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A washer that finishes with water still in the drum has lost its drain path, and the drain path is short: filter, hose, pump, standpipe — in that order of likelihood and in that order of effort. The reason a blocked drain filter or pump trap heads the ranking on a Criterion is simple: a value-tier build puts the cheap wearing parts — filters, hoses, seals, screens — in the path of everything the machine does, so they are where the fault usually is. The filter, the hose route and the standpipe are owner work; a pump that is jammed on something you cannot reach is not.
Signs that fit this page
- The machine stops mid-cycle and will not spin — Most controls refuse to spin on a full drum, so a drain fault presents as a spin fault.
- The pump runs and runs with nothing leaving the hose — A running pump moving no water is a blockage rather than a dead pump.
- Water drains very slowly or gurgles back into the drum — A partial restriction, or a drain hose pushed too far into the standpipe.
- NEAR MISS — Clothes come out soaked but the drum is empty — That is a spin fault — the water left, the load did not get wrung.
Why it happens, in order
- A blocked drain filter or pump trap — Most likely here: a value-tier build puts the cheap wearing parts — filters, hoses, seals, screens — in the path of everything the machine does, so they are where the fault usually is. Coins, hair grips, lint and a surprising amount of grit collect in the trap; it fills gradually until the pump can no longer draw through it.
- A blocked standpipe or house drain — Second on the list: If the standpipe backs up, the machine empties into a pipe that is already full and the water returns; this often shows up alongside a slow sink nearby.
- A kinked, crushed or badly routed drain hose — Third on the list, and the least likely: A hose trapped behind the cabinet, looped too low, or pushed too deep into the standpipe stops the machine emptying without anything inside failing. A store-brand unit is usually carried home and set up by the owner rather than by a delivery crew, and setup errors survive for years.
What to check first, second, third
- Open the filter flap at the bottom front and look — Most front-loaders have an access flap; what comes out of it answers the question immediately. It goes first because it is the cheapest thing to rule out and it decides which half of this list you are in.
- Watch the standpipe while the machine pumps out — Water rising at the standpipe is a house drain problem rather than an appliance problem.
- Pull the machine out and follow the drain hose by hand — A kink behind the cabinet is the single most common cause after the filter, and it costs nothing to find.
The checks you can do yourself
- Drain the machine through the filter hose, then remove and clean the filter — Put a shallow tray and towels down first — the drum holds more water than the tray does.
Tools: shallow tray, towelsAbout 25 min
- Clear the standpipe and check whether other drains nearby run slowly too — A shared branch tells you the blockage is beyond the machine and a plumber is the right call.
Tools: torchAbout 20 min
- Stop here if the next move needs a meter on live terminals — That is where an owner check ends and a service call begins.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Close the taps before any hose comes off, and never bypass a door or lid switch to run the machine open.
Where an owner fix ends
Call when the filter is clean, the hose is unkinked and the standpipe is clear and water still sits in the drum — beyond that the pump, the pressure system and the control need a meter and an opened cabinet.
Related pages for this appliance
What is deliberately not here
This page covers Criterion washers as a class, not one family or model line. Nothing more specific exists to send you to at the moment; a model-level page, once written, is linked here and is the better answer. Deliberately not here: wiring colours, resistance values, torque figures and part numbers, which differ between families.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
