Whirlpool Washers are some of the best on the market, offering a plethora of convenient features and a top-level washer experience. Yet despite these washers’ excellent reputation, they can often run into a problem where they will suddenly stop draining.
This can be a frustrating and confusing problem to deal with if you’re not up to speed on what causes this problem.
That’s where we come in. In this article, we’re sharing all the details of why your Whirlpool washer isn’t draining and what you need to do to restore it to working order.
Why is your Whirlpool Washer Not Draining?
A series of components work together for the dirty water to drain from your washing machine; this includes the drain hose, the drain pump, and your door switches.
If any of these components run into trouble, then it’s going to cause problems that prevent your Whirlpool Washer from draining.
1. The Drain Hose is Kinked or Pinched
The drain hose carries the dirty water extracted from your clothes out of the washer and into your home’s drain.
However, if there are any kinks, pinches, or blockages along this drain hose, then the water will be prevented from draining away and will often end up backing up into your washing machine.
Of course, this is not ideal as your clothes will be soaked in dirty water, so we need to get it unblocked.
This usually happens when the washer is pushed back into place against the wall, which then causes either a kink in the line to form or it gets pinched.
So we need to pull the dryer out and inspect the line to ensure the water can take a smooth path out of the dryer.
2. The Wrong Wash Cycle is Selected
While it’s certainly great to have different wash options that allow you to cater the cycle to the kind of clothes you need to clean.
Certain wash cycles, such as those for delicate clothes, cause the drum to spin at a slower speed to protect the clothes from getting damaged or tangling with each other.
This can mean that even when the wash cycle has finished, you’ll still be left with a wet load because there wasn’t enough centrifugal force to get rid of all the water.
There are a few methods to get around this to help better protect your clothes so you can use a faster cycle and allow the clothes to dry out better.
3. A Drain Pump Issue
The dirty washer water can’t just drain away simply by using gravity, so it uses a drain pump to help expel the water and push it into the drain hose.
Drain pumps can run into a few issues that may compromise how effectively they drain the water.
Firstly the impellers in the drain pipe may become blocked up by some kind of debris or a buildup of lint and require unblocking.
Or if the drain pump is unusually noisy, it may indicate something is wrong with the pump itself and needs to be serviced.
4. The Door Lock is Defective
The door on a Whirlpool washing machine is a critical component when it comes to having a smooth-running washer.
The latch helps create that water-tight seal that prevents water from leaking out while washing clothes.
Additionally, a sensor lets the machine know that the door is closed and that it’s now safe to start the cycle.
When this sensor runs into issues, the Whirlpool washing machine may think the door is open when it’s not. This then causes the washer to turn off its spinning and draining functions to make sure nothing gets damaged.
So here, we’ll need to ensure both the lock and sensor are working so the water can continue draining.
5. A Lid Switch Problem
Top-loading washers work slightly differently. Here the door just sits on the top of the washer without any actual locking mechanism.
The door will sit on the switch, which, much like the door sensor on a Whirlpool front load washer, lets the machine know it’s time to start up.
If this lid switch runs into problems, it too can stop the dryer from spinning mid-cycle and prevent the water from draining.
So this sensor will need to be checked and replaced if it’s found to be non-functional.
6. The Timer isn’t Working Correctly
The timer is responsible for turning various functions within the washer on or off as needed. It’s comprised of a series of electrical contacts that can become defective or corroded over time.
The timer will need to be removed from the washer and tested using a multimeter, and if it’s found to be defective, it will need to be repaired by a trained technician.
7. The Wash Load is too Large
While it’s very tempting to just wash all your clothes at once so that you only need to do one load, overloading the washer can heavily hamper the washer’s ability to drain itself.
This is because a large load puts weight onto the drum, reducing its speed and centrifugal force produced. Leaving your clothes wet and still dirty by the end of the cycle.
Whirlpool recommends not filling the dryer more than 75% full for a single load.
How to Fix a Whirlpool Dryer Not Draining
Now that we’ve gone through the potential causes of this problem and have a better idea of what’s causing the dryer not to drain. Let’s take a look at how to fix these problems so you can get back to washing your clothes trouble-free.
1. Straighten out the Drain Hose
The first thing we need to do is to make sure the dirty water can properly drain away from the washer through the drain hose.
To do this, you should first pull the washer away from the wall and inspect it. Check for any kinks or areas where it may pinch and straighten them out.
As you push the washer back into position, be mindful of how close to the wall you push the washer and ensure you’re not squashing the drain hose and re-introducing new problems.
2. Pick the Correct Wash Cycle
Certain wash cycle settings may cause excessive water to be left in the clothes after the wash cycle has finished. Ideally, you should pick a normal wash cycle which gives the drum speed and cycle timing the best chance of allowing the water to drain away.
If you need to use a specialized wash cycle, such as delicate or heavy, ensure the clothes you are loading into the wash match the settings so the drum speed can be matched up correctly with the current load.
3. Fix the Drain Pump
There are two primary points of failure within the drain pump. The first is the impeller which uses small plastic fins to help eject the water from the washer.
The impellers should be inspected for damage; it’s quite common for one or more of the fins to break off, in which case the impeller will need to be replaced.
However, more commonly, it’s just become blocked up with lint or debris that’s made its way into the pump. In this scenario, you should clean it out by hand.
Ensure you also give the lint filter a good clean at this time, as it’s very common for excess lint to make its way into the pump because the lint filter’s already full.
If the impeller looks okay, the drain pump motor may be the problem. If the drain pump is defective, it will need to be swapped out by a professional.
Here we recommend contacting Whirlpool support, who will arrange a trained technician to help fix this issue.
4. Fix the Food Latch and Sensor
When the door doesn’t latch, or the sensor that tells the washer the door is closed has issues, then the washer drum will stop spinning, leaving excess water in the washer and your clothes.
You’ll first need to inspect the latch, you should feel it click into place, and the door should feel solid against the washer’s body. If you notice any visible damage on the latch, you should simply replace it.
Secondly, you’ll need to check the sensor is working. If it’s found to have failed, then the only solution here is to once again contact Whirlpool support and have a professional install a new one for you.
5. Fix the Lid Switch
A top load washer doesn’t use the same kind of door latching system, but they utilize a sensor that can fail due to having the top door closed on it too many times.
You should first test this sensor with a multimeter for continuity; if it’s non-functional, it will need to be swapped out in the same way as the front-loading door sensor.
6. Repair the Timer
When the timer runs into problems, it means one or more of the functions within the washer won’t be able to work properly; this can be things that affect the washer’s ability to drain, such as the pump or the drum.
While you can test the timer with a multimeter to determine if it’s functioning or not, if it’s found to be defective, it will need to be replaced by a professional.
7. Reduce the Wash Load
When the washer is drying too many clothes at once, the drum won’t spin as fast, which reduces its ability to expel water during the dry cycle.
Here you’ll need to pull some of the excess clothes out from the washer and run a second cycle later on.
While it’s certainly more troublesome to wash clothes this way, ultimately, it works out better to run two successful wash loads rather than one where the water can’t drain and the clothes have remained wet.
Adrian is an ISCET licensed professional that has completed the National Appliance Service Technician Certification Exam and has the expertise to diagnose and repair any appliance. He is well-versed in the latest technologies and techniques and is always up-to-date on the latest industry standards.
