The short answer
Open the pump filter flap at the bottom front of an AEG first — a blocked filter is the commonest drainage fault on this class and clearing it is an owner job. A kinked or badly routed drain hose is second. A jammed impeller behind the filter is third, and a blocked pressure system or a failed pump is last.
What you observe
- A full drum at the end and a locked door — The machine will not release water it still holds.
- The filter flap has never been opened — Years of debris behind it. Start there.
- A hum from the pump with no water moving — The impeller is jammed by something hard.
- The drain hose is kinked or pushed deep into the standpipe — Free to fix, and easily done when it was last moved.
- NEAR MISS — a little water left in the seal folds — Normal on a front-loader.
Causes, most likely first on this brand
- Pump filter blocked — First because the platform relies on the owner emptying it and almost nobody does. Coins, buttons and a felt of lint collect until water can no longer pass, and clearing it needs no tools at all.
- Drain hose kinked, raised too high or pushed in too far — Second, and free: the hose is the part most often disturbed when the machine is moved, and both errors stop a healthy pump getting water away.
- Pump impeller jammed — Third: whatever passes a filter that was refitted loosely reaches the impeller directly. Its tell is a hum from the pump with nothing moving at all.
- Pressure system blocked, or the pump failed — Last. A machine that never calls for the drain at all may not know it has water, and a silent pump with a clear filter points at the motor.
Check in this order, and why
- Open the filter flap and look at what is in there — Free, owner-serviceable and the top cause here.
- Listen at the drain step for a hum or silence — A hum names a jammed impeller straight away.
- Pull the machine out and straighten the drain hose — Check both its height and how far it enters the standpipe.
- Note whether the machine tries to drain at all — Left until here because silence points at the pressure system.
What an owner can safely check
- Lay towels down and drain the machine through the small hose — Use a shallow tray and expect several refills.
Tools: towel, shallow trayAbout 30 min
- Unscrew the filter, clear it and refit it fully — Check the thread seats squarely or it will leak.
Tools: glovesAbout 25 min
- Feel inside the filter housing for a jammed object — Turn the impeller gently by hand with the power off.
Tools: torchAbout 20 min
- Straighten the drain hose and check its height — It should rise no further than the machine needs and no more.
About 25 min
- STOP HERE if the pump is silent with a clear filter — Pump and pressure system work means opening the machine.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the washer and turn off the supply tap before opening the filter flap or any panel; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. The water behind that filter can still be hot, so let a cycle cool first. Wear gloves — broken glass and underwires are common finds. Never force a locked door on a drum that still holds water.
When to call a technician
Call when the filter is clear, the hose is straight and correctly routed and the machine still holds its water — the pump, the pressure system or the board is then the answer and all are inside the cabinet. Call a plumber instead if the standpipe overflows while the machine pumps. Stop and unplug it if the breaker trips when the drain step begins.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page is written for the brand and the appliance class, not for one family or model line. Where a family- or model-specific page exists for your unit, that page is the more specific answer and you should start there. Deliberately absent: hose heights, pump and filter part identifiers, spin speeds and fault-code meanings, all of which differ between the front-loading, washer-dryer and integrated families.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
