The short answer
Standing water at the end of a cycle on the TDQR line means the drain path is obstructed somewhere between the sump and the house drain — the pump is rarely the first thing at fault. On this page the filter and sump come first, because they catch everything the pump cannot move. The path is short and every part of it is checkable, which is why this fault is usually solved without a part.
What you are seeing on the TDQR line
- The machine hums at the end but nothing leaves — The drain pump is being asked to run against a blockage.
- Water backs up into the sink when the machine drains — The obstruction is downstream, in the disposer or the house drain, not in the appliance.
- NEAR MISS — water appearing on the floor as well — Then treat it as a leak first: a blocked drain that has overflowed the tub door seal is a different job from one that has not.
Causes, most likely first on the TDQR line
- The filter and sump are blocked — Ranked first on the TDQR line because everything the machine cannot pump has to pass the filter first, and lifting it out is a two-minute check with no tools.
- The drain hose is kinked, sagging or badly routed — A sagging hose holds water that the pump then has to push uphill twice. It ranks here because it needs the machine pulled out to see properly.
- The disposer knockout plug or the air gap is blocked — A blocked air gap or a disposer full of waste stops the discharge dead. It sits here because it is upstream of the appliance and easy to check at the sink.
- The drain pump is jammed or has failed — Deliberately last: it is the only part on this list you have to buy, and the causes above it imitate it exactly.
Check in this order, and why that order
- First — lift out the filter and bail the sump — Bail the standing water out with a cup and a cloth, then take the filter out and look into the sump for glass and debris.
- Then — pull the machine out and look at the drain hose — It should rise to a high loop under the worktop and run without kinks. A hose pinched behind the machine is the commonest installation fault there is.
- Only then — check the air gap and the disposer inlet — Clear the air gap cap at the sink, and on a new installation confirm the disposer knockout plug was removed. Run the disposer until it is clear.
- STOP here if the next check needs a panel off or a meter on live terminals — Everything above can be done with nothing dismantled; past it the checks need test equipment.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing the kick plate or the inner door panel — a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off, and the control and heater terminals sit within reach of standing water. Close the supply shut-off under the sink before disturbing any fitting, and never reach into the sump while the machine is powered: the chopper and the drain impeller start without warning.
Where the owner job ends
Call when the filter, the hose and the sink connection are all clear and the tub still holds water, because the next step is removing the sump and the pump. On the TDQR line, call rather than continue if the machine has to come out from under the worktop to reach the hose. Call immediately if water is reaching the flooring or an electrical connection, or if the machine trips the breaker when it tries to drain.
Other faults covered for the TDQR line
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
