Your Washing Machine is Making a Clicking Sound: How to Check for a Blocked Drain Pump

That rhythmic, annoying clicking sound coming from your washing machine is more than just a minor irritation. When it happens during the drain cycle, it’s your washer’s cry for help. More often than not, this sound—often paired with a puddle of water that refuses to drain—points directly to a blocked drain pump.

The good news? This is one of the most common washing machine issues, and it’s a repair you can absolutely tackle yourself. Forget the costly service call! With a little patience and this guide, you can silence that click and get your laundry routine back on track.

Table of contents

Safety First: Protect Yourself and Your Appliance

Before you even think about opening up your machine, let’s go over the essential safety precautions. Your safety is non-negotiable.

• Unplug the Machine: This is the most critical step. Disconnect the washing machine from the power outlet completely.
• Turn Off the Water: Shut off the hot and cold water supply valves, which are typically located on the wall behind the washer.
• Wear Protective Gloves: You might encounter sharp objects or grimy buildup. A good pair of work gloves is a must.
• Prepare for Water: Have a shallow pan, a bucket, and plenty of old towels ready. Even after a cycle, there’s always leftover water in the system.

Understanding the Click: What is a Drain Pump?

So, what’s causing that racket? Inside your washing machine is a small but mighty component called the drain pump. Its job is simple: to forcefully pump water out of the drum and down the drain hose.

The pump uses a small motor to spin a propeller, called an impeller. The clicking sound you’re hearing is usually a foreign object—like a coin, button, screw, or even a rogue bra underwire—that has made its way from the drum into the pump housing. The motor tries to spin the impeller, but it keeps hitting the object, creating that distinct clicking or grinding noise.

Tools and Parts You’ll Need

You won’t need a professional’s toolkit for this job. Most of what you need is probably already in your garage or utility drawer.

Tools

• Bucket and/or a shallow pan
• Old towels
• Pliers (channel-lock or slip-joint)
• Nut driver or screwdriver (Phillips and/or flat-head, depending on your model)
• Work gloves

Potential Parts

• New Drain Pump Assembly: In most cases, you’ll just be removing a blockage. However, if the impeller is broken or the pump motor has burned out from the strain, you may need a replacement. It’s a good idea to have your washer’s model number handy just in case.

Step-by-Step: Finding and Clearing the Blockage

Ready to dive in? Let’s get that pump cleared out.

Step 1: Drain the Machine Manually

First, you need to get rid of the water still in the drum.

1. Place your shallow pan and towels right in front of the washer.
2. If your machine has a small access door on the front bottom corner, open it. You should see a small drain hose and a large round cap (the pump filter).
3. Carefully unclip the small drain hose, point it into the pan, and pull out the plug to let the water flow out. It can be slow, so be patient.
4. If you don’t have this feature, you’ll need to unscrew the main drain hose from the back of the machine, lower it into a bucket, and let gravity drain the water.

Step 2: Access the Drain Pump

The pump is almost always at the bottom of the machine.

• For most front-loaders: The pump is behind the small access panel at the bottom-front of the unit. If there’s no small door, you may need to remove the entire front panel, which is typically held on by screws at the bottom or behind the soap dispenser.
• For most top-loaders: You’ll likely need to tilt the machine back and prop it securely against a wall, or lay it down on its front (on a protective blanket) to access the components from the bottom.

Step 3: Clean the Drain Pump Filter

This is where you’ll find the vast majority of blockages.

1. With your towels and pan in place, locate the large, round filter cap.
2. Slowly twist it counter-clockwise. More water will spill out as you loosen it, so go slow.
3. Once removed, inspect the filter. Pull out any coins, lint, hair, buttons, or other gunk you find. Clean the filter thoroughly with an old brush and water.
4. Shine a light into the housing where you removed the filter. You might see the object of your troubles right there.

Step 4: Check the Impeller

If the filter was clear, the object is likely stuck by the impeller.

1. WITH THE MACHINE UNPLUGGED, carefully reach into the pump housing. You should be able to feel the small plastic impeller.
2. Gently try to turn it with your finger. It should spin with a little magnetic resistance, moving in small “clicks” as it turns.
3. If it’s stuck or hard to turn, you’ve found your problem! Use your fingers or needle-nose pliers to feel around and carefully extract the foreign object. It’s amazing what you can find in there!

Step 5: Check the Hoses

If you still haven’t found anything, check the hoses connected to the pump.

1. Use your pliers to squeeze the spring clamps on the black, ribbed hoses attached to the pump body.
2. Slide the clamps down the hose and carefully pull the hoses off the pump. Be ready for more water!
3. Inspect the hoses and the pump ports for any hidden blockages.

Putting It All Back Together

Once you’re confident you’ve cleared the blockage, it’s time to reassemble.

1. Re-attach any hoses you removed and secure the clamps.
2. Screw the drain pump filter back in, making sure it’s very tight to prevent leaks.
3. Re-install any access panels you removed.
4. Set the machine upright, reconnect the main drain hose, and turn the water supply back on.
5. Plug the washer back into the wall outlet.

Before you throw in a full load, run a short “Rinse & Spin” or “Drain” cycle. Watch closely for any leaks from the pump area. If all is dry and the cycle completes quietly, congratulations!

Conclusion: You Did It!

You just saved yourself a hundred-dollar bill (or more!) and fixed your appliance like a pro. That clicking noise is a common annoyance, but as you’ve just seen, the cause is usually a simple foreign object that you can easily remove.

If you’ve cleaned the pump and the clicking or draining issue persists, the pump motor itself may have failed. At that point, you can decide if you’re up for replacing the entire pump assembly or if it’s time to call in a professional.

What did you find in your drain pump? Share your treasure-hunting stories in the comments below