If you are having trouble with your top or front loading washing machine not filling with water, here are some quick fix tips. This guide will show you what to do if your washing machine will not fill with HOT or COLD water. Both of these issues can be fixed by doing a few simple checks.
The main causes your washing machine is not filling with water MAY BE:
1. One of the water valves (hot or cold) supplying the washer with water has been turned off or closed.
2. Your washer has a shutoff valve on the back that may be in the closed position.
3. There may be a water filter on your washer that is clogged and tells the washer computer (control board) to not allow water to enter.
4. A hose or water connector on the back or inside the washer is defective or clogged.
5. The water to your home has been turned off temporarily (the city may be doing work outside and did not notify you).
If the washer is brand new…
Check the back of it to be sure there is not a shutoff valve in the closed position near the water hose connection.
Many of the newer front load HE machines have a shutoff valve and sometimes during shipping it is put into the closed position.
So your problem with your washing machine not filling with water may be as simple as just turning the valve to open.
Your washing machine may have a shutoff valve in the
water connection assembly, make sure it is not closed.
If the washer is not new and is suddenly NOT filling with water…
Your NEWER washer may have a water filter installed.
If so it may be clogged and telling the computer to not allow water to enter.
If your washer has a special filter, clean or replace it and test the washer for water flow.
If there is no filter on your washer then you will need to take further steps to find the problem.
Check to be sure the water supply valves that supply
water to your washer are not closed or off.
To determine if a valve may be shut…
Unplug the washer and slide it out from the wall to leave space to access the water valves.
Locate the 2 water valves (one is for hot water and one is for cold water).
If both water valves are open (hot and cold) then there is a problem in the washer or the water supply hoses.
Check to be sure that somehow the washer water valve has not been shut (may or may not be something on your washer but if so it is located on back of washer).
If you assume water is going to the washer and ALL valves are open, go to the next step below.
The HOT and COLD water lines will connect to the back
of your washer similar to the picture above.
To determine if water is being supplied to your washer…
Turn off the 2 water valves and remove the hoses from the back of the washer (not the wall).
Hold the ends of both hoses pointing into an empty bucket and open the valves.
If water flows then you know the hoses and valves are not clogged or defective. (This procedure will verify water flow to the washer and you can rule out a problem with the hoses or valves located on the wall)
While you have the water hoses disconnected, look into the hose connections on the back of the washer.
Make sure that there is nothing clogging the screen or in the hose connection.
If there is anything clogging the screen or blocking the connection, remove it and reinstall the hoses and test washer.
Some other tips and suggestions…
On most washers, if water flow is going to the machine but the machine will not fill with water, you probably have a bad water valve on the machine itself.
You can remove the water valve or hose connectors and see if there is anything visibly wrong with it.
Sometimes they crack and block water flow to the washer and may leak.
Washers that have a water shutoff valve on the back can sometimes fail in the closed position.
There are also hoses that are in the machine that may be clogged or possibly pinched.
This issue can be fixed yourself but taking the machine apart may be necessary to access all the hoses and water lines.
Feel free to ask us washing machine questions by using the comment form below and we will troubleshoot your issue for free and in a timely manner.
Written by Keith Schneerer
Certified Appliance Tech · Founder, RemoveAndReplace.com
Keith has spent 30+ years repairing machines, starting as a military mechanic and later maintaining food processing equipment before moving into appliance repair. He founded RemoveAndReplace.com to share field-tested repair advice.
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Sarah,
Are you getting an error code on your Frigidaire affinity front load washer? If the water is not coming into the tub properly, make sure the water valves that supply water to your washer are fully open. Also, be sure the water supply hoses are not bent or crimped therefore making the water unable to flow. Check where the 2 hoses go into your washer at the back of the machine to be sure there is no blockage in the screens or in the water inlet valve itself. Let us know what you find and we can assist further.
-RR
Hello, I have a Frigidaire affinity front load washer. It worked fine the other day however when i went to do a load this morning it counts down but it doesn’t fill. It allows little water in and that’s all. It will count down threw the cycle but does not spin or drain the little bit of water that it did come in. I tried to turn it on the spin cycle only and it counts down but does not do anything.
Kim,
Be sure to check that there is no blockage in the hot water hose. Be sure the hot water valve is FULLY open and supplying hot water. If the hose is not blocked, and the hot water valve is fully open and supplying HOT water, you may have a blockage where the hoses go into the water inlet solenoids. If not and the solenoids tested good, you could have a control panel issue. Do some additional troubleshooting before you buy any new parts. Let us know what you find.
-RR
In normal conditions no matter what the temp setting is, my washer machine is not taking hot water in. To test whether it will take hot water, I closed the cold water valve from the wall and it took hot water but just a little bit and it was not enough to start the cycle and machine started to give clicking noise. I opened the cold water valve and it filled with enough water but all was cold and it started the cycle. So machine is not letting the hot water solenoid to open I guess or it doesn’t keep it open enough so there will enough water to start. I checked the valves for continuity and I have no problems with any of the valves (5 of them). Would it be a bad valve problem or would it be control panel problem ? It is an LG washer and model number is WT4801CW.
David,
Yes, the simplest thing such as a partially opened water valve can cause much wasted time and money. That is why we try and explain the simple things that may be overlooked to get an appliance working again. Glad you finally got it figured out.
-RR
Our clothes washer was not getting much hot water, so the repairman replaced water selector switch. Still didn’t get much hot water, so he replaced the switch again. It still didn’t work. On the phone when we told him, he said he couldn’t fix it. I called him (thinking it was a different repairman) after a few years, and he agreed to come. But didn’t (he must have remembered me).
Finally after months, even after years, I switched hoses only at the faucet not at the washer: hot on cold faucet and cold on hot faucet. Water gushed (of course, hot selected at washer was cold, and cold was hot. Did I say, HOT? BUT — still — HOT WATER WAS GUSHING! So, number 1 solution above on this website, was the problem. The repairman never fully opened the hot water faucet because the hot water faucets are old and very tight. Need pliers to turn the nozzle. He probably never tested the flow after each selector switch was replaced, and forgot to turn hot water on (or it was so tight he thought it was fully open). What other valid explanation is there?
Anthony,
The washer may not be filling because of a faulty lid switch. Most of the time a bad lid switch WILL let the washer fill but then it will not agitate or spin. It MAY be possible your lid switch is having intermittent issues. Test it and if it is in working order, check all wire harnesses and connections going to the back control panel and elsewhere to be sure the connections are tight and secure. The next item to check will be the timer to be sure it is working properly as it can make the washer do as you have stated if it is malfunctioning.
-RR