Imagine powering your washing machine ready to do laundry only to discover that your Kenmore washer fills with water then stops. How do you explain that and possibly troubleshoot it DIY?
Your Kenmore washer fills with water and stops because of a fault code, soak mode, paused cycle, unfastened lid, excess suds, drum obstruction, drainage fault, or component malfunction.
In the last case, the components to check with the help of a washer expert are the lid/door lock motor, heating element, belt, water-level switch, and control module. Such components may need servicing or replacement, and a washer expert can help you here.
I’ll explain these eight issues and others that may affect the Kenmore washer fill-up process. Hopefully, the information will help your washer whenever such problems arise.
Let’s dive in!
In a hurry? Below is a table summarizing the eight issues that cause Kenmore washers to stop filling with water soon after they start doing so.
Kenmore Washer Fills Up With Water Then Stops – Quick Fixes
| – | Likely Cause | Quick Fix |
| 1. | Fault Code | Clear any existing error code. |
| 2. | Soak Mode | Cancel the Soak or Pre-Soak setting if it’s unintentional. |
| 3. | Paused Cycle | Resume the cycle |
| 4. | Unfastened Lid | Fasten the lid, remove dirt/debris obstruction, and replace a faulty lid switch. |
| 5. | Excess Suds | Don’t overuse the detergent; only use the type Kenmore recommends. |
| 6. | Drum Obstruction | Remove any trapped objects from the drum. |
| 7. | Drainage Fault | Clean the drain pump, water inlet valve, and hose from clogging. |
| 8. | Component Malfunction | Have an expert service the washer and replace any defective component (lid/door lock motor, heating element, belt, water-level switch, or control module) |
8 Reasons a Kenmore Washer Fills with Water Then Stops
Here are eight issues to check when a Kenmore washing machine starts filling with water and then stops:
1. Fault Code
Do you see any fault or error code on your Kenmore washer? If there is, then it’s likely to be the reason the washer doesn’t run after filling it with water. So, you can’t overlook it.
Remember, error codes appear on a washer for a purpose, pointing you to a fault in your washer that you must address urgently. Hence, you have to do that!
Fix
Consider resetting your Kenmore washer to see if you can clear the error code. The easiest way to do that is to disconnect it from the power temporarily. Just plug it out or flip off the circuit breaker for at least 60 seconds and restore the washer’s power supply.
If the error code doesn’t go, look it up online and address the cause.
2. Soak Mode
Kenmore washers usually have the Pre-Soak and Soak settings, lasting 15-30 minutes before the wash cycle begins. These settings are generally best for washing heavily soiled items as they allow you to soak them long enough before washing.
What’s more, the soak mode may allow the washer to drain, but it won’t spin, So check if that’s the case. Sometimes, you might have accidentally selected the soak setting and are unaware of the selection.
Fix
Cancel any unintended Soak or Pre-Soak settings and start a new cycle.
3. Paused Cycle
You probably aren’t aware, but pressing the start button twice equals a pause. So, you could have paused the wash cycle by pressing the start button twice, and that would have stopped your washer from running after starting to fill up with water.
Fix
Just press start again to restart the wash cycle after an intended pause.
4. Unfastened Lid
Could your washer’s lid be open? If so, that’s likely why the washer stops after filling up with water.
Though an unfastened lid may not stop the washing machine from filling up with water, it’s more likely to prevent it from running once it fills up. Like most models, Kenmore washers will see an unfastened lid as a fault and won’t start until you fix it.
Fix
Check if debris or dirt obstructions around the lid and clean it off. Test its lid switch with a multimeter if the washer still won’t firmly latch. The unavailability of electrical continuity confirms that the lid switch is faulty and thus needs a replacement.
5. Excess Suds
While the detergent needs to produce suds, the suds shouldn’t be excessive. If they are, they may stop the washer from running, and even if it does run, it may not spin or drain.
Excess suds could result from using the wrong detergent – most likely a non-HE. Sometimes, however, you could be using the correct detergent but putting too much of it.
Fix
Double-check the detergent you are using to ensure it is what Kenmore recommends (HE option). If it is, also double-check to ensure you aren’t using more than you should.
6. Drum Obstruction
You cannot expect your Kenmore washer to run if the drum doesn’t turn smoothly. That might be the case with your washer. So, inspect the drum for visible obstruction.
It could be that a foreign object has been caught around the drum lock, thus stopping the drum from spinning.
Fix
Remove any foreign objects in the drum, especially around the drum lock.
7. Drainage Fault
You want your washing machine to not only fill up but also drain. However, a drainage difficulty sometimes stops the washer from running after a fill-up due to a clogged drain pump, drain hose, or water inlet valve.
Fix
Inspect the drain pump, hose, and water inlet valve for clogging and clean them. If the water inlet valve is excessively clogged, replace it.
8. Component Malfunction
Lastly, consider that one of the washer’s important components might malfunction. If so, the washer may fill up but fail to run.
The components in question include the following:
- Lid/door lock motor – If the lid or door lock motor fails, it won’t engage the door or lid switch, and thus, the lid or door won’t latch. As I explained earlier, if the lid doesn’t lock, the washer won’t run after fill-up.
- Heating element – The heating element kicks in when the washer starts running, and relays signals to the motor to start running. Sadly, it burns out sometimes, and when that happens, it cannot activate the motor, which stops the washer from running.
- Washer belt – If the drive belt is defective, the drum won’t turn. The washer may fill up with water, but it won’t run.
- Water-level switch – The water-level switch regulates the water your washer receives. So it should function correctly. If it does, then the washing machine will have fill-up issues.
- Control module – And ultimately, the last component you wouldn’t want to fail is the control module. It controls virtually all the washer’s principal functions, including spinning; thus, if it fails, it’s more like the entire washer has failed.
Fix
Sometimes, all the washer needs is detailed servicing, and an expert can help you. However, if any of the above components is defective, which a washer expert can help you determine, you should replace it. At times, it may mean getting a new Kenmore washer.
Kenmore Washer Fills with Water but Won’t Start
A Kenmore washer doesn’t fill with water and fails to start for no reason. Something must be amiss.
Here are the most likely explanations for why your Kenmore washing machine fills with water but will not run:
- An existing error code
- Wrong cycle – especially a no-spin or no-draining spin setting
- Laundry overload (loading the drum more than ¾ its capacity)
- Washer imbalance
- Unsuitable detergent (which causes excess suds)
- Obstructed drain pump, water inlet valve, or hose
- Defective pressure switch, timer, washer belt, lid switch, lid lock motor, or control panel
Kenmore Washer Fills with Water When Off
It’s weird for your Kenmore washer to fill up with water when it’s off. It can, however, happen, and when it does, it could be due to insufficient water pressure, particularly below 20 psi.
If the water pressure is acceptable, the issue could be a clogged water fill hose or water inlet valve, and if the inlet valve is not blocked, it could be defective.
Kenmore Elite Washer Keeps Filling Water
You don’t expect your Kenmore Elite washer to fill with water for hours. If it does, the chances are that the water will overflow. That, however, can sometimes happen, and it’s often due to the following:
- Insufficient water pressure (that is below 20 psi)
- Malfunctioning water-level switch
- Defective water inlet valve
- Burnt main control board
Kenmore Washer Fills With Water Then Drains
Though you expect your Kenmore washer to drain when it starts filling, sometimes it only does the latter and fails the former. In such a case, the trigger could be an obstructed drain hose or a wrong drain hose height (especially if the drain hose is less than 30 inches off the ground or more than 7 inches deep into the drain pipe).
Other issues worth checking include a wrong setting, a malfunctioning water-level switch, and a defective water inlet valve.
People Also Ask
1. Why Does My Washer Stop After It Fills with Water?
Your washer stops after it fills with water because of a soak-promoting mode, an unsecured lid, an existing fault code, too many suds, an obstructed drum, or poor drainage. If that’s not it, one of the core components could be defective, especially the lid lock motor, heating element, drive belt, pressure switch, or control module.
2. Why Does My Kenmore Washer Not Fill Up with Water?
Your Kenmore washer doesn’t fill up with water because of one of these issues:
- An unsecured lid
- Turned off or disconnected water supply valves
- Leaky or kinked inlet hoses
- Clogged inlet screens
- A faulty timer or water-level switch
3. Why Does My Kenmore Washer Keep Filling with Water?
Your Kenmore washer keeps filling up with water because the water pressure is inadequate (under 20 psi), the water inlet valve is stuck, or the water-level switch can’t do its job (of regulating the amount of water going through the washer). And if that’s not it, it could be due to a dead control module.
Concluding Thought:
Now you know the eight issues to consider when your Kenmore washer fills with water then stops. As shared, it could be an error code, soak setting, paused wash cycle, too many suds, an obstructed drum, clogged drains, or a failed component such as the lid lock motor, heating element, drive belt, water-level-switch, or control module. So, go through all these checks to get your Kenmore washer back running!
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