A clogged drain.
If water still backs up, the clog is deep in your plumbing. Feed a 25-foot drum auger into the standpipe. Crank slowly until you feel resistance. That’s the sludge plug. Break it, retract, and run a rinse cycle to test. The One Thing You Should Never Do Do not pour liquid drain cleaner (Drano, Liquid-Plumr) into a washing machine drain. washing machine drain clogged
You hear it from the laundry room: the washing machine isn’t singing its usual end-of-cycle jingle. Instead, it’s making a thump-thump-thump sound, followed by a desperate, watery gasp. You open the lid to find your clothes sitting in a murky, soapy swamp. A clogged drain
Don’t run the pump with a full tub; you’ll burn out the motor. Use a bucket or a wet/dry vacuum to remove the standing water from the drum. Crank slowly until you feel resistance
If the filter is clean but the water still drains slowly, pour one gallon of boiling water (carefully!) mixed with one cup of white vinegar directly down the standpipe. Wait 10 minutes. The heat and acid dissolve soap scum.