Maintenance procedure · Written to ASD-STE100 Issue 9 · Formatted to ANSI Z535

Washing Machine Drain Pump Filter Cleaning

Front-load washing machines with an access panel at the lower front — draining, filter removal and cleaning
ApplicabilityFront-load washing machines with a drain pump filter behind an access panel at the lower front
Task time17 min to 20 min editorial estimate, not a measurement
PersonnelOne
Revisionv1 · 2026-07-29
BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Before you begin. This procedure is general reference information, not professional advice. Equipment varies by manufacturer, model, and year. Always follow the documentation supplied with your equipment — where it differs from this page, follow the manufacturer. Verify that you have the tools, the working conditions, and the ability to do this task safely. If anything is unclear, if the equipment is damaged, or if the task exceeds your experience, stop and use a qualified professional. You are responsible for your own safety and for the outcome. This site accepts no liability for any loss, damage, or injury arising from the use of this information.

Specifications marked unverified could not be traced to a manufacturer source. Do not rely on them — obtain the value from your equipment documentation.

Summary

Almost every front-load washing machine has a filter in front of the drain pump, behind a small panel at the bottom of the machine. It catches the coins, hair clips, buttons and underwire that come out of pockets, along with a surprising quantity of lint. Most owners never open it, and the first they hear of it is a machine that will not drain, a drain error code, or a smell that will not shift.

The job itself is easy and needs no tools. The part people get wrong is the water: there is more of it behind that panel than anyone expects, and it arrives on the kitchen floor if you unscrew the filter before you drain the hose. This page puts the draining first for that reason. It does not print a single cleaning interval or a single release direction, because the two manufacturers checked here disagree about the first and models differ on the second.

Necessary equipment

ItemNote
Flat containerA flat tray is low enough to go below the filter.
TowelsMore water comes out than you expect.
Soft brushFor the mesh of the filter.
Flashlight optionalThe opening for the filter is a dark space.
Flat tool optionalOnly if the access panel needs a lever to open.

Prepare the washing machine

Estimated 2 min

NOTEDisconnect the electrical supply first. Put the towels and the container in position before you open the panel.
  1. Set the washing machine to OFF.
    <1m
WARNING

DISCONNECT THE WASHING MACHINE FROM THE ELECTRICAL SUPPLY BEFORE YOU OPEN THE PANEL.
Contact with the supply can give you an electric shock.

  1. Disconnect the washing machine from the electrical supply.
    • Remove the plug from the wall outlet.
    <1m
  2. Make sure that the drum is empty.
    <1m
  3. Make sure that no water stays in the drum.
    • A program that stops early leaves water in the drum.
    • Let the water become cool before you continue.
    <1m
NOTICE

PUT A FLAT CONTAINER AND A TOWEL BELOW THE FILTER BEFORE YOU OPEN IT.
Water flows out of the filter and onto the floor.

  1. Put a towel on the floor below the filter.
    <1m
  2. Put a flat container on the towel.
    • A flat tray holds more water than a deep bowl.
    <1m

Get access to the drain pump filter

Estimated 2 min

  1. Find the access panel at the lower front of the washing machine.
    1m
  2. Open the access panel.
    • Some models have a drawer in front of the filter.
    • Some models have the panel on the right side.
    • Some panels need a flat tool as a lever.
    <1m
  3. Find the drain hose and the drain pump filter.
    • The drain hose is a short hose with a plug in its end.
    • Some models have no drain hose behind the panel.
    <1m

Drain the water

Estimated 4 min to 7 min

  1. Release the drain hose from its clip.
    • Do not pull the drain hose out of the machine.
    • A hose with a bend does not drain.
    <1m
  2. Hold the end of the drain hose above the container.
    <1m
WARNING

MAKE SURE THAT THE WATER IN THE DRUM IS COOL BEFORE YOU OPEN THE FILTER.
Water from a recent program can burn your skin.

  1. Remove the plug from the drain hose.
    <1m
  2. Let the water flow into the container.
    • Install the plug again if the container becomes full.
    • Empty the container. Then remove the plug again.
    2m
  3. Install the plug in the drain hose.
    <1m
  4. Put the drain hose in its clip.
    <1m

Clean the drain pump filter

Estimated 5 min

Drain pump filter release direction
Unverified — do not rely on this value
CONSULT THE MANUFACTURER DOCUMENTATION FOR THE RELEASE DIRECTION

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

Drain pump filter cleaning interval
Unverified — do not rely on this value
CONSULT THE MANUFACTURER DOCUMENTATION

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

Two tier-1 manufacturer sources give different intervals for the same task. LG (lg-washer-drain-pump-filter, accessed 2026-07-29) recommends cleaning the drain pump filter monthly. Whirlpool (whirlpool-frontload-pump-filter, accessed 2026-07-29) says every few months or as needed, depending on usage and the amount of lint or debris accumulated. This page does not average them and does not choose between them. Use the interval in the documentation for your own machine, and clean it immediately if the machine drains slowly or reports a drain fault.
  1. Turn the drain pump filter slowly to release it.
    • LG and Whirlpool give a counterclockwise turn for their front-load machines.
    • The manufacturer documentation gives the direction for your model.
    • Some water flows out as the filter becomes loose.
    <1m
  2. Remove the drain pump filter.
    <1m
WARNING

EXAMINE THE FILTER BEFORE YOU PUT YOUR HAND INTO IT.
Sharp items collect in the filter. These can cut your hand.

  1. Remove the lint and the objects from the filter.
    • Coins, buttons and hair clips collect in the filter.
    • Pins and metal parts from clothes also collect there.
    1m
  2. Clean the filter under water.
    1m
  3. Clean the mesh of the filter with a soft brush.
    1m
  4. Clean the opening for the filter with a cloth.
    • Do not put your hand deep into the opening.
    <1m

Install the drain pump filter

Estimated 2 min

  1. Put the drain pump filter into its opening.
    <1m
NOTICE

MAKE SURE THAT THE FILTER IS FULLY IN ITS POSITION BEFORE YOU START A PROGRAM.
A loose filter can let water onto the floor.

  1. Turn the drain pump filter until it stops.
    • The lock direction is the opposite of the release direction.
    • Whirlpool gives a vertical position for the handle of the filter.
    <1m
  2. Make sure that the filter is fully in its position.
    <1m
  3. Close the access panel.
    <1m

After the job

Estimated 3 min

  1. Connect the washing machine to the electrical supply.
    <1m
  2. Set the washing machine to a rinse program.
    <1m
  3. Start the program.
    <1m
  4. Examine the floor below the access panel for water.
    • Water on the floor shows that the filter is loose.
    2m
  5. Record the date.
    <1m

Terminology

This page uses one term for each item and holds it throughout, as ASD-STE100 requires. Equipment sellers and other guides use the names below for the same parts.

drain pump filter
Also called: drain filter, pump filter, debris filter, coin trap, lint filter, drain trap, the filter at the bottom, washer filter
access panel
Also called: kick panel, bottom panel, lower front panel, toe panel, little door at the bottom
drain hose
Also called: drain tube, emergency drain hose, the little hose, drain spout
front-load washing machine
Also called: front loader, front-loading washer, washing machine, washer, front load washer

When to use a professional

Stop if the washing machine has no access panel at the lower front. A top-load machine usually has no drain pump filter. The documentation for your model tells you which type you have.

Stop if water comes from the machine while no program runs. Stop if the filter or its opening has damage. Speak to an appliance technician.

Stop if the machine reports a drain fault after this procedure. A blockage in the drain hose or in the pump is not part of this procedure. Do not open the cabinet of the machine.

Common questions

How often should I clean the drain filter on my washing machine?

The two manufacturer sources this page rests on disagree, so both are printed rather than averaged. LG recommends cleaning the drain pump filter monthly. Whirlpool says every few months, or as needed depending on how much lint and debris builds up. Follow your own manual, and clean it straight away if the machine starts draining slowly or throws a drain error.

Which way does the drain filter unscrew?

LG and Whirlpool both describe a counterclockwise turn to release the filter on their front-load machines, and clockwise to lock it again. That is not a universal rule across every brand and model, which is why this page tells you to check your own documentation rather than printing one direction as fact. Turn it slowly either way: the filter should start to weep water before it comes free, and that is your cue that it is releasing.

Why did so much water come out when I opened the filter?

Because the filter sits below the level of the drum and the sump holds water permanently. That is normal, not a fault. Draining through the small hose first, into a flat tray, gets most of it out under control. If your model has no drain hose behind the panel, expect all of it to arrive at once and lay down more towels than you think you need.

My top-loading washer doesn't have one. Is that normal?

Yes. The accessible drain pump filter is essentially a front-load and washer-dryer-combo feature. LG says so explicitly for its own range. Most top-loaders handle debris differently and have no user-serviceable filter at the front.

What actually collects in there?

Lint above all, but also coins, buttons, hair clips, small toys, and the underwire from bras, which is the one that most often jams a pump. Anything small enough to leave a pocket and heavy enough to sink ends up in the filter housing. That is exactly what it is for.

My washing machine won't drain. Will cleaning this fix it?

Often, yes: a filter packed with lint is one of the most common causes of a machine that fills but will not empty. If the filter was clear, or the fault comes back quickly, the blockage is further along in the drain hose or the pump itself. That is where this page stops and an appliance technician starts.

Sources

Every specification on this page is traced to one of these sources. Tier 1 is a manufacturer document, a published standard, or a government safety authority. See Standards for the full tiering rule.

  1. Tier 1LG Washer — How to Clean the Drain Pump FilterLG Electronics U.S.A. · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25
  2. Tier 1Cleaning the Pump Filter — Front Load WasherWhirlpool Corporation · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25

Revision history

Current version 1 · updated 2026-07-29 · next review due 2027-07-29

  1. v1 · 2026-07-29First draft. Sourced to LG and Whirlpool front-load service documentation. Release direction and cleaning interval both publish as consult-the-manufacturer: models differ on the first and the two sources disagree on the second.

Corrections to this page are listed in the public corrections log. Reports that are credible and not yet verified are listed in the public errata register, and an open one renders above the step it concerns.

Comments and corrections

Found an error? A correction with a manufacturer source is applied and logged publicly. You can also write to corrections@fixchecklist.com.

Every step above carries its own report control, which tags the report with that step so a correction reaches the right place. For anything about the procedure as a whole — the order of the sections, a step that is missing, something that did not match your equipment — use this: report something about this whole procedure.

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