The short answer
A drum still full at the end of the cycle: on an IPSO washer that is usually a blocked pump or filter, not a failed drain pump motor. Second, and worth checking in the same hour, is a blocked or mis-set standpipe. Work the order below -- cheap causes first, the one that is not an owner fix last.
What you are looking at
- The machine drains slowly, then stops — Each cycle leaves a little more behind.
- The pump runs but nothing moves — You can hear it working with no change in the water level.
- Water returns to the drum after draining — It empties and then refills without filling valves running.
- NEAR MISS -- water on the floor rather than in the drum — That is a leak, and it belongs on the leak page.
Causes, most likely first on this kind of unit
- The pump or its filter is blocked — Coins, hairpins, a sock or a shredded wire from an underwire all end up in the pump. Ranked first on an IPSO commercial machine running cycle after cycle: everything the drum loses ends up here, which makes this the first place to look on any machine.
- The standpipe or sink outlet is blocked or wrong — A standpipe part-blocked with lint, a hose pushed in too far, or a discharge point too low siphons or backs up. Placed here: a blocked or badly placed outlet returns the water the pump just moved.
- The drain hose is kinked or crushed — A hose bent behind the machine, crushed when it was pushed back, or looped too low delivers nothing. This rank, because a kink stops flow as completely as a blockage does.
- The pump motor or its drive circuit — A pump that is silent when it should run, or one that hums without moving water after the impeller is proven free, needs a meter and usually a new pump. It comes last because it is the one cause here that is not an owner repair, so it is last.
Check in this order, and why
- Open the filter and turn the impeller by hand — Power off first; anything wrapped round the impeller is your fault found.
- Test the standpipe with a bucket of water — Pour water down it; a slow drain means the fault is the plumbing, not the machine.
- Only after the filter and hose are proven clear — Silence where the pump should run, with a clear filter and free impeller, is a service call.
What an owner can safely check
- Power off, then open the pump filter into a bowl — Expect water.
Tools: shallow bowl, towelsAbout 25 min
- Pull the machine out and straighten the drain hose — Remove kinks and flattened sections, and check the hose is not pushed too far into the standpipe.
Tools: flashlightAbout 15 min
- Pour a bucket of water down the standpipe or sink outlet — A slow outlet is a plumbing fault, not a machine fault.
Tools: bucketAbout 10 min
- STOP HERE -- the next step needs the cabinet off — Pump replacement and level-switch work are technician jobs on a live circuit.
Before you open anything
Safety
Power off at the plug or breaker and close both taps first.
When to call a technician
Call once the filter, the hoses, the taps and the load itself are ruled out.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page covers the IPSO washer as a class, not one family or model line. Where a family- or model-specific page exists for your unit it is the more specific answer -- go there first if your model is named. Deliberately not here: pump part numbers, filter-access details, standpipe height requirements and panel-removal order, all of which differ by family.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
