How to Troubleshoot and Repair a Washer With Water Filling Issues

Washers that are encountering filling issues are either not filling with water at all, filling up partially, filling up slowly, filling up when shut off, or filling up excessively. Each of these situations can be attributed to different parts of the washer not functioning properly. Using our repair guides, 3D renderings, and instructional videos can help you determine if your washer is having filling issues because of a user error or a failed part. If you need to replace a part in your washer, we offer step-by-step details for accessing, removing, and installing the part.

Using This Page, You Will be Able to Troubleshoot the Following Symptoms

1. Washer Won't Fill With Water at All
2. Washer Only Partially Fills With Water
3. Washer Agitates Without Filling
4. Washer Fills Slowly
5. Washer Fills When Shut Off
6. Washer Overfills With Water

Inspect These Common Issues First

Be sure to check these common problem areas first to determine whether the issue can be solved through simple maintenance or must be fixed by replacing a part. Is it advisable that you keep your user manual within arm’s reach when you are diagnosing your washer. If you don’t have it, our handy The Fix App lets you digitally access your washer’s manuals just by entering its model number!

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Remember, when troubleshooting any washer symptom, start by unplugging it from the electrical outlet or turning off the breaker. If you have a gas washer, cut off the gas supply.

Washers with digital displays can show error codes that can help you narrow down what issue they are facing. If you own a washer that can do this, refer to your user manual and diagnose your washer accordingly. If the error code indicates a fill error, troubleshoot your washer’s parts by checking out the links below.

If your hot and cold water supplies are off, your washer will not have access to any water and, thus, cannot fill up with any of it. Make sure that the valves are turned all the way on – some handles need to be turned counterclockwise as much as possible, while others must be turned 90 degrees.

Kinks, crimps, or bends in the inlet hose put unnecessary stress on your washer and impede water flow. Reposition the washer’s hoses and, as a rule of thumb, allow 4 inches of space between the wall and the washing machine.

Check the hose connections to your washer and, if they are loose, tighten them back up with pliers.

If the hot and cold water supplies were already on, you may need to check the water pressure using a gauge. Turn the faucets off and remove the other ends of the hoses from the back of the washer and place them in a bucket. Turn the faucets on to check the water pressure. The recommended water pressure ranges between 20 and 116 PSI. If it is too low, your washer may overfill or fill up with water when the washer is not on. This may also be an indication that your plumbing may be clogged or corroded, and that you may need to clean out or replace sections of your pipes.

Many washers do not perform their cycles if their lids/doors are not completely closed and locked. If you have ensured that your washer’s lid/door is closed and the tub does not fill up with water, there is a possibility that your washer’s lid switch has failed. This switch prevents the washer from running when its lid/door is open. When it stops working, your washer’s water inlet valves cannot accept water.

Doing so can cause your washer to overfill. The rule of thumb is that a tub should not be more than three-quarters full. Additionally, avoid cramming your clothes in the tub.

If you notice that the tub retains water hours after a wash cycle is completed, your washer’s water inlet valve solenoid may be clogged. You can test this by turning on the washer and allowing the tub to fill up halfway with water. Afterward, unplug the washer and observe if water continues to flow through the tub. If it does, your washer’s inlet valves are likely defective.

There is a likelihood that your washer’s pressure switch has failed. This switch is responsible for stopping water from entering the tub when it is full. Therefore, a bad switch cannot accurately detect the water level inside the tub and will let your washer overfill.

While this observation is related to water filling issues, the bigger picture is that your washer is likely to not agitate. When your washer is filling and draining at the same time, a common cause is that its drain hose is too low or is the wrong size, and, as a result, is siphoning water out of the tub. Since the tub cannot fill with water, your washer is not be able to spin.

If you have inspected the previous common issues and still find that your washer is not filling up normally, there are a couple of washer parts you would need to investigate. You might have clogged water inlet screens, a failed lid switch or water level pressure switch, or a faulty electronic control board.