Can I clear a clogged washer myself before calling you?

On a front-loader, yes, you can try. There is a small access panel at the bottom front with a filter behind it. Lay towels down, have a shallow pan ready because water will come out, and unscrew the filter to clear coins and lint. If it is clean and the washer still will not drain, the pump or control is the problem and that is our call. Top-loaders do not have an easy filter, so those usually need us.

Why does my washer drain but not spin, or spin but not drain?

They are separate steps the control runs in sequence, so they fail separately. No drain with a full tub points at the pump, filter, or a blocked hose. Drains fine but will not spin usually points at the door or lid lock, a worn belt, or the motor. We sort which step is failing in the first few minutes on site, then test the specific part rather than guessing.

Is a washer that will not drain worth fixing or should I replace it?

Most drain faults are worth fixing because the parts are inexpensive relative to a new machine. A pump or lock replacement on a unit under about eight years old is an easy yes. If the machine is older and the control board has failed, we will tell you straight whether the repair makes sense against the cost of replacing. We give you the honest number in writing and let you decide.

WASHING MACHINE WASHING MACHINE · HILLSBOROUGH

Washing Machine washing machine not draining in Hillsborough? We fix it.

A washer that fills and washes but leaves a tub of standing water is one of the most common calls we run. The water has to go somewhere, and when it does not, the fault is almost always in the pump, the filter, or the drain path.

$75 diagnostic (waived with repair)
Same-day best effort
CSLB #1136642

Call (925) 999-4095

Why this happens

What we look for first.

Clogged pump filter or coin trap. Front-loaders from Whirlpool, LG, Samsung, Bosch and Electrolux have a drain pump filter behind a small access panel at the bottom front. It catches coins, hair pins, bra wires and lint. When it packs up, the pump cannot pull water through and the cycle stalls with a full tub. We open the trap, clear it, and check the impeller behind it for damage. This is the first thing we look at and often the whole fix.
Failed drain pump motor. The drain pump itself runs off a small motor that burns out, seizes, or loses a winding. You will often hear it hum or buzz without moving water, or hear nothing at all. We test the pump for resistance and check for 120V at the connector during the drain step. If the motor is dead and the windings read open, the pump gets replaced as a unit. Common on high-cycle households.
Jammed object in the pump or sump. Socks, baby clothes and small items slip past the tub and lodge in the pump volute or sump hose. The pump tries to spin against the blockage and either stalls or trips. We pull the pump or open the sump and clear the object by hand. On top-loaders this is often a sock wrapped around the impeller. Quick fix once we are in there.
Kinked or blocked drain hose. The drain hose runs from the pump to the standpipe or sink. It kinks behind the machine when the washer gets pushed back, or it clogs with lint and detergent sludge over years. If the standpipe itself is partially blocked the water backs up and the washer reads it as a drain fault. We check the hose run end to end and snake or replace it. Cheap part, easy to miss.
Door or lid lock fault stopping the cycle. A washer will not advance to drain or spin if the control does not see the door locked. On front-loaders the door lock assembly fails and throws a code. On top-loaders the lid switch or lid lock goes bad and the cycle hangs with water in the tub. We test the lock for continuity and confirm the control is getting the locked signal. Replace the lock or switch and the drain step runs again.
Control board or drain relay failure. Less common, but the main control board drives the drain pump through a relay. When that relay fails the pump never gets power even though the pump and filter are clean. We rule out everything mechanical first, then check the board for voltage out to the pump during drain. If the board is not commanding the pump and the wiring is good, the board is the fault. This is the bigger job and we confirm it before quoting.

How we diagnose and fix it

The walk-in workflow.

01
Confirm the symptom: run a drain or spin cycle and watch whether the pump tries to run, hums, or stays silent.
02
Pull the access panel and check the pump filter or coin trap for debris, coins, and trapped objects.
03
Test the drain pump for power at the connector and for winding resistance to tell a dead motor from a blockage.
04
Trace the drain hose and standpipe for kinks, sludge, or backup, and check the sump for jammed items.
05
Check the door or lid lock signal and, if everything mechanical is clear, test the control board relay output to the pump.

Serving Hillsborough

Hillsborough: response and coverage.

Hillsborough sits on the Peninsula. We work it on planned Peninsula days. Same-week scheduling for premium built-in service.

Neighborhoods we cover regularly in Hillsborough: North Hillsborough, Tobin Clark, Lower Hillsborough. Beyond those, our service area in Hillsborough covers the city limits.

Hillsborough kitchens lean heavily on Sub-Zero columns, Wolf or Thermador ranges, and Miele or Bosch dishwashers. Mid-century and tudor remodels mean a steady stream of 12 to 25 year-old built-ins on the call list.

Pricing and warranty

What it costs. What we stand behind.

$75

Diagnostic visit. Waived when you book the repair with us.
Typical

Most drain faults land between $150 and $350: clearing a clogged filter or jammed object is on the low end, a drain pump replacement usually runs $250 to $400 depending on the brand and parts. Door or lid lock replacements fall in a similar range. Control board work runs higher, often $350 to $600 plus the board. We quote in writing first, before any work starts.
Warranty

You get a parts and labor warranty in writing before we start, around 90 days on consumables and 1 year on major components like the drain pump, door lock, and control board. We put the numbers on paper before we touch the machine so there are no surprises after.

FAQ

Washing Machine washer in Hillsborough questions.

Can I clear a clogged washer myself before calling you?

On a front-loader, yes, you can try. There is a small access panel at the bottom front with a filter behind it. Lay towels down, have a shallow pan ready because water will come out, and unscrew the filter to clear coins and lint. If it is clean and the washer still will not drain, the pump or control is the problem and that is our call. Top-loaders do not have an easy filter, so those usually need us.
Why does my washer drain but not spin, or spin but not drain?

They are separate steps the control runs in sequence, so they fail separately. No drain with a full tub points at the pump, filter, or a blocked hose. Drains fine but will not spin usually points at the door or lid lock, a worn belt, or the motor. We sort which step is failing in the first few minutes on site, then test the specific part rather than guessing.
Is a washer that will not drain worth fixing or should I replace it?

Most drain faults are worth fixing because the parts are inexpensive relative to a new machine. A pump or lock replacement on a unit under about eight years old is an easy yes. If the machine is older and the control board has failed, we will tell you straight whether the repair makes sense against the cost of replacing. We give you the honest number in writing and let you decide.

Nearby cities

Washing Machine washer not draining near Hillsborough.

Also in Hillsborough

Other repairs we do in Hillsborough.

Ready to book the Hillsborough call?

Tell us the model and the symptom. We will quote it.

Call (925) 999-4095