Won't drain or won't spin
A washer that fills and washes but leaves the drum full of water is a drain problem, and the drain pump is the first suspect. Before the pump gets condemned, the filter in front of it gets opened, because on front-load machines it collects coins, hair pins and the occasional sock, and a blocked filter looks exactly like a dead pump.
No spin with an empty drum is a different fault. On front-loaders it is often the door lock assembly, since the machine will not spin unless it is certain the door is latched. On top-loaders it is often the lid switch, the drive belt or the shift actuator.
Leaks and bearings
- Water at the front of a front-loader usually means the door boot is torn, and the tear is usually at the bottom where the coins sit
- Water at the back is usually a hose clamp or the inlet valve, both cheap
- A grinding roar that gets louder during spin is drum bearings, and on many models that repair costs enough that replacement deserves an honest conversation
What you can check first
Open the pump filter, usually behind a small panel at the bottom front, and have a towel ready. Check that the drain hose is not pushed too far down the standpipe, which siphons water back out and mimics a dozen other faults. Run one cycle with nothing in the drum to see whether the noise is the machine or the load.
Questions we get
Front-load or top-load, does it change the repair?
Yes, quite a lot. Front-loaders fail at the door boot, the door lock and the bearings. Top-loaders fail at the lid switch, the shift actuator and the drive system. The diagnosis path is different from the first minute.
The machine walks across the floor. Is that a repair?
Sometimes. Shipping bolts left in place, uneven feet and worn shock absorbers all cause it, and only the last one is a parts job.