An LG Washer With a Clogged Drain Filter in Santa Monica

The Little Filter That Keeps a Front-Load Washer Working in Santa Monica

A homeowner in Santa Monica called A+ Appliance Repair and Maintenance to have the filter on their LG front-load washer taken care of. It is a humble part, but the drain filter is one of the most important and most neglected maintenance points on a front-load washer, and servicing it resolves and prevents a whole set of common complaints.

What the drain filter does

On a front-load washer, the drain filter, sometimes called the pump filter or coin trap, sits in the drain path between the tub and the drain pump. Its job is to catch the things that fall out of pockets and off of clothes, coins, hairpins, buttons, lint, hair, and small debris, before they can reach the pump. Without it, that debris would jam the impeller and damage the pump. So the filter is a protective part, taking the hits so the pump does not.

The consequence of doing that job is that the filter fills up over time. Everything it catches accumulates there, and if it is never cleaned or serviced, it eventually clogs. A great many people have owned a front-loader for years and never known this filter exists, let alone cleaned it, which is exactly why it is such a common source of trouble.

What a clogged filter causes

When the drain filter clogs, water can barely get past it, and several familiar symptoms follow. The washer drains slowly or incompletely, so cycles take longer and clothes can come out wetter than they should. In some cases the machine will flag a drain error or stop, because it cannot empty in the time it expects. And a filter full of trapped debris and standing water is a common source of the musty odor front-load washers are known for. All of those trace back to the same neglected filter.

Servicing the filter, cleaning out the accumulated debris and restoring a clear drain path, resolves those issues and prevents the bigger problem of debris reaching and damaging the pump. It is genuinely one of the highest-value maintenance items on a front-loader.

The service

Our technician serviced the filter, clearing it out and restoring a clear drain path. With the filter clean, water could once again move freely through the drain, and our technician confirmed the washer drained properly. Verifying a proper drain is the point of the service, because the whole purpose of the filter is to keep the drain path clear and the pump protected.

Keeping the filter, and the washer, healthy

This is one of the most worthwhile maintenance habits a front-load washer owner can build. Clean the drain filter regularly, typically every few months, though more often if you wash a lot of pet bedding or items that shed. On most LG front-loaders it is behind a small access panel at the lower front of the machine; keep a shallow pan and a towel handy, because water will come out when you open it. Check pockets before washing to keep coins and hardware out of the machine in the first place. And to fight the musty smell that a damp front-loader develops, leave the door open between uses so the interior and the boot can dry, and run an occasional tub-clean cycle. A clean filter and those habits keep a front-loader draining well and smelling fresh.

About A+ Appliance Repair and Maintenance

We service LG, Samsung, Whirlpool, Maytag, GE, Bosch, and every other major washer brand throughout Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, and the surrounding communities. Our technicians are certified and carry common parts, so washer service like this can usually be handled in a single visit.

We quote the price upfront before any work begins, we waive the service call fee when you move forward with the repair, and every completed repair is backed by our full repair warranty. If your front-load washer is draining slowly, leaving clothes wet, throwing a drain error, or smelling musty, servicing the drain filter is often exactly what it needs, and we can take care of it and check the rest of the drain path while we are there.