Not draining?
Let’s figure
it out.
A puddle in the drum doesn’t have to mean a new machine.
Tell us what you’ve noticed. We’ll help you understand the likely cause, what’s safe to check, and when to call a professional.
- 1A few simple questionsJust what you can see or have already noticed.
- 2A likely explanationWith clear reasons, in everyday language.
- 3Your safe next stepIncluding when to leave it to an expert.
No tools needed to answer. No pressure to DIY.
Washing machine problem
Let’s work out what’s going on.
Let’s get to the bottom of it.
Tell us what you’ve noticed. We’ll help narrow down the cause and find a safe next step.
Safety before troubleshooting. Always.
Burning smell, smoke, sparks, repeated electrical trips or water near electrics? Stop using the machine. Don’t touch wet or sparking electrical parts. If there’s smoke or fire, leave and call 999 or 112 in the UK.
Unplug before any manufacturer-approved user check, only when access is dry and safe. Never open internal electrical parts, force a stuck cover or bypass a safety device. Unsure if a check is user-serviceable? Stop and ask the manufacturer.
Before you reach
for the toolbox.
Start with the guided check above. These answers explain the basics behind it.
Back to the guided checkWhy might a washing machine not drain?
A restriction in the filter or drain path, a bent outlet hose, a household drain blockage, or a pump fault can leave water behind. A control or sensor fault can cause similar symptoms. The guided check uses your observations to compare these possibilities; it cannot confirm a fault.
Can I check the filter myself?
Only if the manual for your exact model explicitly describes a user-accessible filter and you can follow its procedure safely. Some machines have no user-serviceable filter. Trapped water can be hot or flood out, so don’t loosen a filter casually or force a stuck cover. If you’re unsure, ask manufacturer support or an engineer.
There’s no water, but my clothes are still wet.
This can be a spinning or programme problem rather than a blocked drain. Tell us what you observed in the assessment above. Its questions adapt to your answers, including when the water has drained.
Will you tell me what an error code means?
You can record the code, make and model with your result, but this guidance does not interpret model-specific codes. Check your exact model’s manual or ask the manufacturer. The same code can mean different things on different machines.
How reliable is the result?
It is a starting point based on fixed rules and the answers you give. Observed issue, Strong match, Possible match and Unclear describe the specificity of a troubleshooting pattern, not its probability of being correct. Sources support the general rules; an appliance professional still needs to confirm an actual fault.
Safety and user checks are informed by Bosch’s manufacturer guidance and Electrical Safety First. Can I Fix This? provides independent, evidence-informed guidance. Always follow your exact model’s manual. We are not affiliated with either organisation.