Washer Not Filling With Water: Causes and Fixes

When a washer will not fill, the cause is most often outside the machine: a supply valve that is not fully open, a kinked fill hose, or clogged screens where the hoses connect. If water reaches the washer but still does not enter the tub, the usual suspects are the water inlet valve, the lid switch or door lock that must close before filling, the water level sensor, or the control. Work through the free checks first; they solve a large share of no-fill calls.

Is it really not filling?

High-efficiency washers are built to use less water than older machines, LG notes, so a shallow water level is not by itself a sign of a fault. The real symptoms are a tub that stays dry, a cycle that stalls at fill, water that trickles in very slowly, or an error such as Electrolux's E11 long-fill code. Check your display for a code and look it up in the owner's manual before going further; LG's fill guide makes that its first step.

What to check yourself safely

Unplug the washer before checking anything behind or inside it; GE points out that the power button does not cut electricity to the machine. Turn off both the hot and cold supply valves before you disconnect a hose, pull the washer out or open a panel, and keep a bucket and towels handy because water stays in the hoses.

1. Open both valves fully. Whirlpool, Maytag, Frigidaire and LG all list a partly closed hot or cold faucet as a cause. Many washers need both hoses connected and both valves open to run.
2. Straighten the fill hoses. LG notes that vibration can crush or bend a hose behind the washer. If a hose is badly kinked, shut off the valve and straighten or replace it.
3. Check the hot and cold hoses are not swapped. Whirlpool says the hot hose goes to the hot valve and cold to cold. Some Electrolux models show HO SE when the hoses are reversed, and reversed lines can also trigger long-fill codes.
4. Clean the inlet screens. With the water off, remove the hoses at the washer and look at the screens or filters in the inlet ports. Whirlpool and Maytag say sediment and mineral buildup can block them; brush them clean with a soft brush and mild soap. LG's design lets you pull the filters out to rinse them.
5. Flush the hoses. Whirlpool suggests running water through each disconnected hose at a sink; replace any hose with weak or blocked flow.
6. Remove flood-stop devices. Whirlpool and Maytag say anti-flood or flood-safe devices can cut water pressure and recommend connecting the washer directly to the supply.
7. Check water pressure. Electrolux and Frigidaire specify 30 to 120 psi, with no more than about 10 psi difference between hot and cold. If other faucets in the house are weak too, the problem is your plumbing.
8. Thaw frozen lines. In cold weather, LG suggests disconnecting the hoses to see whether the faucet flows, warming a frozen faucet with a hot wet towel, and thawing hoses in water no hotter than 122°F.

Front-load vs. top-load differences

On a front-loader, the door locks during the cycle, and a lock that will not engage can stall it. Whirlpool says a normal delay of about 10 seconds before the lock engages is expected, and soap buildup or anything caught in the door can stop it from locking. Electrolux uses separate codes for a door read as open (E41) and a lock that is not recognized (E42). If the door lock light never comes on, the lock is the place to start.

On a top-loader, Maytag says lid behavior varies: some models will not fill with the lid open, some will not advance to wash, and some drain if the lid stays open too long after filling. Close the lid and check your manual. Maytag also warns that a drain hose pushed too far into the standpipe can siphon water out as it fills, which looks like a washer that never fills. Keep only about 4.5 inches of hose in the standpipe and do not tape it airtight. Our guide to front-load vs top-load washer problems covers more of these differences.

Parts that fail and what a technician tests

If the supply side checks out, a technician will usually test:

• Water inlet valve. The valve opens electrically to let water in. A technician checks whether it gets power during fill and whether its solenoids are open-circuit. A valve that gets power but passes no water has failed or is blocked.
• Lid switch or door lock. If the control never sees the lid closed or the door locked, it will not start the fill. The switch is tested for continuity and the lock for proper engagement.
• Water level (pressure) sensor. A sensor that reports the tub is already full, or a clogged pressure hose, can stop the fill early. Electrolux, for example, uses a pressure sensor to watch the water level.
• Control board and wiring. If the valve, switch and sensor test good, the tech checks the harness and the control output to the valve.

When to stop DIY and call a pro

• Valves are open, hoses and screens are clean, pressure is fine, and the washer still does not fill.
• You hear a hum or click at fill time but no water flows.
• The door lock or lid lock indicator never comes on, or a lock error keeps returning.
• The washer fills slowly with one temperature but not the other after the screens are clean.
• Water keeps flowing when the washer is off. Close the valves and leave it unplugged until it is repaired.

Use our washing machine repair directory to find a technician, browse by state, or go straight to cities such as Chicago and Phoenix. Brand pages including Maytag washer repair and Samsung washer repair list local companies that service those machines.

What a no-fill repair costs

Fixr's published cost guide lists these typical prices for the parts most often behind a washer that will not fill:

Most no-fill repairs are on the lower end, so they are usually worth doing even on an older washer. A control board on an aging machine is the exception; see our guides on washing machine repair cost and repairing vs replacing a washer.

Keep it filling

• Flush each faucet before connecting new hoses so debris does not clog the inlet screens, as Electrolux recommends.
• Use new hoses with new rubber washers when you install or move a washer.
• Leave enough room behind the washer that the hoses are not crushed when it is pushed back.
• If the washer also drains slowly, see our guide to a washer that is not draining.