Electrolux EFLS617 front-load washer will not drain or stops with water inside

The checks in more detail

Check that the standpipe or the sink trap is not blocked, which makes water back up into the hose and the machine. Then the pump filter, which sits behind a small cover at the bottom front. Put towels and a shallow tray down, unplug the washer, open the cover and drain the trapped water by pulling out the small hose and removing its cap, then unscrew the filter slowly and clean out coins, hair clips, lint and sock fibers.

Look into the housing for anything blocking the pump impeller, and turn it by hand to check it moves. Refit the filter firmly, since a loose filter leaks. Run a Drain and Spin cycle to test. Too much detergent can cause suds that fool the drain sensor, so use less and run a rinse. If water still does not leave and you hear the pump hum, the pump may have failed or its wiring may be loose, a repair for a technician.

A pump that makes no sound could be a control or power issue. A washer that drains slowly may have a partially blocked pump or a standpipe that is too narrow for the flow. Clean the filter every few months as maintenance. Contact Electrolux with the model and serial number if the washer will not drain after clearing the hose, the filter and the standpipe.

The EFLS617 is an Electrolux front-load washer with a pump filter behind a panel at the lower front. A failed drain here often turns out to be one of three things: coins and small items in the filter, a drain hose pushed too far down the standpipe so that it siphons or seals, or a standpipe that is too narrow for the pump's flow. Electrolux recommends leaving an air gap where the hose enters the standpipe.

When you clean the filter, put a flat dish under it, open the small drain tube first to release the water gradually and then turn the filter anticlockwise. Check the filter chamber for a sock or a hair clip that has slipped past it. Replace the filter until it is hand tight. Run a short Drain cycle as a test and check for leaks around the filter before you push the washer back into place.

Electrolux front-loaders take their drain water through a pump with a small chamber, and the pump can be heard as a rhythmic whirr when the machine empties. If you hear nothing at the drain stage, the problem may sit upstream, in a control that never calls for the pump, and a technician would test the pump's voltage. When you reseat the filter, check the rubber ring on it for a nick, since a leaking filter drips under the machine and can trigger a leak alarm.

A spare coin or two in the filter chamber is a sign that clothes pockets need checking before each wash, and a mesh bag keeps small items like hairbands from reaching the pump. The drain hose of the EFLS617 should loop up to the height Electrolux specifies before it descends into the standpipe, which prevents siphoning, and a hose that stays low lets water drain away too early or not at all, so measure the loop against the manual.