Help! Washer just died while full of water & laundry - what do I do?

[songsparrow]

Any help greatly appreciated!  My washing machine was running a load, and when it went to drain the rinse water, instead of draining it is just making a loud buzzing noise and no water is being pumped out.  

 

Lots of websites say that it might be a clogged drain, and to empty the washer manually.  They say to lower the drain pipe and when it gets below the level of the water in the washer, it should drain right out.

 

However, my washer is in a finished room and there is no floor drain to drain it to.  

 

Any suggestions for the best way to manage this?  

[ElizabethB]

Is there a sink in the room?

[ElizabethB]

OK, I have to go, if there is a sink you can run a hose directly there, otherwise several buckets, line them up ahead of time and have everyone help dump them and move the hose.

 

http://m.wikihow.com/Siphon-Water

[songsparrow]

Sorry I didn't reply sooner, I had to pick up kids. There is no sink in the room. I do have a shop vac available, maybe I can use that.

[ElizabethB]

If the kitchen or bathroom sink or outside is close enough, you can run a long garden hose there and then siphon. I would have someone man each end of the hose.

[bagel270]

Try unplugging it, and plugging it back in first.

[Tammyla]

A few things to try before you manually drain it.

 

*Do try unplugging it.

*Try another spin cycle.

*Make sure it connects; many have a male/female style connection that can be broken off.  If it is broken, try using  the eraser end of a pencil to make the connection and it will empty.  Replacement part on this is cheap and an easy fix.

*If you have to drain it, you can remove the laundry and then use your shop vac or any scoop method.

 

 

I hope you are able to get it going.

[songsparrow]

Thanks for the recommendations!  I got the towels out of the washer, wrung out, and into the dryer and am working on bailing the washer out.  I did try all of the suggestions for unplugging, etc.

After some Googling, I think that the problem is either the drain hose is clogged, or more likely the drain pump needs to be replaced.  I've ordered a replacement pump from RepairClinic.com for $40 and they have a video that makes it look fairly simple to replace it.  Although I am more than a bit intimidated, I am going to give it a try.  I can return the pump if it doesn't work.  If it does work, it saves me a $100 house call + parts/labor to have a repair person replace the pump, or it saves me buying a new washer, so I think it's worth the attempt.  

 

 

[hellen]

This happenned to us recently. The squarish plastic ties that are found on store bread had become wedged in the pipe just before the drain pump.

 

I hope you can get your machine fixed easily.

[Incognito]

We had this happen a couple of times on our former front loader (we moved - didn't get rid of it) and it was a loose connection.  We could take off the top and disconnect/reconnect a little wire thing with a plastic clip part (where it connects).  Free fix.