The short answer
A Criterion CLTW washer that will not drain is usually obstructed rather than broken. This is a single-model family, so the route is fixed: the water leaves through a filter, a pump and a hose into the house standpipe, and a blockage anywhere along that line leaves a full tub and a cycle that refuses to spin. The pump itself is the last suspect, not the first.
What you observe
- Tub full of water at the end of the cycle — Nothing left the machine: filter, hose or pump.
- Drains very slowly, and washing is soaked at the end — Partial blockage rather than a total one.
- Water drains and then returns to the tub — Siphoning: the hose sits too deep in the standpipe.
- Water backs up out of the standpipe onto the floor — The house drain, not the washer.
- NEAR MISS — drains fine but never spins — That is balance or the interlock; the cycle page covers it.
Causes, most likely first on this family
- Filter or trap blocked — First on this machine and on washers generally: it is designed to catch what would otherwise reach the pump, which means it is designed to fill up.
- Drain hose kinked, crushed or pushed too far into the standpipe — Second, and much more common than a failed pump. A hose pushed deep enough to reach standing water siphons the tub back.
- House standpipe or sink drain restricted — Third, and identified by water backing up outside the machine rather than staying inside it.
- Pump impeller jammed by a hard object — Fourth: coins, wire and shirt stays get past the filter and lock the impeller.
- Pump motor failed — Last, and rarely the first thing to fail on a machine whose filter has never been cleaned.
Check in this order, and why
- Clear the filter or trap first — It is owner-accessible, it is the commonest cause, and every other check is easier once the tub has emptied.
- Straighten the drain hose and check how far it enters the standpipe — Both faults are visible behind the machine and neither needs a tool.
- Pour water down the standpipe with the hose removed — It separates a house-drain problem from a washer problem outright.
- Listen for the pump running with the tub full — Left until last: a pump that runs and moves nothing points at the impeller, and that is service work.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the washer or switch off its breaker before removing any panel; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off, and the motor and its control restart on their own when power returns. Shut the hot and cold taps before opening anything behind the machine, never defeat the lid or door interlock to watch a cycle run, and get a second person before walking a loaded machine out.
Models in the CLTW family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| CLTW44A2BG | criterion:washer:cltw |
When to call a technician
Filter clearing, hose straightening and standpipe testing are owner work — expect water and have towels ready. Call a technician when the pump is silent, when it runs but nothing moves, or when the filter and hose are clear and the tub is still full. Call a plumber instead when water backs up out of the standpipe, because that is the house drain.
Nearest pages of this class
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
