How to Drain a Broken Washing Machine

When the washer is turned on, the tub fills up with the correct amount of water. When the wash cycle is over, the clothes are rinsed with fresh water and then spun dry. Unfortunately, mechanical things eventually wear and break. In this case, the washer’s pump could quit working and leave you with a washer full of water and clothes. In order to service the washer, the water must be drained out.

1. Unplug the power to the washer. Turn the hot and cold water supply valves off by turning the handles in a clockwise direction. (The valves are usually mounted on the wall behind the washer.)



2. Use a pair of pliers and remove the flexible hot and cold water supply hoses from the back of the washing machine near the top by turning the fittings in a counter-clockwise direction. Move the washer away from the wall slightly if more room is needed to reach the supply hose fittings. (The hoses may be made of black rubber or braided flexible stainless steel.)



3. Move the washer as far away from the wall as needed to place a bowl on the floor at the rear of the machine in close proximity to the washer drain hose.



4. Lift the flexible washer drain hose from the drain pipe, which is usually attached to the wall behind your washer (Sometimes the washer drain hose is hooked over the edge of an adjacent utility sink.) and lower it to the bowl, keeping the drain hose at ground level to let gravity drain the water from the tub. Let the water drain into the bowl. Keep a close watch on the bowl and replace the hose to the drain pipe to stop the flow when the bowl is full and needs emptying. Continue this process until little or no water comes from the drain hose.



5. Remove any wet clothes from the washer tub. Use a small plastic container and bail the remaining water from the washer tub. Small amounts of water left in the tub will not matter.