Washer Not Draining: Causes & Fixes
Water left in the tub.
On an LG washer a drain failure shows as the OE code, LG's "Water Outlet Error": the water is not leaving the drum. On a top-loader LG says the code appears once the washer has been unable to drain for 13 minutes, and LG's own causes for it are a clogged drain pump filter, a kinked or compressed drain hose, or a frozen drain hose.
About a washer not draining
On a Samsung washer the same fault shows as 5C or 5E, which Samsung defines as a drainage problem, most often a blocked filter or a kinked drain hose.
Before you work on your washer
- Power: Unplug the washer or switch off its circuit breaker before removing panels or touching wiring.
- Water: Turn off the water supply valve before disconnecting hoses or the inlet valve.
- Heat: Water and the heating element can be hot right after a cycle; let the washer cool first.
- Sharp debris: Wear gloves when reaching into the filter or sump; broken glass often collects there.
- Stop: If you smell burning, see smoke or sparks, or find water near wiring, switch off the breaker and call a technician.
- Mains wiring, the power cord, or the outlet is involved: Work on the washer's mains wiring, power cord, outlet, or house circuit is not a do-it-yourself repair. Do not open the cabinet to test or replace wiring, the drain pump's electrical connections, or the lid switch circuit.
- Disconnect power before opening the washer: Unplug the washer or switch off its circuit breaker before removing the pump filter or access panel, before pulling the machine out, and before touching any wiring.
- The tub or drum can still be spinning: A washer tub spins at very high speed and coasts after the cycle stops. Wait until the tub has completely stopped and the lid or door lock has released before reaching inside; never force a locked lid or door open.
- Heavy appliance: get a second person: A washer is heavy and awkward, and it can tip when it is pulled out or tilted. Do not move, tilt, or lift it by yourself; have a second person help you.
- Water left in the tub can be scalding hot: A tub left full after a hot or sanitize cycle holds very hot water. Let it cool for about an hour, then drain the water out through the emergency drain hose into a flat container before you open the pump filter.
- Shut off the water supply before disconnecting hoses: Close both water faucets and drain the inlet hoses before you disconnect any hose or move the washer, or the hoses will still be under mains water pressure.
- Hard and sharp objects collect in the pump filter: The drain pump filter and coin trap collect loose change, buttons, pins, and other hard items from pockets. Pull debris out carefully and wear gloves; anything broken or pointed in there can cut you.
Why your washer is not draining
- Drain pump filter (coin trap) clogged with lint and debris: The most commonly documented cause of a washing machine left full of water is a clogged drain pump filter (also called the debris filter or coin trap): lint, dirt, buttons and loose change collect in it until water can no longer pass. Whirlpool, Maytag and LG all name it, and LG ties a clogged filter directly to a slow drain or an OE error. Difficulty 2/5.
- Drain hose kinked, crushed, or clogged: A kinked, bent, crushed or clogged drain hose is the other leading cause: the water has nowhere to go, so the tub stays full. Whirlpool, GE, LG and Samsung all list it as the first thing to check behind the machine. Difficulty 2/5.
- Cycle selected ends with water in the tub or spins slowly: Sometimes nothing is broken: the cycle chosen ends with water in the tub or spins too slowly to clear it. Whirlpool notes that gentle, delicate and handwash cycles use slow spins, and GE warns that manually advancing a dial timer during a pause can skip the pump-out part of the cycle altogether. Difficulty 1/5.
- Drain hose pushed too far into the standpipe (siphoning): If the drain hose is pushed too far down the standpipe or laundry tub, or sealed into it airtight, the washer siphons its own water back out and never registers as drained. Whirlpool sets the limit at 4.5 in (113 mm) of insertion and says the connection must not be taped shut; Samsung asks for 6 to 8 inches of insertion and no airtight connection. Difficulty 2/5.
- Too much detergent: suds stop the pump: Too much detergent, or detergent that is not high-efficiency, makes suds the drain pump cannot move, so the washer stops with water in the tub. Whirlpool and Maytag both describe this. Difficulty 1/5.
- Household drain or standpipe itself is blocked: The blockage is often in the household plumbing rather than the washer. GE's test is to pull the drain hose out and pour a quart of water into the standpipe: if the standpipe itself backs up, the washer is not at fault and a plumber is needed. Difficulty 3/5.
- Standpipe too high or too low for the washer's pump: A standpipe that is too low or too high stops the washer draining: Whirlpool and Maytag specify a drainpipe between 30 in (76.2 cm) and 96 in (244 cm), and GE says most full-size washers will only pump 8 feet above the floor (5 feet for compact or portable models). Difficulty 3/5.
- Lid switch or door lock not signalling closed: On a top-loader the lid switch, and on a front-loader the door lock, has to signal that the machine is closed before it will drain and spin. Whirlpool says the lid must be closed for the washer to drain, rinse and spin, and that a washer left with its lid open only dumps the water after 10 minutes. Difficulty 4/5.
- Sock, coin, or other item jamming the pump impeller: A sock, coin or other small item from a pocket can jam the drain pump impeller, so the pump runs but moves no water. iFixit's check is to turn the pump by hand to see whether the impeller is jammed or broken; GE states that small items from clothing or pockets can pass to the drain pump and that the washer's filter is there to capture them. Difficulty 4/5.
- Drain pump failed: A failed drain pump leaves the tub full even when the hose, standpipe and filter are all clear: the washer runs its drain step but no water comes out. iFixit lists pump failure as the most obvious cause, and GE directs owners to book service when the checks above do not fix it. Difficulty 4/5.
Find the cause for your washer
Step-by-step checks for a washer not draining
Check which cycle ran, then run Drain & Spin
About 10 minutes
- Note which cycle was selected: gentle, delicate, handwash, soak, and rinse-hold cycles spin slowly or end with water in the tub by design.
- On a washer with a manual dial, do not advance the dial by hand during a pause; that can skip the pump-out step.
- Select Drain & Spin (or Rinse & Spin) and start it, then watch whether the water level drops.
Close the lid firmly and run Drain & Spin (top load)
About 15 minutes
- Wipe the lid lock and its striker clean, then close the lid firmly until it latches.
- Start a Drain & Spin cycle and listen for the lock to engage.
- Wait for the tub to stop completely and the lock to release before opening the lid again.
Measure how far the hose goes in and how high the standpipe is
About 10 minutes
- Check how far the drain hose sits inside the standpipe or laundry tub: Whirlpool allows no more than 4.5 in (113 mm).
- Make sure the hose is not taped or sealed airtight into the drainpipe; air has to be able to get past it.
- Measure the top of the standpipe from the floor: at least 30 in (76.2 cm), and no more than 96 in (244 cm).
Drain the water, then open and clean the pump filter (front load)
About 30 minutes
- Unplug the washer or switch off its breaker.
- If a hot or sanitize cycle ran recently, let the water cool for about an hour first.
- Open the small access panel at the bottom front and put a large, flat container underneath.
- Release the small residual-water hose, pull its plug, and let the tub empty into the container before touching the filter.
- Unscrew the filter, pick out lint, coins, buttons and other debris carefully, rinse it, and screw it back in fully.
- Most top-loaders have no removable pump filter, so skip this check on those machines.
Check the drain hose for kinks and blockages
About 15 minutes
- Switch the washer off at the outlet or breaker, then have a second person help you ease the machine away from the wall.
- Follow the drain hose from the back of the washer to the standpipe or laundry tub.
- Straighten any kink or bend and free the hose if the cabinet or the wall is crushing it.
- If the hose looks clear but the washer still holds water, take the hose off and check its whole length for a clog.
Pour a quart of water into the standpipe
About 10 minutes
- Pull the drain hose out of the standpipe and hold it over a bucket.
- Pour about a quart of water straight into the standpipe.
- Watch whether it drains away freely or backs up.
How to fix a washer not draining
Use less detergent, and the right type
About 45 minutes · Difficulty 1/5
- Use a high-efficiency detergent if the washer calls for one, and measure the dose for the load size.
- Run a rinse or tub clean cycle to clear the suds already in the machine.
Run a Drain & Spin cycle instead of the gentle cycle
About 15 minutes · Difficulty 1/5
- Select Drain & Spin or Rinse & Spin and start it.
- For loads that must not be spun fast, expect the gentle cycles to leave more water in the fabric.
Clean the drain pump filter
About 30 minutes · Difficulty 2/5
- Unplug the washer, let hot water cool, and empty the tub through the residual-water hose into a flat container.
- Unscrew the filter, clear the lint and debris out of it, rinse it, and refit it fully.
Pull the drain hose back out of the standpipe
About 15 minutes · Difficulty 2/5
- Pull the hose back so no more than 4.5 in (113 mm) sits inside the drainpipe.
- Secure it loosely with the supplied hose clip so it cannot slide back down, and leave an air gap rather than taping it.
Straighten or clear the drain hose
About 25 minutes · Difficulty 2/5
- Straighten every kink and free the hose from anything crushing it.
- If it is clogged, detach it and flush it through before reconnecting.
When to call a technician about a washer not draining
- Have the standpipe height corrected
- Have the blocked household drain cleared by a plumber
- Have an item jammed in the pump removed
- Have the drain pump tested and replaced
- Have the lid switch or door lock circuit tested
Sources
- GE Appliance - Circuit Breaker Trips, GE Appliances (retrieved 2026-09-21)
- Top Load Washer - Will Not Drain, GE Appliances (retrieved 2026-09-20)
- Front Load Washer - Will Not Drain or Drains Slowly, GE Appliances (retrieved 2026-09-20)
- Washing Machine Not Draining - iFixit Troubleshooting, iFixit (retrieved 2026-09-20)
- LG Top Load Washer - Troubleshooting An OE Error Code, LG Electronics USA (retrieved 2026-09-20)
- LG Washer - How to Clean the Drain Pump Filter, LG Electronics USA (retrieved 2026-09-20)
- [LG Washing Machine] Water Not Draining (OE Error), LG Electronics USA (retrieved 2026-09-20)
- Not Draining - Front Load Washer, Maytag (retrieved 2026-09-20)
- Washer Not Draining or Spinning? Troubleshooting Guide, Maytag (retrieved 2026-09-20)
- How to resolve a 5E or 5C error code on a washing machine, Samsung Electronics (retrieved 2026-09-20)
- Samsung washing machine will not drain, Samsung Electronics America (retrieved 2026-09-20)
- GE Recalls Front-Load Washers Due to Fire and Shock Hazards, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (retrieved 2026-09-20)
- Not Draining - Front Load Washer, Whirlpool Corporation (retrieved 2026-09-20)
- Cleaning the Pump Filter - Front Load Washer, Whirlpool Corporation (retrieved 2026-09-20)
- Moving a Front Load Washer, Whirlpool Corporation (retrieved 2026-09-20)
- Lid Locking on a Top Load High Efficiency Washer, Whirlpool Corporation (retrieved 2026-09-20)
- Washer Not Draining or Spinning? Troubleshooting Guide, Whirlpool Corporation (retrieved 2026-09-20)
- Properly Moving the Washer - Washer, Whirlpool Corporation (retrieved 2026-09-20)
Reader feedback
Guidance only; follow your appliance manual and local codes. If anything looks unsafe, stop and call a qualified technician. Safety disclaimer