The short answer
A Aviva ALFW that will not drain is reporting a restriction far more often than a failed pump, and on this family the restriction is usually reachable without tools. This is a heavy, tightly sealed drum behind a door boot, with a drain pump and filter behind the lower panel, a counterweighted suspension and a control that will not proceed until the door is locked. Work from the filter outward to the house drain and you will find it.
What you observe on these models
- Water sits in the tub at the end of the cycle — The defining symptom.
- The pump runs but nothing leaves — A pump that is audible and ineffective has an obstruction or is moving foam instead of water.
- Clothes come out soaking rather than damp — The spin was refused or cut short because the water never left, which is the same fault seen from the other end.
- Water rises in the standpipe instead of going away — That is the house drain, not the machine, and it will affect the sink beside it too.
- NEAR MISS — it drains fine but will not spin — That is a lid-switch or balance fault, which is a different page.
Causes, most likely first on ALFW
- The pump filter or a blockage at the pump — This is the first check and the most common cause. Debris arrives at the filter by design; the design assumes someone empties it. Ranked first on Aviva ALFW because the sealed front door concentrates both water and debris at the bottom of the boot, which makes it the first place to look on nearly every complaint.
- The drain hose — kinked, too high or pushed too far down — A hose crushed behind the machine, lifted above its maximum height, or pushed so far into a standpipe that it siphons, all present as a machine that will not drain properly.
- Too much detergent — Suds defeat a drain pump: the pump moves foam instead of water and reports itself as working while the tub stays full.
- The pump itself — A pump that hums without moving water, or that is silent when it should run, has failed or has an obstructed impeller. Last on this list, and the item that every cause above it can imitate exactly.
Check in this order, and why that order
- Start at the pump — Open the pump filter with a tray underneath before anything else — it is the cheapest check and it explains a large share of what is reported. Expect water; have towels ready.
- Test the standpipe with a bucket of water — If the standpipe backs up on its own, the machine is innocent and the problem is in the house drain.
- Listen for the pump at the drain step — Silence means no supply or a failed pump; a hum with no movement means an obstructed impeller.
- Ask about detergent quantity — Excess foam defeats a pump completely and leaves it apparently running. It is free to test — one cycle with half the usual dose.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the washer or switch off its breaker before removing any panel, and close the tap before touching a fill hose. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off, and the door lock stays engaged for a period after a cycle ends — wait it out rather than forcing the door. Have a shallow tray and towels ready before opening any filter: a full tub empties fast and a wet floor beside a machine you are about to move is how people get hurt.
Models this page covers — the ALFW family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| ALFW2752W | aviva:washer:alfw |
When to call a technician
Call when the filter is clear, the hose is properly routed at the correct height, the standpipe takes a bucket of water freely, and the pump either does not run or hums without result. Call sooner if you find water at the outlet or the machine has tripped protection. On Aviva ALFW the filter and the hose routing between them explain the clear majority of no-drain reports, so do those first whatever else you plan. One more thing that is specific to this family: the ALFW variant table on this page is the whole of what is covered here — a single model number and nothing else. If the plate on your machine is not one of them, the ranking above was not written for it.
Other problems covered for the ALFW family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
