The short answer
A Criterion washer that finishes full is nearly always obstructed somewhere between the drum and the house drain, and the pump itself is the least likely part of that path. On this class the usual cause is the drain pump filter or coin trap packed solid, with the drain hose kinked or crushed behind the machine next to rule out.
What you actually observe
- It drains slowly and finishes with water still standing — Partial drainage is a restriction rather than a failure.
- The drum is still full of water at the end of the cycle — The most literal version of this fault and the one everybody reports.
- NEAR MISS: the machine never filled in the first place — An empty drum at the end of a cycle is a fill problem, not a drain problem.
The causes, most likely first on this brand
- The drain pump filter or coin trap packed solid — A front-loading machine runs everything it drains through a filter behind a small door at the base, and that filter collects coins, hair, grit and tissue until nothing passes. Ranked first on a Criterion unit: these contract-built machines carry a small filter that fills quickly and is rarely opened by owners who were not told it was there.
- The drain hose kinked or crushed behind the machine — A hose flattened between the machine and the wall throttles the pump completely, and it is the easiest fault on this page to create by pushing a machine back into place. Ranked second here: the short drain hose fitted to this brand leaves very little slack behind the machine.
- A blocked or undersized house standpipe — Ranked third here: a machine plumbed into an older standpipe finds its scale within a season.
- Too much detergent, leaving the pump trying to move foam — Ranked fourth here: last, and halving the detergent dose costs nothing to test.
Check in this order, and why this order
- Open the small hatch at the bottom front of the machine and look at the filter — A filter that has not been opened in a year is the answer on this design more often than not.
- Pull the machine forward and follow the drain hose along its whole run — A flat section or a tight bend is visible and it explains everything.
- Watch the standpipe during a drain and see whether it backs up or overflows — Water rising in the standpipe is a house problem rather than an appliance one.
What an owner can safely check
- Put a shallow tray and towels down, open the filter slowly and let the water out in stages — There is more water behind that cap than the tray will hold in one go, so take it a little at a time.
Tools: shallow tray, towelsAbout 30 min
- Straighten the hose and leave a gentle loop so pushing the machine back does not crush it again — Secure the hose so it cannot fall behind the machine when it moves.
Tools: torchAbout 20 min
- STOP HERE if the next step needs a meter on live terminals or a panel off — That is where an owner check ends and a service call begins.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the machine or switch off its breaker before opening a pump filter or reaching into a pump housing, because the impeller can turn under power and its edges are sharp. There is more water behind a filter cap than most trays will hold, so release it in stages with towels down. Never defeat a lid or door interlock to force a drain.
When to call a technician
Call once the filter, the hose and the standpipe are all clear and the drum still holds water, because a failed pump or a blocked internal sump needs the machine opened. Call sooner if the machine trips its breaker while trying to drain, since a stalled pump draws heavily. Bear in mind when you decide that this is a retailer house brand built by a contract manufacturer, so parts come through the retailer rather than from a brand service network.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page covers the Criterion washer as a class, not one family or model line. Filter locations, pump types and hose specifications all change from build to build and are deliberately not here. Where a family or model page exists for your machine, it is the more specific answer and the one to read first.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
