Front loader washer machine maintenance...

7 years ago

I have a question...I've read something about cleaning out a drain or something on a front loading washing machine. On some machines I see a little door on the bottom of the front....is that the drain the needs cleaning out? And on machines that don't have that little door, where is it that you cleanout this drain thing?

My washer and dryer fit between two walls so you can't get to the sides or behind either machine without pulling them out...

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Comments (3)

georgect
7 years ago
Yes, if it has a little door in the front towards the bottom, it's consumer accessible.

Some do not have a pump trap at all.

Some you need to dismantle the machine to access it some where along the drain line.
always1stepbehind thanked georgect
Toronto Veterinarian
7 years ago
What does your owner's manual say? For maintenance, pretty much the only thing I do is regularly is use a rag to absorb water in the door well, and leave the door open a few inches when not in use. If there is a little door at the front, they probably intend for you to clean that filter occasionally; if there isn't, then it's nothing they expect you to do. Most front loaders (especially European models) are made to be fitted into tight spaces and won't expect you to be able to reach the sides or back of the machine very well.
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dadoes
7 years ago
The "drain thing" is a pump protector/strainer. The water in the tub passes through when it drains to protect the pump from getting jammed by foreign objects that may be forgotten in a pocket or mixed up with a load of clothes ... coins, screws, thumbtacks, candy wrappers, golf tees, etc. There's no need to clean it on a recurring basis if proper care is taken to check clothing for such objects/debris when loading. The machine typically will throw a "long drain" or "drain failure" error code if the strainer is clogged enough to pose a problem.

As GeorgeCT says, some frontloaders have an access door to reach the protector, some do not.

All washers (frontloaders and toploaders) retain some water in the pump. Frontloaders with an accessible pump protector provide a small hose to drain the residual water before opening the protector. Pull the little hose down, aim it into a shallow pan and open the stopper on the end to drain the residual water. Then the protector can be opened without a resultant flood.

Some people refer to a frontloader's pump protector as a "filter" as if it works as an active lint filter during washing/rinsing. It does not function in that way, although some lint may be caught in the strainer over a period of time, or if ragged items are washed such as old towels or cleaning cloths or a deteriorated throw-rug.