Front Load Washing Machine Not Draining Consistently

Question: I have an new GE front load washer and at certain times the clothing comes out very wet and sometimes the floor is wet. Sometimes there is lots of water left in the washer drum and other times not so much. (We just switched from a top loading washer to a front loading washer in the last few months.) We have seen water and suds leak from an overflow outlet in the back of the washer and since then we have switched to HE washer detergent. We thought that maybe the wrong detergent was making more bubbles or suds and creating this problem. Recently we noticed a back flow prevention valve on the pipe the washer drains the water out of. Do you think this back flow prevention valve can prevent the dirty water from draining properly?

front load washer not draining

Answer: Since you are going from a top load washer to a new style front load, there are a few things that are different that may be causing your issue. Your pump drain filter is probably clogged. Remove the small front lower metal panel. There will be a screw on cap that contains a little debris filter / strainer. We have seen all sorts of things stuck in these filters. Coins, pen caps, and massive amounts of dog hair. These types of objects will prevent your washer from draining properly. Once you open the filter, clean it out, wash it in the sink to remove any odor, screw it back on, and test your washer.

clean drain pump filter on front load washer

Another issue could be if the wash load is unbalanced. If the washer rocks too hard on the spin cycle, it will stop in order to prevent damage. So be sure that you do not overload your washer.

You may also need to access the drain pump as things can lodge themselves inside the pump too. To access the drain pump see the video below or consult your GE washer manual.


How to clean out filter on front load washing machine


Drain Pump GE Washer Repair and Access

 Do you know of other reasons for a Front load washer to not drain correctly? Please leave a comment below.

1 thought on “Front Load Washing Machine Not Draining Consistently”

  1. Water comes in to machine even if power is off but water line is attached and turned on.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.