GE washer not draining

What to expect when you experience a GE washer not draining issue

How is the not draining problem fixed?

Correcting most not draining problems usually involves replacing the motor, electronic control board or door lock assembly. However, there are many potential causes, so a thorough diagnosis is key to fixing the problem. An accurate diagnosis is essential to understanding how much the repair will be.

Search for GE washer repair near me and you'll find Sears Home Services in your neighborhood and ready to fix your washing machine.

Sears Home Services recommendations for a washer that is not draining

When the washer is not draining it can be for many reasons. To avoid replacing unneeded parts we recommend having a Sears Home Services professional perform diagnostic tests to identify the root cause of the problem. Our technicians are experienced at diagnosing all types of washer failures.

What to look out for with a washer not draining diagnosis

Diagnosing modern appliances without proper knowledge and training can be difficult. Without using proper diagnostic techniques, fixing your washer problem will only be achieved through changing parts on a hunch. Appliances, especially in the last 10 years, have become extremely advanced, and many models have electronic parts that are difficult to test. DIY repairs on the latest appliance models are becoming increasingly difficult.

Fixing a GE Washer that Won’t Drain

When your GE washer won’t drain, check the house drain for the washing machine to see if it’s clogged. Use a plumber’s snake to clear the clog if water won’t drain through the house washer drain. If you’re unable to clear the clog yourself, have a plumber clear the house drain for the washer.

If the house drain for the washer is clear, check the end of the drain hose for lint or debris when your GE washer won’t drain. Lint can build up near the end of the drain hose and block drain water flow. Clear a clog from the drain hose using a wet/dry shop vacuum. Sucking lint and debris out of the drain hose should clear that portion of the drain path if it’s clogged.

Additional problems that could prevent your GE washing machine from draining include a failed lid switch, bad lid lock assembly, failed drain pump, bad electronic control board or timer, and a wiring failure. A washer repair technician will typically need to diagnose and repair these types of problems when your GE washer won’t drain. Schedule service and we’ll send a Sears Home Services technician to visit your home and fix the washing machine.

How do I clean out the drain pump filter on a GE front-load washer?

If your GE front-load washer has a drain pump filter access door at the bottom of the front panel, follow the procedure shown in this video to clean out the drain pump filter:

When you have a GE front-load washer without that access door, you’ll need to unplug the washer and follow the procedure shown in this video to access and clean out the drain pump filter:

If you’re not completely confident that you can safely access and clean the drain pump filter in this type of GE washer on your own, schedule service and we’ll send a Sears Home Services technician to your home to clean out the drain pump filter for you.

A severely clogged drain pump filter can prevent the washer from draining. Clean this filter every few months so your washer continues to drain smoothly.

What to do When Your GE Washer Won’t Drain and Spin

Checking the house drain for your washer is the first step in troubleshooting a GE washer that won’t drain and spin. If water won’t flow through the house drain, clear it using a plumber’s snake or have a plumber clear the drain.

Next, check the drain hose for a clog. Lint and debris can clog the drain hose. Use a wet/dry shop vacuum to suck lint and debris from the drain hose. Check to see if the washer will drain and spin after clearing the drain hose.

Reset the control in case a power surge through the electric supply lines caused the electronic control board to lock up. To reset the control board, unplug the washer for 2 minutes to completely disconnect electrical power. Plug the washer back in and the electronic control board will reboot. It may begin working so you can drain and spin the load in the washer.

If these basic troubleshooting tips don’t help you resolve the problem when your GE washer won’t drain and spin, schedule washer repair service and we’ll send a Sears Home Services technician to your home to diagnose and fix the drain and spin failure.

Troubleshooting a GE Deep Fill Washer Not Draining

If you have a high-efficiency (HE) GE deep fill washer not draining, check to see if the load is balled in single heap inside the spin basket. When clothes gets balled up inside an impeller deep fill washer, the water won’t drain from the load and the washing machine won’t spin because the impeller isn’t able to balance the load.

Distribute the load evenly and run a drain and spin cycle to finish the cycle when you face a situation with this type of unbalanced load.

If you have a conventional GE deep fill washer not draining, check the house drain for the washing machine. Clear the house drain if it’s clogged.

Check the drain hose and clear lint and debris from the drain hose using a wet/dry shop vacuum if necessary.

If these basic troubleshooting tips don’t help, your GE deep fill washer not draining could have a bad drain pump, failed control board, defective water level pressure switch or wiring failure. Schedule washer repair service and we’ll send a Sears Home Services technician to your home to diagnose and fix these types of washer problems.

Why is my GE Washer Not Draining Water?

A kinked or clogged drain hose is a common cause of a GE washer not draining water. Pull the drain hose out of the stand pipe behind the washer or the drain sink beside the washer. Check the end of the drain hose for lint buildup or debris. Clear any clog that you find and see if the washer drains properly.

To more thoroughly clear the drain hose, use a wet/dry shop vacuum to suck lint and debris out of the drain hose.

Another common problem when your GE washer is not draining water is that the drain hose is pushed way down into the stand pipe or submerged in water in the drain sink. Follow the instructions in the installation guide to properly install the drain hose. The end of the drain hose should not protrude more than about 6-inches down into the drain standpipe. If you use a drain sink, the end of the hose should not be submerged in water in the drain sink. Water can siphon back into the washer during the drain and spin cycle when the drain hose isn’t installed properly.

Other causes of a GE washer not draining include:

• Bad drain pump.
• Defective lid switch, lid lock assembly or door lock assembly.
• Failed electronic control board.
• Wiring failure.

Schedule GE washer repair service when you’re unable to find and fix the cause of a drain failure yourself.

How to Fix a GE Hydrowave Washer Not Draining

When your GE Hydrowave washer is not draining, check the drain hose because a kinked or clogged drain hose is a leading cause of drain problems in this type of GE washing machine. Straighten the drain hose if you find it kinked. Pull the hose out of the stand pipe and check the end of the drain hose for a clog of lint or debris. Clear the lint and debris if you find any. To more thoroughly clean the drain hose, use a wet/dry shop vacuum to suck debris and lint from the hose.

When inserting the hose into the stand pipe behind the washer, don’t push the drain hose more than 6-inches down the top of the stand pipe. Pushing the drain hose way down the stand pipe can cause drain water to siphon back into the washer during the drain and spin cycle.

Follow the instructions in the installation guide to make sure the washer is connected to the house drain system correctly. If your washer is in the basement of your home, the drain outlet should be less than 6-feet above the floor.

If these basic troubleshooting steps don’t help you resolve the problem with your GE Hydrowave washer not draining, then a failed drain pump, wiring failure, electronic control board defect or several other issues could be preventing the washer from draining.

Schedule GE washer repair service through Sears Home Services and we’ll send an experienced service technician to your home to fix the problem with your GE Hydrowave washer not draining.

GE Front Load Washer Won’t Drain Troubleshooting

Finding that your GE front load washer won’t drain can be upsetting and troublesome. Sometimes, you can fix the problem yourself with basic troubleshooting steps.

A GE front load washer won’t spin the clothes if it can’t balance the load. Open the washer door and check to see if all the items inside the washer are clumped together in a tangled ball. If so, untangle the clothes and evenly distribute them across the bottom and sides of the spin basket. Start a Drain & Spin cycle to see if the washer drains and spins the load properly.

If you see excessive suds in your GE front load washer that won’t drain, add a half cup of white vinegar to help dissipate the excessive suds and run a Drain & Spin cycle. The drain pump won’t be able to pump out water with excessive suds but the vinegar will typically help reduce the suds and help the washer drain. After the load spins out, run a new cycle without adding any detergent to rinse the excess suds and vinegar out of the clothes.

Going forward, use less detergent to prevent excess suds. You should only need about a tablespoon of detergent to clean most loads in your GE front load washer. Also, make sure that you’re using HE (High Efficiency) laundry detergent. Using non-HE detergent will cause excessive suds in a GE HE front load washer.

If you haven’t cleared the drain pump filter recently, then debris in that trap could be preventing the washer from draining. Follow the instructions in the owner’s manual for clearing debris out of the drain pump filter in your GE front load washer.

These basic troubleshooting steps may help you resolve a problem when your GE front load washer won’t drain. If not, a component failure inside the washer such as a failed drain pump, wiring failure or bad electronic control board could be causing the drain problem. Schedule washer repair service through Sears Home Services to have a technician visit your home and fix the drain problem.

Fixing a GE Stackable Washer Not Draining

A stackable GE washer poses unique troubleshooting and repair challenges because of the clothes dryer stacked on top of the washing machine. Your GE stackable washer not draining may also be in a tight space so you may have difficulty accessing the washer power cord and drain hose.

Here are some simple troubleshooting steps that can sometimes help you fix a GE stackable washer not draining without moving the laundry appliances.

• Resetting the electronic control board on a GE stackable washer will sometimes resolve a drain issue. The washer may have experienced a power surge through the electrical supply lines that locked up the control board. To reset the electronic control board without moving your GE stackable washer, shut off the house circuit breaker for 2 minutes. Reset the breaker to restore electrical power to the washer and run a Drain & Spin cycle to see if water drains and the washer spins the load.
• Check for an unbalanced load inside the washer. The control will sense an unbalanced load and won’t continue spin the clothes and finish draining water out of the washer. Redistribute the clothes if you find the load all tangled and clumped together inside the spin basket. Run a Drain & Spin cycle to drain water out of the load and spin water out of the clothes.
• Look for excessive suds in the washer tub. The drain pump won’t be able to drain water with excessive suds out of the washer. Add a half cup of vinegar to the washer tub to help dissipate the excess suds and run a Drain & Spin cycle. After the spin cycle ends, run a new cycle with no detergent added to rinse the vinegar and excessive detergent out of the clothes. Going forward, use less HE detergent when washing clothes in your stackable GE washer. You’ll typically only need about a tablespoon of HE detergent to clean most loads.

When these basic troubleshooting steps don’t help you resolve a problem with your GE stackable washer not draining, you’ll likely need to schedule washer repair service through Sears Home Services. We’ll send an experienced technician to diagnose and repair the washing machine.

Standing water in a GE washer signals clogged drain hoses or a broken pump. Letting water linger invites mildew and odor. Instead of wasting time manually emptying, consult a washer repair near me. Proper drainage keeps your laundry routine smooth and sanitary.