Washing machine will not spin or drain: from the pump filter to the lid switch

• Switch off the MCB and unplug the appliance before checking anything.
• Make sure your hands and the floor are dry.
• Close the main water valve before opening any water connection.
• Keep water away from sockets and plugs.

If a warm program was running, the water left in the drum can be hot, so let it cool before you drain it.

An automatic washing machine only starts the spin cycle when several conditions are met. The program must include a spin, the drum must have drained, the machine must sense the lid or door as closed, and the laundry must be spread evenly enough. If one of them is missing, the machine stops or keeps trying to balance the load, then shows a code on the display. That is why a machine that seems dead is often just waiting for one condition.

LG Indonesia's page on a drum that does not turn after filling names two causes that are easy to miss. Either the pause button has been pressed, or the soak program is selected, so the machine stops without draining. Modena's manual for the WF VGWH front loader adds one more: if the spin speed is set to the dash symbol, the machine will not spin at all. Check the control panel before you open anything up.

This guide uses manuals for single-drum automatic machines, both top loaders and front loaders. Twin-tub machines work differently, so check every step against your own machine's manual.

Error codes differ between brands and models, so always look them up in the table in your manual. Some examples from official manuals:

• On Modena WT top loaders, code E1 means the spin failed because the load is unbalanced in the drum or the floor is uneven. E3 means a drain failure, for example a drain hose placed too high or a blocked drain. E4 appears when the lid is opened during washing or spinning, which stops the drum.
• On the Modena WF VGWH front loader, code E03 means the machine does not drain or drains too slowly.
• On LG front loaders, code OE means water is not draining from the drum because of a clogged pump filter or a kinked drain hose.

Codes for other technical faults, such as the EA, EC or EXX groups in the Modena manuals, are not for trial and error: switch the machine off, unplug it and contact the service center.

1. Panel and program. Make sure the pause button is not active and the selected program includes a spin cycle. Try running spin only, or rinse and spin.
2. Load balance. Blankets, sheets and large towels easily bunch up on one side. Stop the machine, spread the laundry out and try again. For sheets or blankets, the Modena WT manual suggests a smaller load than the usual capacity, because they do not spin efficiently.
3. Level. Press down on each corner of the top; the machine must not rock. Adjust the feet and tighten their lock nuts. On a new machine, make sure the shipping bolts were removed, because the manual says bolts left in make the machine vibrate and run loud.
4. Lid or door. Close it firmly until it clicks and make sure no laundry is caught in it. If the child lock is on while the door is open, the Modena manual says to close the door and turn the child lock off.
5. Drain hose. Straighten a hose that is kinked or squeezed. LG asks for at least 10 cm between the back of a front loader and the wall, and 2 cm on each side, so the hose does not get squeezed. On the Modena WF front loader, the end of the drain hose sits 65-100 cm above the floor. For another LG model, LG says the hose should be no higher than 6 cm from the floor. Follow the figure in your own model's manual, because the designs differ.
6. Test the house drain. LG suggests a simple test: take the hose out of the drain pipe, point it into a bucket or a floor drain, and run a spin. If the water flows out freely, the problem is the house drain, not the machine.
7. Pump filter or lint filter. Clean the filter for your type of machine, as described in the next section.

On a front loader, the drain pump filter sits behind a small cover at the lower front. The Modena WF VGWH manual describes the procedure. Turn off the water faucet, switch the machine off and unplug it. Open the filter cover, then pull out the small drain hose at the pump opening to let the remaining water run into a container. Have a large container ready, because the manual warns that up to 20 liter can drain out. Once the water stops, turn the pump cover counterclockwise, remove lint, coins or other objects, and check that the impeller at the back of the pump housing turns freely. Screw the cover back on tightly, because a loose filter will leak.

LG describes the same steps for its front loaders, including a warning that the remaining water may be hot, and suggests a toothbrush for cleaning the filter. On the Modena WT top loader, you clean the lint filter inside the drum instead: press its clip, pull it out, rinse the mesh and push it back in until it clicks. The manual suggests doing this after every wash. Never open a filter while a programme is running.

In many Indonesian homes, leftover powder detergent, hair and sand from work clothes build up in the filter. Checking it regularly is far easier than draining a drum full of water.

Contact the authorized service center for your washing machine's brand if:

• the same error code keeps appearing after the programme, load, hose and filter have been checked;
• the machine only hums without the drum turning, or you smell burning from underneath;
• the imbalance code appears even with an empty drum and a level machine;
• the lid or door is firmly closed but the machine still reads it as open (the lid safety switch is an electrical part inside the cabinet);
• water leaks from inside the machine (the Modena manual says to switch off the power and contact after-sales service);
• the pump impeller cannot turn even though the filter is clean.

Replacing the pump, motor, lid switch or control board is work for an authorized technician. A blockage in the house drain inside the floor or wall is a job for a plumber.