A washing machine not filling with water is usually a supply problem you can sort yourself. Check that both taps behind the machine are turned fully on, make sure the inlet hoses are not kinked or crushed where the machine sits against the wall, and clean the small filter screens inside the hose connections, which clog with grit and choke the flow. Confirm the door or lid is properly closed, because the machine will not fill if the interlock does not register it as shut, and check the cycle you have selected actually calls for a fill. If the taps are on, the hoses are clear and the door is closed but no water comes in, the fault is likely the water inlet valve or a control part, and that is a job for a licensed technician.
When a washing machine hums or clicks at the start of a cycle but the drum stays empty, or it throws up a fill-related error, water is not getting through. In most laundries the cause is in the taps and hoses feeding the machine, which means you can often get it running again before anyone needs to open it up.
Check the taps are fully on
Most washing machines connect to one or two taps on the wall behind them, a cold and sometimes a hot. It is surprisingly easy for a tap to get bumped closed, particularly in a tight laundry or after the machine has been moved for cleaning. Reach behind and turn each tap fully anticlockwise to open it completely. Turn the machine off first so it is not calling for water while you work. If your machine uses both hot and cold, check both, because some cycles fill from one and some from the other, and a closed hot tap can leave a warm wash unable to fill.
Look at the inlet hoses
The hoses that carry water from the taps to the machine run in the tight space behind it, and when the machine is pushed back they can kink, twist or get crushed against the wall. Ease the machine forward and follow each hose to check it runs freely with no sharp bends. Inside the connections at both ends there is usually a small mesh filter screen, fitted to stop grit reaching the valve, and these clog over time, especially in areas with sediment in the water. Turn the taps off, unscrew the hose ends, and rinse those little screens clean before refitting them firmly. A blocked inlet screen is one of the most common reasons a machine fills slowly or not at all.
Make sure the door or lid is closed
Washing machines have a safety interlock that stops the cycle unless the door or lid is properly shut, and the fill will not start until it is satisfied. On a front loader, push the door until it clicks firmly. On a top loader, make sure the lid is down and nothing is stopping it seating. If the door appears shut but the machine still behaves as though it is open, the interlock or catch may be worn, which stops the whole cycle including the fill.
Check the cycle and water pressure
Confirm the machine is actually on a cycle that fills at that moment, rather than paused, on a delay timer, or partway through a step that does not add water. It is worth running the kitchen tap too, to confirm the house has normal water pressure, because a mains supply issue or a stopcock left partly closed will starve the washing machine the same as a closed tap behind it. Very low pressure can leave a machine filling so slowly that it times out.
When it is the inlet valve or control
If both taps are fully on, the hoses are clear, the filter screens are clean, the door latches and the pressure is normal, but the machine still will not fill, the fault has moved inside. The usual internal cause is the water inlet valve, an electrically operated valve that opens to let water in and stays shut when it fails. Other causes include the pressure switch that senses the water level, or the control board. These involve mains electricity and water together, so they are not a DIY fix, and it takes proper testing to tell which part has failed.
That is where our team comes in. CAI Appliance Services repairs washing machines across Perth, with fully qualified mobile technicians who come to you. We are an authorised service agent for Bosch, Electrolux, LG and Miele, and we regularly repair Fisher and Paykel, Samsung, Smeg, Westinghouse and Whirlpool units too, so the work is done with the correct parts. Call CAI on 0415 343 413 to book a technician.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my washing machine not filling with water?
Where are the filter screens on the hoses?
My machine has hot and cold taps. Does it matter which is off?
The taps are on and hoses are clear but it still will not fill. What now?
Keeping the rest of your laundry running well? Read our related guides on a washing machine that is not spinning and a washing machine that is leaking, or book a Perth technician with CAI.
