Probable causes
- Clogged pump filter or coin trap
- Kinked or blocked drain hose
- Drain hose inserted too deeply into the standpipe
- Failed drain pump or pump obstruction
- Lid or door-lock fault preventing the drain cycle
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Before calling a repair technician
Washing machine: Won’t drain
Start with safe, visible checks only. Your owner’s manual takes priority because access and procedures differ by model.
Safe things to check
- Unplug the washer and prepare towels before opening an owner-accessible filter
- Clean the pump filter exactly as the owner’s manual describes
- Inspect the full drain hose for kinks, crushing, or freezing
- Confirm the standpipe and nearby sink drain are flowing
- Run one drain/spin cycle and write down any error code
Stop and call a professional
- Water is near wiring or leaking under the cabinet
- The pump only hums after the filter and hose are clear
- The washer is full and you cannot safely drain it
- A burning smell, hot plug, or tripped breaker appears
Tell the technician
- Model and serial number
- Exact error code
- Whether you hear the pump humming
- Whether water drains by gravity through the hose
Important: Never bypass a safety switch, work on energized wiring, open a refrigerant system, or attempt gas repairs. For flooding, smoke, sparks, a hot cord, or a gas odor, stop using the appliance immediately.
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Featured homeowner guide · Last reviewed: September 28, 2026
Water heater leaking? Check the tank, fittings, and safety signs
Treat an active water-heater leak promptly. If you smell gas, hear hissing, see soot, or a carbon-monoxide alarm sounds, leave immediately and call 911 or the gas utility from outside. If water is near wiring, a plug, controls, or the electrical panel, do not touch the appliance or stand in the water. When the area is dry and safe, look—without removing covers—for water beginning at plumbing above the heater, a top fitting, the relief-valve discharge pipe, the drain valve, or the tank body and base. A licensed plumber should diagnose the source; a leaking tank normally requires replacement.
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Start with the symptom.
Furnace short cycling? Safe checks, repair costs, and when to replace
Heat keeps stopping before the room warms up? Start with safe checks, then compare a diagnosed repair with replacement using sourced cost ranges and an itemized quote.
Open free guide →No hot water? Safe checks, repair costs, and when to replace
Cold at one tap or everywhere? Narrow the problem safely, understand what common professional repairs cost, and decide what belongs in a repair or replacement quote.
Open free guide →Refrigerator ice maker stopped? Check temperature, water, and the filter
A warm freezer, switched-off ice maker, restricted water supply, clogged filter, or blocked bin sensor can stop ice production without proving the ice maker has failed.
Open free guide →Dishwasher not drying dishes? Check rinse aid, loading, and cycle settings
Wet dishes do not always mean a failed heater. Rinse aid, loading angle, material type, and the selected drying option can make a large difference.
Open free guide →Dryer tumbles but won’t heat? Check the cycle, lint screen, and breaker
A no-heat dryer can still tumble when an Air Only setting is selected, airflow is restricted, or part of an electric dryer’s 240-volt supply is interrupted.
Open free guide →Washer leaking water? Check the hoses, door seal, and drain
Where and when the water appears can separate a loose external connection, drain backup, dirty door seal, clogged dispenser, or oversudsing from an internal failure.
Open free guide →TV has sound but no picture? Check the menu, input, cables, and power reset
Sound with a black screen can come from the selected input, an external device, a loose or damaged cable, a picture-off setting, or an internal display fault.
Open free guide →AC airflow weak? Check the filter and registers before calling
A correctly installed filter and open air path can restore airflow. Ice, recurring weakness, electrical symptoms, and internal equipment checks belong to an HVAC professional.
Open free guide →Gas oven won’t heat? Check the controls, power, door, and ignition clues
Working surface burners do not prove the oven can ignite. A few safe observations can separate a setting problem from a fault that needs qualified service.
Open free guide →Electric oven baking unevenly? Check the rack, pans, and calibration
Uneven browning often starts with airflow, rack position, cookware, or an incomplete preheat—not necessarily a failed element or temperature sensor.
Open free guide →Planning ahead? View the Appliance Lifespan Chart →
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