Appliance Repair in 19114 · Far Northeast Philadelphia

When a basement sits below the sewer line, washer water cannot flow out by gravity. Instead it goes into a laundry tub with a small pump underneath, or into a basin with an ejector pump that lifts it to the drain. In other homes, a sump pump handles groundwater, and sometimes the washer drains into that system too.

When the pump slows or fails, the washer seems to be the problem. The tub fills faster than it drains, water backs up onto the floor, or the washer throws a drain error because it cannot push water into a full basin. Lint is the usual culprit; it collects around the pump inlet and float switch, and the pump runs too slowly or not at all.

Check the tub or basin during a drain cycle. If water rises and stays high, the issue is the pump or the line beyond it. Clean the lint from the basin and the float, and add a lint trap to the washer drain hose. If the basin drains well and the washer still will not empty, the washer's own pump or drain hose is likely at fault, and that is where we come in.

During heavy rains, a sump pump that fails can flood the basement and the appliances in it. A battery backup or alarm is worth considering.

Most homes have driveways; tell us if the technician can park there. Clear the area around the washer and the laundry pump or basin. Let us know whether the house has a laundry pump, a sump pump or both.