Question: Every 3 out of 5 washes our washing machine will fill with water and just keep filling and filling. During this time, the water will drain out normally at the same exact time. Our washer is in an endless fill/drain cycle. It is stuck filling and draining until we unplug the machine. We sometimes just set the load to the end of the wash cycle and wait a few hours before trying again. Sometimes this happens and other times it does not. What could be causing this to happen?
If your washing machine (top load or front load) is filling with water WHILE it is draining, here is a simple quick fix. This issue happens frequently and about 90% of the time it is NOT THE WASHER MALFUNCTIONING. This “washer fills and drains at same time” issue can be fixed in a matter of minutes. See below for how easy this repair solution is. This easy fix solution will work on all washers including GE, Whirlpool, Kenmore, Samsung, LG, Frigidaire, Maytag, and more.
Answer: Your washer DRAIN HOSE is causing a siphoning condition. Your washing machine drain hose is pushed way too far into the stand pipe in the wall. There needs to be an air gap and by having the drain pipe pushed too far there is no air gap. This creates a vacuum or siphoning affect and the water is pulled out of the washer as it fills with water. What you need to do is pull the drain hose out of the stand pipe and put it back in making sure it is not in the wall too far or too deep. There needs to be a bend at the apex of the drain hose. It needs to be above the height of the wash tub. Once you have the drain pipe or hose in the exact position you need it to be in to not cause siphoning, tie the drain hose to the water fill hoses with a plastic zip tie so it can’t fall back down deep or pull out.
Top Load Washer Fills and Drains At Same Time
If you know of another way for a washing machine to fill and drain at the same time, please leave a comment below to assist our other readers.
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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My old washer pump copper wires were burnt, i bought a new pump and fitted it, but now it does what the old pump had never done.
Although it was not draining out water but it had a burning smell from a pump.
This new one it drains and fill at the very same time, and i did everything and never change the hose pipe.
It is still 30 inches above the base as it was.
This was incredibly helpful. Thank you for saving me a lot of money and hassle. I even heard the vaccume suction sound when I removed the electrical tape attaching the drain hose.
Thank you very much! I thought my Haier portable washer was malfunctioning when it tried to fill and was draining at the same time… glad I didn’t angrily call the girl who sold it to me from Craigslist because it turns out that I just had the hose sitting too low in the bathtub to drain, and when I hung it up higher (with some string and a hanger), it worked just fine.
I just bought a portable Haier washer from a friend. Everything turns on properly. The water fills up then drains and will not wash. What could be the problem.
Richard wrote (17 March 2017) that his toploader samsung machine seems to have the drain pump turn on when power is on and runs continuously. I have the same problem with mine. Initially I could see that the drain pump had burnt out, changed it but now face this problem. Can these machines be reset (WA13V5)? Or does it mean the PCB needs replacing?
I have a Samsung top loading washing machine and it is draining and filling at the same time – but it seems the drain pump is permanently on. Drain pump starts up as soon as I turn the power on (before even hitting start etc)
Brilliant and clear, understandable advice thanks. Bought a new machine today and on the first wash couldn’t figure out why it was just pouring water the entire time – zip tied the drain pipe and it is fixed.