If your washing machine isn't draining at the end of a cycle, there's no need to call a repair technician straight away. Many of the common causes are easy to check and fix yourself without any specialist knowledge.
If the machine is running, the drum is spinning, and detergent is loading normally, there's no reason to assume the worst. The reasons a washing machine won't drain are usually straightforward, like a blocked pump filter or a kinked drain hose. Work through the steps below and rule out the simplest explanations first.
How to Drain the Water Before You Start
In many machines, a small sock or garment can slip between the drum and the outer tub, eventually finding its way into the drain hose or the pump filter itself.
Whatever the cause, you'll need to drain the remaining water before you can do anything else.
Switch the machine off using its power button, unplug it from the wall, then turn off the water supply valve.
1. Check the Pump Filter
The most common reason a washing machine won't drain is a blocked pump filter. It's worth cleaning this regularly, at least once every couple of months.
The filter is there to catch foreign objects like buttons, coins, and small clothing items before they reach the drain hose. It's usually located in the bottom-right corner of the machine behind a small panel.
Open the cover to expose the filter. Some models have a small drain hose you can use to empty the water from the filter area first. Always place a bowl or towels underneath to catch the water.
If there's a small hose, pull it out, remove the cap, and let the water drain into your bowl. If not, turn the filter counterclockwise to unscrew it. Be ready: water will start flowing as soon as you loosen it.
Remove any lint, hair, or debris from the filter, rinse it under running water, and check inside the filter cavity for anything stuck there. Reinsert the filter and close the panel.
2. Check the Drain Hose
The drain hose between your machine and the plumbing must be neither kinked nor blocked. After checking the filter, move on to the hose itself.
If you have a wall-mounted drain point, disconnect the hose from the fitting, check the inside for obstructions, reposition it to avoid sharp bends, and reconnect it.
Restart the machine and see if it drains. You can direct the hose into a bucket to check the flow and look for debris coming through.
If everything flows normally, secure the hose back in place. Problem solved.
3. Call a Technician
If neither of these steps resolves the issue and your washing machine still won't drain, it's time to call in a qualified technician.
The fault could lie elsewhere in the machine, and a proper professional diagnosis will be needed to identify and fix it.