The short answer
Look at the sink before the machine: a plugged bowl or a strainer packed with scraps stops a countertop Airmsen draining however good its pump is. A drain hose that has fallen back into standing water is second. The sump filter is third and is an owner clean, and a blocked or failed pump is last.
What you observe
- Standing water above the filter at the end — It never drained rather than drained slowly.
- The sink was plugged or full during the cycle — There was nowhere for the water to go.
- The strainer is packed with scraps — The sink waste is the restriction, not the machine.
- The hose end is lying in the bowl — Submerged, so the pump has nothing to push against.
- NEAR MISS — water on the worktop, tub empty — That is a leak, and a different page.
Causes, most likely first on this class
- Sink plugged, full, or its strainer blocked — First because this machine has no waste of its own and shares a bowl with everything else in the kitchen. A plug left in or a strainer full of scraps defeats a perfectly healthy pump.
- Drain hose fallen back into the bowl — Second, and specific to a machine reconnected every time it is used: the hose ends up wherever there is room, and a submerged end stops the drain completely.
- Sump filter clogged — Third: the tub is small and the filter with it, so a single heavy load can block it. It twists out by hand, which makes it the first thing worth actually touching.
- Pump blocked or failed — Last, and the only real repair. Its tell is a pump that hums or runs with a clear filter, an empty sink and a properly placed hose, and still shifts nothing.
Check in this order, and why
- Empty the sink and clear its strainer — Free, and it is the top cause on this class.
- Clip the hose end over the edge, above the tub — Removes the second cause in seconds.
- Twist out and rinse the sump filter — The likeliest in-machine cause and an owner job.
- Listen at the drain step for a hum — Left until here because it names a jammed pump.
What an owner can safely check
- Empty the sink, remove the plug and clear the strainer — Run the tap to confirm the bowl drains freely.
About 15 min
- Clip the drain hose over the sink edge, above the tub — It must be clear of any standing water.
About 10 min
- Bail the tub, then twist out and rinse the filter — Clear both screens, refit and lock the assembly.
Tools: jug, spongeAbout 25 min
- Run a drain and listen for the pump — Note whether it hums, runs, or does nothing at all.
About 15 min
- STOP HERE if the pump runs with everything clear — Pump work is inside the machine and is a service call.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the machine before reaching into the sump or moving it; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. A countertop machine sits beside a sink and often beside a socket, so dry every surface before plugging back in. Broken glass is common in a blocked sump, so wear gloves and look first. Never run the machine with the filter removed.
When to call a technician
Call when the sink drains freely, the hose is correctly clipped, the filter is clean and the machine still holds its water — the pump is then the answer and it is inside the cabinet. Call a plumber instead if the sink itself is slow. Stop and unplug the machine 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 diameters, pump part identifiers, adapter thread sizes and fault-code meanings, all of which differ between the tap-connected, tank-fill and plumbed families.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
