How to Replace a Washing Machine Drain Pump Motor (with Video!)

Welcome to this article if your washing machine isn’t draining and you’ve narrowed down the many culprits to the pump and motor assembly. A part like that going bad may feel like it way be time to replace the whole appliance, but there is still hope! You can save yourself a lot of stress and a ton of cash by purchasing a new, compatible pump — AppliancePartsPros.com will probably have the one you need — and we can help you install it yourself. There are a number of steps but that doesn’t mean this repair is particularly difficult. Don’t worry, we’ll walk you through it! Follow this step-by-step guide to replace a washing machine drain pump motor, your washer will be back to finishing up its spin cycle in about an hour!

Tools Needed to Replace a Washing Machine Drain Pump Motor

You’re going to need to disassemble much of the washing machine for this job, but it doesn’t actually require that many tools. Here’s what you should have on hand:

1. Replacement Washer Drain Pump Motor: We make it easy to find the perfect replacement for your washing machine. Access the Replacement Washer Drain Pump Motors on AppliancePartsPros.com and search by your specific washer model model.
2. Screwdrivers: one Phillips head, one flathead.
   
3. A pair of pliers.
   
4. A pair of vice grip locking pliers.
   
5. A bucket, large bowl, or other receptacle to hold drained water.
   
6. A pair of work gloves

How to Replace a Washing Machine Drain Pump Motor

1. Disconnect the washer from both power and water. Before starting any repairs, ensure that the washing machine is completely disconnected from its power source, either by unplugging the appliance from the wall or flipping the corresponding breaker in your home’s circuit box. It is vitally important that you never complete maintenance on an appliance while it is connected to power. When unplugging it, be sure to keep the plug itself up and off the ground to avoid it getting wet! You can tape it to the side of the washer with a masking or painter’s tape.
   
   For this job, you will also want to turn off the appliance’s hot and cold water supply. Check for a couple of hoses leading to color-coded valves — red for hot, blue for cold — and turn both valves into the off position. This should be sufficient to disconnect the water.

2. Drain the washer tub. Some washers will automatically drain after being unplugged for around five to ten minutes, so it’s not a bad idea to let the appliance sit for a bit before moving on if it’s still full of water. Otherwise, you’ll need to either bail out the tub or manually drain it with the emergency drain hose.

3. Pull the washing machine away from the wall. You are going to need access to the back of the washer, so a few feet should be sufficient.

4. Take the top off of the washing machine. On the back of the washer, there should be two brackets securing the top to the body. Unscrew the lower screw on each bracket to free up the top, then pull it back and up. The top could get caught on a couple of stoppers if you pull it back too far, so try only pulling it back an inch and a half or so to start.

5. Remove the front control panel. Start by removing the detergent drawer completely if your washer has one. There should be a button or tab in the back of the drawer that you can press to release the drawer and pull it all the way out. Set this aside and remove the mounting screws securing the panel. On the model featured in our repair video, these screws are found in the same compartment as the detergent drawer.
   
   The control panel is still held in place by tabs that go along the length of its back edge. If you weren’t wearing work gloves before, you should put them on now to reduce the risk of pinching your fingers! You’ll want to work each tab out of its slot and pull the control panel away from the appliance. It will still be attached by a bundle of wires. You can either unplug them to get the control panel completely out of the way (this is recommended), or set the panel on top of the washer, leaving it plugged in.

6. Continue disassembly by removing the door gasket clamp. You can access the gasket by opening the washing machine door. The rubber seal around the opening of the washer is the gasket, and it is held in place by a metal clamp — a round metal wire secured by a spring.
   
   To remove the gasket from the washing machine, you’ll want to first remove the clamp. Locate the spring — it should be on the bottom of the gasket — and use a flat head screwdriver to gently pull it away from the gasket. Slide the screwdriver in from the top of the spring to avoid damaging the gasket and carefully work the spring and the attached clamp out of the groove it’s snapped into to remove it. Once you’ve taken care of the clamp, the gasket should be easy to push back and away to access the interior of the washer.

7. Disconnect the wire harness from the door switch. With the gasket pushed back away from the washing machine’s front panel, you can reach into the machine to find the door switch. This will be right behind the latch on the inside of the front panel. To unplug it, find the release tab on the wire harness, press it, and pull the wires away from the switch. Once that’s done, close the washer door.

8. Make your life a little easier by setting up the drain hose. At this point, even if you’re working with a washing machine that isn’t obviously full of water, it’s still a good idea to set the drain hose up with a bucket or other receptacle. The drain hose won’t get rid of all the water still sitting in the pump or elsewhere in the appliance, but using it will go a long way toward saving you from an unexpected mess.
   
   The drain hose is accessed from a panel on the front of the washing machine, usually toward the bottom. You can pry the panel off with a flathead screwdriver, but be mindful that you don’t scrape the metal when you do. Once the panel’s off, make sure to have whatever bucket, bowl, or other receptacle in place beneath it before removing the hose, unplugging it and setting it in the bucket to collect excess water.

9. Remove the front panel to fully gain access to the interior of the washing machine. Still working from that access panel where the hose is, there should be a mounting screw holding the access panel’s back cover in place. Remove that, which will give you access to another screw. This is one of the mounting screws holding the front panel on, so remove that, and then move up to the top of the front panel to find the rest of the mounting hardware.
   
   Remove these last screws at the top, making sure that you’re propping the front panel up into place with your body as you remove the final screw. Once this last screw is out, there won’t be anything holding the panel in place and it may fall off immediately. You can pull the panel back and slightly up to remove it completely.

10. Remove the hoses from the pump and motor assembly. With the front panel completely removed, you should have access to the pump. Your next step is to remove the hoses from the assembly, but first, be sure to set a towel down beneath them to catch any excess water that might spill out.
    
    If any of the hoses are clamped in place — and they probably will be — you’ll need a pair of pliers to pull the clamps back before removing them. The hoses will likely be different colors and sizes, but be sure to keep track of which one goes where before removing.

11. Remove the pump and motor assembly, itself. Remove the two mounting screws holding it in place, and then reach around behind to check for a release tab. Press this to free the assembly and push back to dislodge it from where it’s installed. Be mindful of the wires and drain hose attached to the assembly as you move.
    
    Next, disconnect the wires attached to the pump and motor, making note of which wire goes where. There should be four total, two on each side. It’s not a bad idea to take a picture with your phone before doing this so that you can reference it later. With the wires disconnected, you can completely remove the assembly from the appliance!

12. Replace the pump. The old pump will be attached to the assembly by a few mounting screws and should be easy to remove once those are unscrewed. Once it’s off, grip the pump to pull it out of the plastic cover. You can slide the new pump back into the cover and attach it to the assembly.

13. Reinstall the pump and motor assembly. Make sure the emergency drain hose is threaded through correctly, and be mindful that each wire is plugged back into the correct location. Then, snap it back into place on the base of the washer. You’ll hear a click when it’s set. Finally, reattach the mounting screws to ensure the assembly is secure.

14. Reassemble the washing machine. Finally! You’re almost there. Now you just need to repeat all those steps you just did in reverse. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to do:
    1. Reattach each of the hoses, making sure the clamps are securely back in place.

    2. Recap the drain hose.

    3. Put the front panel back onto the washer. Make sure it’s resting on the tabs along the bottom of the washer so that it sits properly, then screw it into place. There should be four mounting screws at the top and one mounting screw near the bottom at the access panel.

    4. Put the drain assembly back into place. You’ll want to pull the drain hose out so it’s easier to thread through the appropriate opening, then snap the assembly cover into place before reattaching the appropriate mounting screw. Replace the drain hose in its holding clip, then snap the access panel back into place.

    5. Reattach the washer door switch’s wires.

    6. Replace the gasket and secure it. Press the gasket into place all the way around to ensure it’s seated correctly before reinstalling the spring clamp. Tuck the spring clamp in at least most of the way around, and then use a pair of vice grips to carefully secure the spring and clamp the rest of the way by pulling the spring taut and setting it into place.

    7. Reattach the front control panel, making sure that it is snapped into the tabs along the back before securing it with screws. Once it’s secure, reattach the wires and then slide the detergent drawer back into place.

    8. Replace the top of the washer, making sure it is properly lined up as you slide it into place. Don’t forget to secure the mounting screws!

15. Plug the washing machine back in and turn the water valves back on. You’ve completed this repair! We recommend that you run an empty test wash to ensure that everything is in working order.

Wrapping Up

That’s it! By following our step-by-step guide, you should now have a washing machine in working order. When the washing is done, think of us for all your future repair questions. Whether you’re just looking for parts or seeking a specialized do-it-yourself guide, check out AppliancePartsPros.com. We’re always here to help!