How to Clean the Drain Pump Filter on Your Front Load Washer

In order to protect the drain pump and hose from lint build up and even small items of clothing that can cause clogs, your washer comes with a drain pump filter. However, over time, you will find that if the drain pump filter gets overly clogged, it may extend your wash times, cause excessive vibration, or even cause your washer to stop as water can no longer efficiently pass through the filter and pump. When this is happening, the solution is simple – you need to clean your drain filter.

On front load washers, they make this easy in many models. You will see a small access door near the bottom of your machine. This door will need to be popped open, and when you do, you may wish to have a bowl underneath it to catch any loose water.  The filter can then be turned counter-clockwise and it will pull right out. From there on, you will want to clean the filter itself of lint, dog hair, and other grime build up. You will also want to poke around inside the filter alcove to pull out any small items of clothing such as children’s socks.

If it is particularly dirty in there, you may have to actually remove the entire front of your washer to access the drain pump in order to clean it. If you neglect drain pump filter cleaning long enough, it will start to affect the drain pump. If you have noticed poor drainage in your washer, then it is a good sign that cleaning the filter is no longer enough. You will need to flush out the drain pump as it is probably pretty clogged up in there.

While this is pretty easy for the appliance owner to do, if you have appliance problems that are beyond your area of comfort, contact us today to see what we can do to help.