.
- Check the drain hose. Kinks behind the machine, and a hose pushed too far down the standpipe, both mimic a dead pump. The hose end should sit in the standpipe, not be jammed to the bottom of it.
- Listen at the start of the drain phase. A hum with no water moving means the pump is trying against a jam. A grinding or rattling noise means something loose is inside it. Silence can be the pump’s motor, but on these machines it can also be the lid switch — many will not drain or spin with a failed switch.
- Look underneath. Water pooling under the machine after each wash points at the pump’s shaft seal or a split hose clamp, not a blockage.
If the hose is clear and the pump hums, grinds or leaks, the pump is your part. A washing machine drain pump typically costs $30-$59 AUD (median $39.95), as at August 2026. The step-by-step logic for separating hose, pump and switch faults is the same across brands, and our guide to washing machine not draining — the fix for every brand covers it in full.
Which pump fits your machine
Maytag, Speed Queen and Amana used three distinct pump designs across the machines sold in Australia, and they are not interchangeable. Find the model sticker — under the lid on the cabinet rim, or on the back panel — then match the code below. Where no model is listed, match the part number stamped or moulded on your old pump.
| Your machine | Part number | The pump to order |
|---|---|---|
 Maytag LAT7300AAW, LAT7500A, LAT9400AGW, A23CM, A512 | — | Maytag and Wilkins Servis drain pump for LAT7300AAW, LAT7500A, LAT9400AGW, A23CM and A512 |
 Maytag MAV and PAV series | 35-6465 | Maytag drain pump with pulley for MAV and PAV series |
 Speed Queen SPQ900 and Amana or Maytag direct-drive machines | 200937P | Speed Queen, Amana and Maytag direct-drive drain pump |
| Whirlpool-built Amana and Maytag direct-drive machines | 1515007 / 200937P | Whirlpool, Amana and Maytag direct-drive drain pump |
 Maytag and Wilkins Servis machines — match by part number | 202203 | Maytag and Wilkins Servis three-leg plastic drain pump |
The quickest visual check: pull the old pump and look at how it is driven. A pulley on top means the belt-driven design used on the MAV and PAV series. A pump that bolts straight onto the motor with no pulley is the direct-drive type shared across the Whirlpool, Amana, Maytag and Speed Queen listings. The three-leg plastic body is its own family again. If your old pump does not match the picture on the listing, stop and check the code with us first.
How these pumps fail
Jammed impeller. The classic. Coins, socks and bra wires work past the tub and lodge in the impeller. The pump hums, the motor strains, and nothing drains. Clearing the jam sometimes saves the pump — but inspect the impeller blades before reassembling, because a pump that has chewed on a coin often has cracked or shortened blades and will drain slowly forever after.
Worn shaft seal. The seal between the wet end and the drive lets go, water tracks along the shaft, and you get a puddle under the machine and eventually a seized or noisy pump. On belt-driven machines that leak can also reach the belt itself.
Sheared drive. On pulley pumps, a hard jam can strip the drive or throw the belt. If the belt is off or shredded, the pump may be healthy — fit the belt problem first and retest before buying a pump.
These failure patterns are common across the Whirlpool family of brands, and the direct-drive design in particular turns up in many badges — the fault-finding in Whirlpool washing machine not draining — which part fixes it applies almost line for line to the Amana and Maytag direct-drive machines.
Replacing the pump
- Unplug the machine and turn off the taps. Bail and towel out as much water as you can — whatever is left arrives on the floor when the pump comes off, so have a shallow tray ready.
- Get access. Depending on the series this is a front panel, a rear panel, or tilting the machine back against the wall — never work under a machine supported only by its own lean; block it securely.
- Photograph the hose runs, then release the clamps and pull the hoses off the pump. Spring clamps need pliers; worm-drive clamps a screwdriver.
- On a pulley pump, slip the belt off first and note its routing. On a direct-drive pump, release the retaining clips or bolts holding it to the motor.
- Fit the new pump, seat the hoses fully and re-tension the clamps, refit the belt if there is one, then run a short cycle and watch the pump area for drips before closing up.
Water and electricity share close quarters in this job, which is why it starts at the power point, not the pump. If the machine has any history of tripping the safety switch, resolve that first — electrical faults around water are squarely in Product Safety Australia territory and not something to work around.
DIY or call a tradie
Do it yourself if: the fault is clearly the pump, you can get the machine tilted or the panel off safely, and your model or part number is in the table. These are mechanically simple machines with generous access by modern standards, and the pump swap itself is clamps, clips and one belt at most.
Call a tradie if: the machine hums but you cannot find a jam (the motor side may be failing), if water has been leaking onto wiring, or if wrestling a full-sized top loader onto blocks is not something your back should be doing. The honest trade-off: these machines are old enough that a call-out fee buys a verdict on the whole machine, not just the pump — worth having before you spend anything if the cabinet is rusting out.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the model number on a Maytag, Speed Queen or Amana washer?
Open the lid and check the cabinet rim first; otherwise look on the back panel. Photograph the model sticker, and if it has faded past reading — common on machines this age — the part number on the old pump body is your fallback for matching.
The pump hums but nothing drains. Do I need a new pump?
Not always. A hum is the motor fighting a jam. Pull the pump, clear whatever is in the impeller, and inspect the blades. Intact blades and a shaft that spins freely mean you can refit and retest; chewed blades or a gritty, wobbly shaft mean replace it while you are already in there.
There is water under the machine after every wash. Is that the pump?
The pump’s shaft seal is the first suspect, with hose clamps second. Run a short cycle with the access panel off and a torch on the pump — a seal leak shows as a wet trail from the centre of the pump body, a clamp leak from the hose ends.
My Maytag has a belt. Is the pump driven by it?
On the MAV and PAV series, yes — the pump carries a pulley and runs off the belt. That means a belt failure stops the drain with a perfectly good pump fitted, so always check the belt’s condition and tension before condemning the pump.
Can I fit a direct-drive pump to a belt-driven machine, or the reverse?
No. The two designs mount and drive completely differently, and no adaptor makes one into the other. Match your model code or old part number to the right family in the table.
Is a machine this old worth repairing?
Often, yes. These machines are mechanically simple, which is why so many are still washing after decades, and a pump is a modest spend against replacing a machine that otherwise works. The honest exceptions are a rusted-out cabinet or a failing transmission — if either is present, get a verdict before spending.
Get the right pump first time
Photograph your model sticker — or the old pump if the sticker has faded — and run it through the part finder, or send it to us and we will confirm the match before you order. Orders placed before midday dispatch the same day from Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
Disclaimer: this article is general information only and is provided without warranty of any kind. Appliance designs vary between models and production runs — always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, switch off and unplug the appliance before starting any work, and confirm parts against the model number on your appliance’s model sticker. Any repair is undertaken at your own risk and Oz Appliance Spares accepts no liability for injury, loss or damage arising from work performed after reading this guide, to the maximum extent permitted by law. If in doubt, use a qualified technician.
