Washing Machine Not Spinning or Draining: What to Check

A washing machine that will not spin or drain usually has a drain filter choked with lint, a drain hose that is kinked or blocked, or laundry bunched on one side, which makes the machine stop the spin to protect itself. One that drains while it fills usually has its drain hose set too low or pushed too deep into the waste pipe. Unplug it before opening the filter. A code that keeps returning, a pump that hums without moving water, or no power at all needs a repairer.

Why will my washing machine not spin or drain?

A machine moves on to the spin only when nearly all the water has left the drum and the drum is balanced well enough to turn at high speed. That is why “will not spin” and “will not drain” so often arrive together.

Cause	What is happening
Clogged drain filter	Lint, hair, coins, hairpins and buttons gather in the filter, so the water leaves slowly or stays in the drum. Most common on front-loaders, which empty through a drain pump.
Drain hose kinked, blocked or badly placed	The hose is crushed or twisted, residue has built up inside it, or its end sits higher than the manufacturer's instructions allow.
Unbalanced load	One heavy item, such as a doormat, a large bath towel or a blanket, gathers on one side and throws the drum out of balance.
Programme settings	Some programmes and options spin very slowly or leave the spin out; a soak or rinse-hold option also pauses the machine before it drains.
Lid or door not shut	The lock does not confirm that the door is closed, so the machine refuses to spin.
A failed part	Drain pump, drain valve, door switch, water-level sensor, drive belt, motor or control board. It usually comes with an error code, an odd noise or a smell of burning.

What should I check first?

Work through these in order before you call anyone.

Power: the plug firmly in, the socket live, the circuit breaker on.
Lid or door: close it firmly. On a front-loader, look for a sleeve or hem caught in the door seal.
Child lock: many machines can lock their buttons, and while the lock is on they ignore every command. The manual shows how to release it.
Programme and spin speed: select an ordinary programme again and make sure the spin is not at its lowest setting or at “no spin”.
Water supply: if the machine will not start or fill, see that the tap is open, the inlet hose is not kinked, and the building's water is neither cut off nor at low pressure.
Spin only: spread the laundry out, then run the spin or the rinse-and-spin programme by itself and see whether the machine completes it.

How do I clean the drain filter on a front-loader?

According to Samsung's support guidance, the most common reasons for a drain error are a clogged filter and a kinked drain hose, so the filter is the first part to open. On a front-loader it usually sits behind a small cover at a bottom corner of the front panel; its exact place and the way the cover opens vary by brand and model year, so check the manual.

Switch the machine off and pull out the plug. If it has just run a hot wash, let the water cool first.
Lay a thick towel on the floor and set a shallow tray or a low basin against the foot of the machine. A good deal of water may still be in the drum.
Open the cover. If there is a small emergency drain hose beside the filter, pull it out, take off its cap and let the water run slowly into the tray until it stops.
Turn the filter anticlockwise, very slowly. If water rushes out, turn it back a little to control the flow.
Lift the filter out, clear the lint, hair and small objects from it, rinse it under the tap and wipe out the cavity it sits in.
Screw the filter back on its thread until it is tight, then close the emergency hose and the cover. Plug in, run a rinse-and-spin programme and check that nothing leaks at the filter.

How do I check the drain hose?

Look along the whole length of the hose. It should not be trapped under the machine, twisted, or folded sharply behind it.
Lift the end out of the floor or wall waste pipe and look for lint and residue, both at the mouth of the hose and in the waste pipe itself.
On a machine with a drain pump, which means most front-loaders, the end of the hose has to sit within the height range given in the manual. Too high, and the pump cannot lift the water; too low, and the machine can siphon.
Do not tape the joint between the hose and the waste pipe shut. The manufacturer's installation instructions call for an air gap there.
If a sink or shower floor nearby is also slow to empty, the blockage is in the building's drainage and not in the washing machine.

Why does the machine stop spinning when the load is unbalanced?

Samsung's and LG's support pages describe the same behaviour: when the machine detects that the laundry is unevenly spread, it tries to rebalance, and if that fails it stops the spin for safety. It happens most with a single heavy item, with a very small load, and with very heavy items mixed in with very light ones.

Wait until the drum has stopped completely, open the machine, untangle the laundry and spread it evenly round the drum.
With a doormat, a large bath towel or a thick jacket, add two or three towels to balance it, as Samsung suggests.
Avoid very small loads at a high spin speed. LG recommends filling about two-thirds of the drum so that the laundry can move freely.
Stand the machine on a flat, solid floor with its feet adjusted level, not on a soft wooden board or a floor that gives.

Why does my washing machine drain all the time while it is filling?

If water runs into the waste pipe as soon as the machine starts to fill, the drum never fills and the machine keeps taking in water, the usual cause is siphoning. LG's guidance is that it happens when the end of the drain hose is lower than the water level in the machine, when the hose is pushed too far into the waste pipe, or when the joint has been sealed so that no air gap is left. Raising the hose end to the height in the manual and restoring the gap can put it right.

A top-loader that empties through a valve can do the same for a different reason: lint or a small object lodged in the drain valve keeps it from closing, and water escapes while the drum fills. Reaching the valve means taking off the lower part of the machine, which is work for a repairer or the manufacturer's service centre. A faulty inlet valve can also let water in without stopping, even with the machine switched off. In that case close the tap and call a repairer.

What do the error codes for draining and unbalance mean?

These codes come from the official Samsung and LG support pages. The lettering can differ with the model year and the market, so check the manual for your machine; other manufacturers list their own codes for the same two faults in theirs.

Code	Meaning
Samsung 5E or 5C	The machine has detected a drain fault, usually a clogged filter or a kinked drain hose.
Samsung UE	The load is out of balance and the machine has stopped the spin for safety.
LG OE	The machine cannot drain, usually because the drain hose is kinked or blocked or the drain pump filter is clogged.
LG UE	The load is out of balance, possibly because it is too small or mixes heavy and light items.
A code that returns after these checks	The filter and hose are clear and the load is balanced, yet the code comes back: contact a repairer or the manufacturer's service centre.

What should I not do when I check the machine myself?

Always pull out the plug before opening the filter, taking off the drain hose or tilting the machine, and keep away from the plug and the socket while your hands or the floor are wet.
Leave the casing, the drain pump, the motor and the control board closed. A washing machine is heavy, and tilting one alone can cause an injury.
Do not push wire or a stiff rod into the drain pump or the drain valve.
Do not pour drain-unblocking chemicals into the drum or the drain hose, and never mix chlorine bleach with an acidic cleaner or with ammonia: the mixture can give off toxic gas.

When does cleaning fix it, and when does it need a repair?

Cleaning solves the problem when something is in the way of the water. It does not stand in for a part that has failed.

What it needs	Typical situations
Cleaning	A drain filter clogged with lint or detergent residue; residue in the drain hose and at the mouth of the waste pipe; a full lint filter; deposits between the inner drum and the outer tub that slow the drainage and make the machine smell.
A repairer or the manufacturer's warranty service	No power; a drain pump that hums without moving water, or stays silent; a faulty drain valve or inlet valve; a drum that will not turn although the load is balanced; loud noise from the bearings; an error code that repeats; a smell of burning.

What UpClean does for a machine that drains badly, and how to book

UpClean's washing machine service is a clean with the drum taken out, done in your home. The Up specialist, an identity-verified cleaner trained to the Up Standard, removes the drum, cleans the inner drum, the outer tub, the drain filter, the lint filter and the drain line, then puts the machine back together and runs a test cycle with you. The fixed price is 450,000 VND for a top-loader up to 9 kg and 690,000 VND for a front-loader of the same capacity.

UpClean cleans and maintains; it does not repair washing machines. Signs of a failed part are written into the Up Report, the photo record sent by WhatsApp or Zalo after the visit, so that you can go to a repairer or the manufacturer's service centre. If the machine is noisy, leaking or showing an error code, send a short video with your enquiry, so that its condition is on record from the start.

To book, message or call 0968 726 135 (phone, WhatsApp, Zalo) any day from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM, with the door type and capacity of the machine. The quote, the confirmation and the Up Report can be in English. You are sent the specialist's name and photo ahead of the visit, which is what building management needs where a building asks residents to register outside staff.

Washing machine cleaning: Scope and prices for each type of machine.
Why a washing machine smells: The tub-clean programme and the routine that keeps residue from building up.
Book a visit: Request a day and a time slot online.

Frequently asked questions

My washing machine drains but will not spin. Why?+

Usually the load is unbalanced, the lid or door is not fully closed, or the programme is set to a low spin speed. Spread the laundry out, shut the door firmly and run the spin by itself. If the drum still does not turn, the cause may be the drive belt, the motor or the control board, which needs a repairer.

How often should I clean the drain filter?+

The recommended interval differs between manufacturers, so follow the manual. A household that washes a lot, or has small children or pets, should check it more often. Check the pockets before every wash.

Does a top-loading washing machine have a drain filter?+

Many top-loaders have no drain filter at the front like a front-loader's; they have a lint filter inside the drum, which should be cleaned at the interval the manual gives. Residue at the drain valve underneath has to be reached by a repairer.

The machine hums but the water does not drain. What is wrong?+

The drain pump is running without moving water. The filter or the drain hose may be clogged, an object may be jammed in the pump's impeller, or the pump may have failed. If it continues after you have cleaned the filter and checked the hose, contact a repairer.

Can I open a front-loader's door with water still inside?+

It is better not to, and the door is usually locked while water is in the drum. Empty the water through the filter or the emergency drain hose as the manual describes, or select a drain-only programme if the machine has one, and then open the door.

My washing machine is dead and shows no lights. What should I do?+

Check the plug, test the socket with another appliance and look at the circuit breaker. If the socket is live and the machine still shows nothing, do not take it apart; contact a repairer or the manufacturer's service centre.

Washing machine not spinning, not draining or draining all the time: causes and what to check