How To Fix a Front-Loading Washing Machine That Won’t Drain

Small items can be sucked into the drain assembly during the drain cycle, blocking the flow of water. Here’s a small list of things I’ve pulled out of washer drains over the years: Baby socks, panties, thongs, a $20 bill, bra wires, guitar picks, lots of coins, hair pins, hair ties, rubber bands and so on.

The solution is easy: Always empty the pockets of your clothes before washing. And put small clothes in zippered mesh bags  to keep them from being sucked into the drain.

I hardly ever replace a washer’s drain motor, except in LG washers. LG drain motors tend to stop working around the fourth year of operation. With other brands, if a washer won’t drain, it usually means something is blocking the flow of water or preventing the drain impeller from turning.

Symptoms of a washer with a drain problem are:

• The cycle ends and the tub is still full of water.
• Faint humming sound from stuck impeller when the washer is set for drain/spin.
• The cycle ends and the clothes are sopping wet.
• Error code displays. All these codes mean no drain: OE, LD, ND.
• The washer won’t spin. It can’t when it’s full of water.

Here’s what to do to fix it.

Expose the Drain’s Coin Trap

• Unplug the washing machine.
• Locate the lower panel below the washer door.
  • Some washers have a small door in the lower right or left corner of the front panel to access the coin trap.  That’s a plastic tray with holes in it that catches coins and other small items before they contact the drain impeller. Just hinge this door open. Some washers have a rectangular lower panel that spans the entire width of the front panel. Use the 1/4-in. nut driver to remove the screws below the lower panel.

Pro tip: Lean the washer back. Put something solid that’s about two inches thick under the washer to make it easier to reach the screws on the bottom of the lower panel.