How To: Drain a Washing Machine

Here’s the mess-free, stress-free way to do away with standing water when your washer conks out, freeing you for a DIY fix.

By Katelin Hill and Bob Vila | Updated Sep 23, 2020 10:21 AM

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Picture: istockphoto.com

A hardworking washing machine might stop draining mid-cycle for numerous causes, equivalent to a kink within the drain hose, a clog of lint or fibers there, or a rogue article of clothing caught within the drain pump. Fortunately, these kinds of washer mishaps are pretty easy to repair-in fact, the peskiest part of the process may be determining how you can drain a washing machine of all the water in its drum so that you can keep away from a large number during repairs.

Your first impulse could also be to open the door and acquire as a lot water as potential with a bucket, then sop up the remainder with towels. However the smarter method, whether or not you will have a prime-loading or front-loading machine, is to siphon the water via the drain hose instantly into a bucket. Forward, the know-how it’s essential to sort out the task quickly and neatly, without dousing your self or the flooring in the method.

– 5-gallon bucket

– Needle-nosed pliers

– Screwdriver

– Plumber’s snake

– Towels

– Baking dish

Photograph: istockphoto.com

Easy methods to Drain a Prime-Loading Washing Machine

Change the facility button on the machine off, in case your mannequin has one. Unplug the washing machine from the facility supply. Duct tape the facility cord to the highest of the machine to avoid splashing it with water or getting caught below the machine.

STEP 2: Locate the drain hose and water provide hoses.

Pull the washing machine away from the wall, if essential, to access the drain hose. The drain hose is usually discovered on the again of the washer, together with two separate hoses for both chilly and scorching water provide. The drain hose carries wastewater out of the machine, whereas the new and cold water supply hoses carry clear water in. The recent and cold water hoses are commonly coloration-coded purple and blue, respectively, while the drain hose is usually gray. As a precaution, flip off the water supply by turning the red and blue knobs counterclockwise.

STEP 3: Drain the washing machine of water.

Relying on how your machine is configured, the drain hose could carry water into either a standpipe, a drainpipe in the wall, or a large nearby utility sink.

With a large bucket at the ready, disconnect the drain hose from the pipe by merely wigging it loose. Hold the hose up within the air till you’re ready to fill the bucket; once you decrease the end of the hose beneath the water level of the water in the basin, gravity will cause the water to circulate out.

If you have to pause and empty the bucket, place the disconnected finish of the drain hose back into the drain pipe. Repeat this process till you utterly drain the washing machine, holding the hose lower and decrease to the ground as the water degree within the basin decreases. Chances are you’ll have to utilize a shallower container like a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish so as to keep it as low to the ground as possible.

STEP 4: Take away a drain hose clog.

You might discover once you lower the hose into the bucket that the water drains slowly or not at all. Launch it, utilizing a plumbers snake. This likely indicates a blockage within the drain hose. Push the tip of the coil in until you attain the blockage, turning manually with the handles on the other finish until you get via the blockage.

Be ready for water to movement out from the hose once you remove the clog.

STEP 5: Take away a drain pump clog.

If the clog doesn’t appear to be within the drain hose, it could also be hiding within the drain pump. The drain pump may be positioned behind removable panels in either the front or back of the washing machine, even underneath the equipment, requiring you to tip the machine ahead to access it (consult your owner’s handbook for instructions). You’ll see a drain hose and inlet hose linked to it with spring clamps.

Once you’ve situated the pump, take away the spring clamps by squeezing them with a pair of pliers. Clear any clogs that you find-which could range from a small article of clothes or a buildup of lint or pet hair-with a pair of needle-nosed pliers. Then reattach the hoses.

Picture: wikihow.com

How you can Drain a Front-Loading Washing Machine

Swap the facility button off, in case your mannequin has one. Duct tape the facility cord to the top of the machine to keep away from splashing it with water or getting caught underneath the machine. Unplug the washer from the facility source.

STEP 2: Find the drain pump filter and/or drain tube.

In entrance-load washers, you’ll usually discover one of two configurations: both a single drain pump filter that each filters debris and releases excess water, or a drain pump filter and a separate drain hose. This setup will typically be situated behind an entry panel on the underside of the entrance of the machine; depending in your mannequin, it’s possible you’ll have to unscrew this front panel, unclip it, or simply flip it down.

STEP 3: Drain the water.

How you truly drain a washing machine will depend upon whether or not your unit has a filter solely or a filter and drain tube.

– If you have a drain pump filter solely, place a towel on the floor and a shallow container like a baking dish against the washing machine, directly under the filter to catch the water. Keep the cap in a single hand so you may cease the circulation of water quickly and easily should your container fill up. Don’t pull the filter all the way out while the water is draining; in case you fill up the container earlier than the water has stopped flowing, it would be best to shortly be ready to close it again up when you empty the container. Repeat till the water has drained out utterly.
– If your equipment contains both a filter and drain tube, place the towel and a shallow container beneath the drain hose.
STEP 4: Clear the filter. Unclip the drain tube from its position; unscrew the end cap when you’re able to release the water. Slowly flip the knob of the drain pump filter counterclockwise to remove the filter; water will start to spill out. Change the cap when all of the water has been drained and clip the hose again into place.

After you’ve drained the washing machine, remove any buildup of solid materials from the filter by hand. Exchange the filter and the access panel. Then rinse the filter with a smooth-bristled brush and warm water.