Appliance Spares
Full guide → Washing machine won’t drain? The free 10-minute check that fixes most — the complete filter, standpipe and drain pump walkthrough, with the pumps we stock by brand.
Quick answer: Nine times out of ten a washing machine that won’t drain has a blocked pump filter or a kinked drain hose — a ten-minute, no-tools check. If both are clear and water still sits in the drum, the drain pump itself has usually failed. The checks and the parts, brand by brand, below.
Why a washing machine stops draining
At the end of every wash and rinse, the control board runs the drain pump and expects the drum to empty within a set window. Water still sitting there when the timer runs out means the cycle halts — on machines with a display you get a drain error code, on machines without one you get a drum full of grey water and soaking clothes.
There are only three places the problem can live: the pump filter (a lint trap ahead of the pump that catches coins, hair bands and socks), the drain hose (kinked, looped too high, or feeding a blocked standpipe), and the drain pump itself (a small electric motor that wears out after years of grit and lint). Work through them in that order — cheapest and most likely first.
One thing worth knowing: a washer will not spin with water still in the drum, so a drain fault often masquerades as a spin problem. Sopping-wet clothes and a machine that refuses to get up to speed is a drain symptom until proven otherwise. Fix the drain and the spin usually fixes itself.
The ten-minute checks — in order
Switch the machine off at the power point before you open anything, and keep in mind the water inside may still be warm. A couple of towels and a shallow dish cover the whole list.
- Get the standing water out. On most front loaders, pop the small access panel at the bottom front of the machine. Many models hide a thin emergency drain hose with a stopper behind it — unclip it, hold it over a shallow dish and empty the drum in stages. No emergency hose? Crack the pump filter cap a quarter turn at a time and let the water out slowly.
- Clean the pump filter. Unscrew the filter cap anticlockwise and pull the filter clear. Expect lint, coins, bobby pins and the odd sock. Rinse it under the tap until it’s completely clear. On most machines this single step is the whole fix.
- Look into the pump housing. Shine a torch into the filter opening. The pump impeller sits at the back — pick out anything wedged around it. The impeller should turn in small, notchy steps with light finger pressure. Jammed solid, or flopping loosely with no resistance, points at the pump itself.
- Check the drain hose. Pull the machine forward and trace the hose from the cabinet to the standpipe or sink connection. Straighten kinks. Height matters: the hose should enter the standpipe roughly 60–100 cm off the floor on most machines. A hose looped too high, extended too far, or pushed a long way down the standpipe can beat the pump on every cycle.
- Test the house plumbing. A blocked standpipe or sink trap gives identical symptoms. Pour a jug of water down it — if it backs up, the blockage is in the plumbing, not the washer.
- Refit and run a rinse-and-spin. Screw the filter back in firmly hand-tight, close the panel and confirm the machine empties at normal speed.
Top loaders: most don’t have a front pump filter — lint collects in a filter inside the drum on many models, and the pump is reached through a service panel instead. The hose and standpipe checks above still apply unchanged.
What your machine’s error code is telling you
Every brand names the same fault differently. If your display shows one of these, the machine has already told you it’s a drain problem — jump straight to the brand guide:
| Brand | Drain code shown | Brand guide |
|---|---|---|
| Bosch | E18 | Bosch E18 error guide |
| LG | OE | LG OE error guide |
| Samsung | 5C (5E on older displays) | Samsung 5C error guide |
| Hisense | E2 | Hisense E2 error guide |
| Haier | E2 family (wording varies by generation) | Haier repair and error code guide |
| Electrolux / Westinghouse / Simpson | Varies by series | Electrolux not-draining guide · family error code guide |
| Fisher & Paykel | Varies by generation | F&P fault code guide |
Showing a different code, or a different brand? Run it through the all-brands appliance error code decoder — it covers washing machines, dishwashers, fridges and ovens in one place.
The parts that fix a washer that won’t drain
If the filter is clean, the impeller is intact and the hose run is clear but water still sits in the drum, the pump is the usual culprit. A worn pump may hum without moving water, drain at half speed, get noticeably noisy, or die outright. Pumps differ between brands and series, so match the part to your model number.
| Situation | Part | In stock |
|---|---|---|
 Haier HWT-series top loader drains slowly or not at all | Drain pump | Genuine Haier top loader drain pump (HWT12AD1, HWT60AA1, HWT75AA1) |
 Bosch front loader with a humming or dead pump | Drain pump with filter housing | Bosch front loader drain pump with filter (WGA244U0AU, WTG86400AU) |
 LG front loader with drain trouble plus noise | Curated repair kit for common LG faults | LG washing machine repair kit |
 Haier front loader with several faults arriving together | Curated repair kit | Haier washing machine repair kit |
 Hisense front loader — draining, filling or leaking faults | Curated repair kit | Hisense washing machine repair kit |
 Beko front loader — draining, leaking or noise faults | Curated repair kit | Beko washing machine repair kit |
| Any other brand, or not sure which pump fits | Match the part to your model first | Browse all drain pumps |
On most front loaders the pump sits low at the front, directly behind the same corner as the filter, and comes out with a few screws, a hose clamp and a push-fit electrical plug — an achievable DIY swap for most people. Designs vary between series, so confirm the part against your exact model number before ordering.
Find the exact part for your model
The model number is printed on the model sticker — around the door opening on most front loaders, and on the back panel or under the lid on most top loaders. Enter it on the Find Your Model page, or take the Part Finder quiz and let it match the right pump to your machine in a couple of minutes. Order by 12pm Sydney time and the part ships the same business day from our Sydney Northern Beaches warehouse.
FAQ
Can I open the door while the drum is full of water?
Front loaders keep the door locked while water sits above the door line — that’s the interlock doing its job. Drain the machine first using the emergency drain hose or the pump filter cap, then the lock releases a minute or two after power-off on most models.
My machine drains but won’t spin — same fault?
Usually, yes. Most machines refuse to spin until the drum is properly empty, and a slow, partial drain leaves just enough water to block the spin. Clear the filter and hose first. A machine that genuinely drains at full speed but still won’t spin has a different fault — motor, brushes or door interlock, depending on the brand.
The filter is clean and the hose is clear — now what?
Watch the pump. Run a drain with the filter access open enough to hear it: silence means no power or a dead pump; humming without water moving means a jammed or worn pump. Either way the pump is the next part to replace — it’s a wear item on every brand.
Does draining slowly count as a fault?
Yes — and it’s the early warning. Drain codes fire on time, not on volume, so a machine that empties slowly today will throw a drain error or strand a full drum soon. A part-blocked filter, a long or high hose run, or a tired pump are the usual causes.
Where is the model number on my washing machine?
On the model sticker. Front loaders: open the door and check around the door opening rim. Top loaders: under the lid or on the back panel. It’s a letter-and-number code like the ones printed on our product listings — enter it on the Find Your Model page to see every part that fits.
How often should I clean the pump filter?
Every two to three months for most households, monthly if you wash pet bedding or heavy-linting items. It’s the single best way to prevent drain faults, and it takes strain off the pump so the pump itself lasts longer.
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.
