Washing machine not draining
Water still sitting in the drum when the cycle ends is nearly always a blocked filter or a failing drain pump. We find what is caught, clear it, and test the drain on a full cycle.
- Two hour arrival window, Monday to Friday — pick yours when you book
- 12-month parts warranty, 3-month workmanship
- Original parts only, fitted on a return visit with no second call-out fee
Try this before you book
Most machines have a drain pump filter behind a small hatch at the front bottom of the cabinet. Put a towel and a shallow tray down first — there will be water behind it — then unscrew the filter and look at what comes out. If it is packed with lint, coins or hair, clearing it may be the whole repair.
If the filter is clean and the machine still will not drain, the pump, the pressure sensor or the drain hose is the likely cause, and that is worth a technician rather than guesswork.
Why a machine stops draining
Fault 01Blocked drain pump filter
The most common cause by a wide margin, and the easiest to fix. Worth checking every few months on a busy household machine.
Fault 02Failed drain pump
Usually audible — the pump hums but no water moves, or it has gone silent entirely. Often follows months of running against a partly blocked filter.
Fault 03Kinked or blocked drain hose
Especially after a machine has been moved. A hose crushed behind the cabinet will drain slowly for a while before it stops altogether.
Fault 04Blocked standpipe
Sometimes the machine is fine and the household waste is the problem. Worth ruling out, because replacing a pump will not help.
Fault 05Pressure sensor fault
The machine believes the drum is already empty, so it never runs the pump. Diagnosed from the control board rather than by eye.
Drainage jobs
Photographs from real jobs, taken by the technician who did the work. No stock photography anywhere on this site.
A washing machine pump filter removed, packed with lint and hair.
A drain pump removed from a washing machine, impeller visible.
A sump hose removed and found blocked with lint.
The sump hose held up and checked along its length for a blockage.
A washing machine opened up, showing the dispenser assembly and hoses.
Four steps, no surprises
- 01
Tell us what's wrong
Appliance, suburb, and what it's actually doing. Model number and error code too, if you can reach them.
- 02
Get a window and a call-out fee
We quote the call-out fee for your suburb and confirm a two hour arrival window that fits the day's route, rather than an all-day wait. Ring before 10:30am and same-day may be possible.
- 03
We attend and attempt the repair
The technician works the fault on site within the booked time. Most jobs are finished on that visit.
- 04
Repair or replace — your call
If a part is needed we talk you through it and give you a quote, and you decide whether to repair it or put the money toward a new one. If you go ahead we order an original part and come back to fit it — labour and part only, no second call-out fee. Covered for three months either way.
Questions we get asked
What happens if you can't work out what's wrong?
We look at the call-out fee case by case and it may be reduced or waived — the Terms set out how that works. If we do find the fault and the machine turns out to be beyond economical repair, the diagnostic fee still applies: the diagnosis was the job, and knowing not to spend money on a repair is worth having.
Do I get charged twice if a part has to be ordered?
No. If a part needs ordering we book a return visit to fit it, and there is no second call-out fee. You pay for the part and the labour to finish the job, nothing else.
How long is the warranty?
12 months on parts we supply and fit, and 3 months on workmanship. If the same fault comes back within 7 days of the repair, we return with no call-out fee.
Can you give me an exact arrival time?
We book a two hour arrival window rather than a fixed time, Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm, so the day's route holds together and everyone gets seen when they were told. A 9–11am window means the technician arrives somewhere in that window. If you ring before 10:30am, same-day may be possible.
Book a repair
Tell us the appliance and the suburb. We'll come back with the next available window, usually within one business day.