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 kenmore 80 series washer when turn it on water is going in tub but is coming out the back drain ontofloor help plz
Gaylene,
The drain pump may be faulty and letting water out as it fills.
You will have to do some troubleshooting.
Have you checked the hose to see if it is sucking out the water as it fills?
-RR
We are having this same problem but it does not do it every load.
The washer will operate as it should then all of a sudden a load will be draining as filling. What I have been doing as a workaround is stop it when it does this and wait until the next day and start it again and it will fill without draining. What would cause it to do this intermittently? The washer is “Estate” by Whirlpool. Thanks for any help.
Thanks this helped. I’ve been in my house for a year and it just started not working. I inplugged and lifted the hose. Now it works!
Wow!!
Was about to buy parts and tear apart the washer in a way as a right of passage…. NOPE!
Just pull the far too long drain hose out of the standpipe and waalaa….problem fixed!!
Will probably buy a new standard drain hose with the curved clip to prevent this from happening again.
Bought our house with the washer and dryer.
The drain hose went down into the standpipe for about TWO feet, crazy.
We have lived here for about a year and a half without this problem.
Guess enough ‘gook’ formed an airtight seal over time causing the siphoning problem.
Thanks for having this site!
Thank you SO MUCH !!!! I bought a brand new top loader & was ready to send it back for a replacement due to EXACTLY the same issue….. I have now brought the draining hose inside and put it in a bin next to the machine & it works GREAT !!! I obviously have to work out a permanent system , but THANK YOU do much
I have a top loader machine sumsung I just change my old water pump and put the new water pump, when I feel with water the water keeps pumping out when I disconnect one of the wires leading to a water pump it stop pumping can you be able to assist me