Washing Machine Drain Pumps
The drain pump in your washing machine or washer dryer is one of those parts of it that is likely to and, common to fail as it does do rather a lot of work for such a small motor, regardless of what type of drain pump it actually is. The drain pump runs every time that the washing machine has to drain so, for the most common washes, it will drain the washing machine or washer dryer at least three or four times on every single wash.
It is also worth noting that, whilst drying a washer dryer drain pump will either pulse on and off at frequent intervals or some, like some Candy washer dryers, will run continuously when they are drying. It is imperative that you get a good quality pump for this with a thermal cutout fitted if required as some of the cheap conpatible drain pumps don't have these and present a serious fire risk.
Low temperature washes and the constant use of liquid detergent will also lead to a build up of a grey gunge or sludge in the pump which can block it and, it stinks! To avoid this see below.
Common faults and symptoms of a washing machine drain pump fault include:
Washing machine noisy on draining: Pump bearings faulty, something stuck in the pump
Screeching noise on drain: Something stuck in the pump, sand/grit in the magnetic types (this can also be reported as a screeching noise on spin as the washing machine drain pump runs whilst the washer is spinning)
Washing machine not draining: Pump blocked or faulty
Whilst most manufacturers will advise that you clean the drain pump filter after every wash we realise that this is impractical in the real world and so we would advise that you clear it every month when you do a
maintenance wash. This helps to keep the washing machine drain pump clear of any detritus and will most likely extend the life of the drain pump.
For maintenance wash instructions see the links below, all of which wil open in a new window or tab so you don't lose the page as well as the link to Affresh which will massively help keep bacteria at bay in the pump chamber if it doesn't get rid of it totally.
Further Help On Washing Machine Drain Pumps
For more information on drain pumps in general please
read this article and for more on the quality of spares see
please see this article
Basic fault finding guide for washing machines and washer dryers
Basic guide to electrical safety
Affresh washing machine cleaner
Testing A Washing Machine Drain Pump Video
Can't Find The Drain Pump You Need, Not Sure?
Buying spare parts for any washing machine can range from the simplest task in the world to one of the most daunting as you try to pick your way through model numbers, serial numbers, ranges and all sorts of information.
We try to make it as simple as possible for you to buy a washing machine spare part but, sometimes, we know that we all need a little help from the experts.
Below you will find the various ways in which you can get in touch with us about
washing machine pumps and get answers as quickly as possible but do please use our contact page or email as a first resort as this allows us time to look up spare parts for you and find any low cost compatible washing machine spares as well, so you get the best options possible.
 | To get assistance with a technical query for your washing machine then please do use our forums using this link. We will likely not be able to offer any dishwasher technical assistance, advice on what washing machine part is required to repair a fault or fitting instruction by email or by telephone. However, the forums have many washing machine engineers that do read and will normally answer your questions if it is possible to assist. |
 | Contact us using our online spares enquiry form, simply click this link or the icon to be taken to our online contact page for washing machine spares. |
 | To send us an email about your washing machine spares requirements just click this link and your mail client should open a new email for you to send us an email. |
 | Call us during normal office hours Monday through Friday on 0845 172 8002 about washing machine spares. |
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Find one of our approved washing machine engineers, just click here to search |
