The washing machine constantly fills and drains water

There are situations when the washing machine operates and performs the program specified by the user, however, the washing process is not carried out as expected. The washing machine automatically fills with water and immediately drains it, and the quality of the wash suffers greatly. Let's try to figure out what is the reason for this specific problem.

Main causes of failure

To solve a problem caused by the automatic washing machine taking in and draining water, you need to find its cause. And to do this, you need to determine a list of typical breakdowns that manifest themselves in the constant draining and filling of water into the tank, we list them:

• The drain hose is not connected correctly to the sewer system.
• The water inlet valve is not working properly.
• The water level switch does not function.

The drain hose of a washing machine is connected in different ways. The most common way is to connect a hose to a siphon. The siphon has a special outlet - a hole for draining dirty water from the washing machine, which is located quite high from the floor. This connection is considered the most correct and does not create problems with the drainage system. But if the drain hose is led directly into a sewer pipe, this sometimes causes the water in the washing machine to drain on its own.

The water inlet valve may not work well due to a damaged membrane (or its gasket), as well as due to the sensor that controls its operation. After the washing machine control unit issues a request to pump water, the system begins to draw water into the tank. But since for some reason the valve does not close in time, an overflow occurs, the protection is triggered, the electronic system issues a command and drains the water into the sewer pipe. And so on in a circle.

Repeated self-draining of water from the washing machine tank can cause a faulty pressure switch. This sensor allows the system to learn about the amount of water that it draws into the tank; therefore, if the sensor is faulty, the system will fill water until an overflow occurs and subsequent emergency drainage of water occurs. Naturally, as in the above situation, the cycle will be repeated from time to time.

How to quickly find and fix a problem?

After this, you need to start the wash again; if the machine still constantly fills and drains water, do the following.

• Start any washing program.
• Let the machine draw water into the tank, and you wait for the process to complete.
• Stop the washing process by pressing the stop button.
• Start forced water drainage by pressing the corresponding button.
• Stop the process again.

If, after stopping the drainage, the water continues to slowly flow through the pipes, it means that the drainage was done incorrectly. Install the elbow on the sewer pipe as shown in the figure, and then connect the drain hose to it.

The situation with the water inlet valve is more complicated. You must first remove it and inspect it. Finding this valve in the body of the washing machine is the easiest thing. You need to look where the inlet hose fits, which means that the inlet valve is located there. To remove it, you need to remove the top wall of the washing machine by unscrewing two fasteners, and then unscrew the fastenings of the valve itself. First you need to remove the hose clamp and the hose itself.

Inspect the valve and sensor for damage. There may be a problem with the rubber gaskets or poor contact of the sensor. Because of this, the machine takes in and drains water without stopping. Test the valve sensor with a multimeter, and if the problem can be identified, replace the sensor with a similar new one.

If everything is fine with the drain and water inlet valve, then the problem lies in the pressure switch. For details on how to test and replace the water level sensor, read the article on checking the pressure switch of a washing machine.

What happens if the breakdown is not fixed in time?

Any problem must be solved in a timely manner and not put off into a long box. Some people reason like this: “the machine is washing, so we won’t bother with it until it breaks.” In fact, if the washing machine constantly drains itself, this will very soon turn into even more serious troubles.

The washing machine will constantly give various errors and pause the washing program.

Costs for electricity and water will increase significantly. Essentially, the water during the washing process will go down the drain without stopping, and the heating element will be constantly on.

The load on all units of the washing machine will increase, and as a result, they will fail much faster.

There is a high risk of flooding of an apartment or house.

In conclusion, we note that be sure, at least sometimes, to listen and take a closer look at how your automatic washing machine works. If you notice that it is constantly draining and refilling water, then this is a very alarming symptom that should prompt you to immediately start looking for the cause of the problem. Act systematically, according to the instructions offered by specialists, and you will succeed!