Washing machine won’t fill with water

Washing Machine Won’t Fill With Water? Here’s How to Fix It

When you start a load of laundry, you expect to hear the familiar sound of water filling the drum. But if your washing machine won’t fill with water, leaving your clothes dry and untouched, something is clearly wrong.

This problem can be caused by a clogged water inlet valve, a kinked hose, a malfunctioning pressure switch, or even an issue with your home’s water supply. The good news is that most of these issues can be repaired and fixed without much hassle.

At Just Call Appliance Repair, we specialize in washing machine water supply repair in Charlotte, Concord, Matthews, Huntersville, and surrounding areas. If your washer isn’t filling with water, this guide will help you identify and fix the issue quickly.

Why Is My Washer Not Filling With Water?

Don’t jump to conclusions yet; checking a few important areas controlling water entry into your washing machine is worth attempting first. The most common reasons for this issue and how you can fix them are listed below.

1. Faulty or Clogged Water Inlet Valve

The water inlet valve controls the volume of water entering the washer. If it gets clogged with trash or malfunctioning, your washing machine won’t fill up or fill at all.

Signs of a clogged or faulty inlet valve:

  • Water won’t enter the washer, or the water is slow.
  • The washer balances or fills only with hot or cold water but not both.
  • You hear the humming noise, but there is no water entering.
How to fix it:
  • Unhook the washer and turn off the water supply.
  • Drain the hoses from the rear of the washer and check the screens on the inlet valve for blockage.
  • Clean the screens with a toothbrush and warm water.
  • If the valve still continues to malfunction, it will need replacement.

2. Kinked, Clogged, or Leaking Water Hoses

If the hoses supplying water to your washer are kinked, clogged, or leaking, your washing machine won’t fill properly.

Signs of hose issues:

  • No water entering the washer, or water trickling in slowly.
  • Visible kinks in the hose when you inspect the back of the washer.
  • Leaks near the hose connections.
How to fix it:
  • Check that both hot and cold water supply valves are fully open.
  • Inspect the hoses for kinks or bends, straighten them if needed.
  • Remove the hoses and flush them with water to check for blockages.
  • If the hoses are cracked or damaged, replace them with new ones.

3. Faulty Water Level Pressure Switch

The pressure switch tells your washer how much water to fill. If it’s not working correctly, the washer may think it’s already full, preventing more water from coming in.

Signs of a faulty pressure switch:

  • The washer doesn’t fill at all, or stops filling too soon.
  • The cycle starts but never advances beyond the filling stage.
  • No error code appears, but the machine acts as if it’s already full.
How to fix it:
  • Unplug the washer and locate the pressure switch, usually behind the control panel.
  • Remove the air hose attached to it and blow through it, if it’s clogged, clear it.
  • Test the switch with a multimeter for continuity, if faulty, replace it.

4. Low Water Pressure in Your Home

Sometimes the problem isn’t with the washer, it’s with your house water supply. If your house has low water pressure, the washer won’t be able to suck in enough water to fill up.

Signs of low water pressure:

  • Your house faucets are slow or irregular to run too.
  • The washer fills slowly or gets shut off in the middle.
  • Other appliances like dishwashers need fixing and water dispensers in refrigerators also fail to function.
Solution:
  • Turn off all the other water-using appliances and try to fill the washer.
  • Call your water company to find out if there is a supply issue.
  • If the pressure remains low, a plumber will need to inspect your water lines..

washing machine water inlet valve repair

5. Defective Washer Control Board or Timer

The control board or timer sends the signal for the water inlet valve to open and begin filling. When the board is faulty, the washer never gets the signals to allow water to enter.

Symptoms of a defective control board:

  • Washer will not fill with water even when hoses and valves are working.
  • Other washer operations (spinning or draining) are irregular.
  • The machine starts but stops soon without filling.
Repair it:
  • Unplug the washer and examine the control board for burn spots or loose wires.
  • Reset the washer by unplugging it for five minutes and restarting it.
  • If the board is faulty, a technician may need to replace it.

How to Troubleshoot a Washing Machine That Won’t Fill With Water

Prior to calling for a repair, attempt these procedures to fix your washing machine that fails to fill up:

  1. Check the water supply valves – Ensure that they are wide open.
  2. Inspect hoses for kinks or blockages – Straighten and flush them if necessary.
  3. Filter the inlet valve filters – Clean debris that might be restricting water flow.
  4. Subject the washer to different settings – Test the hot and cold cycles to ascertain whether one alone is affected.
  5. Reboot the washer – Switch it off for several minutes and switch it back on.

Washer Problems? When You Should Call a Technician

If you’ve gone through these troubleshooting steps and your washer still won’t fill with water, it may be time to call a repair professional. Some problems, like faulty control boards or failing inlet valves, require specialized tools and expertise to fix.

At Just Call Appliance Repair, we offer washer repair in Charlotte and the surrounding areas. If your washer won’t fill, won’t drain, or breaks mid-cycle, we can diagnose the problem and have it repaired in no time.

If your washer won’t fill with water, wait no longer, call today to schedule repair and have the laundry service running again.