It can be very disconcerting to open up your washer and find that your clothes are soaking wet and sat in a puddle of water. Not only is this likely to cause problems drying your clothes, but this sitting water can lead to musty smells if the clothing isn’t removed quickly. Sitting water is a result of the washer failing to drain properly during the cycle, and there are a number of reasons why this may occur.
While the double tub inside your washer may still be properly operating, there could be sitting water inside. In this scenario, you’ve got a roadblock in the form of a clogged drain hose. When your drain hose is clogged, it will prevent water draining from the outer tub. This issue can be caused when something that was in the inner tub has slipped through to create a clog or obstruction. Look out for a blockage, remove any obstruction and this should allow the water to resume proper draining.
Even if your drain hose isn’t clogged, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t responsible for your sitting water issues. A bad hose need not be split or broken to cause problems. If your hose has lots of turns and twists, it can prevent the water from draining properly. Check your hose and see if it is all jumbled up. If your hose does look all twisted, take a little time to straighten it and remove the kinks to allow water to freely flow and empty the tub.
Take a look inside your washer when it’s emptying and see if the water is actually draining from the tub. If you see the water disappearing before magically reappearing, it is a sign of a slow drain. A slow drain usually results from a partially clogged drain or your hose being placed too far inside the tub. This will prevent all the water from leaving your washing machine, creating that tell tale pool.
In many cases, sitting water is caused by a piece of clothing that gets stuck in the drain, creating a blockage. The most obvious culprits are socks and underwear. These small items can easily slip between the inner and outer tub and be pulled into the drain. Many models of washer have an access panel on the front to allow you to manually drain your washer and pull out any obstruction. You can also avoid this problem by putting all your socks, underwear and smaller items in a mesh wash bag. This will still allow your small items to be thoroughly washed, but they will be prevented from being pulled into the drain and causing a blockage. Although many of us think about a sock eating monster in the laundry, if you do find an odd sock missing, don’t ignore the issue and have a look around for it inside your washing machine tub or drain. Chances are you’ll find it lurking somewhere waiting to cause a blockage and sitting water in your next laundry load.
When your washer doesn’t fully empty, your clothes will retain too much water, creating drying issues, musty smells, and mold problems. Don’t just ignore sitting water and assume that the problem will correct itself, investigate the underlying issue to prevent future problems.
If you’re having some issues with standing water in your washer, you can rely on a professional appliance repair specialist for effective and long-lasting solutions. For help with all your washing machine repair needs, be sure to speak to a professional appliance repair service.