Every Maytag washing machine owner will tell you that, at times, the Maytag washer fills with water then stops. The question, however, is, what causes that? Why does the washer start filling up and suddenly stop?
In most cases, a Maytag washer fills with water and unexpectedly stops because of an unlatched door or lid, an incorrect cycle, failed drainage, drum obstruction, or component failure.
The failed component in such a case could be the heating element, motor, drive belt, water-level switch, or control module. Such components are pivotal in the overall performance of the washer and, more importantly, in the filling process.
I’ll help you understand how all these five issues stop your washer from running as soon as it fills up and how you can remedy them DIY. We’ll also look at other issues related to a non-filling Maytag washer.
So, let’s dive in!
In a hurry? Below is an overview of how to troubleshoot a Maytag washer that stops after starting to fill up with water.
Maytag Washing Machine Fills with Water Then Stops – Quick Fixes
| – | Likely Cause | Quick Fix |
| 1. | Unlatched Door/Lid | Ensure the lid or door latches firmly (replace a defective lid switch or door latch) |
| 2. | Incorrect Cycle | Cancel an unintended soak-promoting cycle and pick the correct cycle. |
| 3. | Failed Drainage | Clear any blockages from the drain hose and pump, position the drain hose correctly, and replace a defective drain pump. |
| 4. | Drum Obstruction | Remove any visible obstruction from the drum lock. |
| 5. | Component Failure | Replace a defective heating element, motor, drive belt, water-level switch, or control module. |
Why Your Maytag Washer Fills with Water Then Stops
About five issue issues are worth checking when your Maytag washer starts to fill up but doesn’t run. Those issues are as follows:
1. Unlatched Door/Lid
Washing machines are generally quite sensitive and stop running when they realize the door or lid is open. That goes for the Maytag washer. The washing machine might fill up when the door or lid opens but won’t start running until you close it.
Fix
Check if anything, like a piece of cloth, obstructs the door or lid from latching. If there is, remove it and firmly lock the washer. If there’s none, inspect the door latch in the case of a Maytag front loader and replace it if it’s broken.
But if it’s a Maytag top-loader, inspect the lid switch with a multimeter. The absence of continuity affirms the lid switch to be faulty, and, in such a case, you should replace it.
2. Incorrect Cycle
Not all wash cycles allow the Maytag washer to start running immediately. Some encourage it to fill with water and soak the clothes before agitating or spinning.
That happens when you select the Heavy Duty, Bulky, or Towels setting. These settings will promote soaking, so your washer may not start agitating immediately.
Fix
In case of an unintended soak-promoting cycle setting like Heavy Duty, Bulky, or Towel, cancel it and select the correct wash cycle. You can leave the cycle setting if you intend to use it, meaning you only need to wait a little longer for the cycle to kick into effect.
3. Failed Drainage
Good drainage is vital to the washer water fill-up. If the washer doesn’t drain properly, the chances are that it’ll stop filling minutes after it starts to do so. Overall, the drainage may fail due to these reasons:
- Drain pipe obstruction – This might be a case of the drain pipe having too many twists or kinks or being dirt-clogged.
- Wrong drain hose height – The drain pipe should be about 39-96 inches off the ground for proper drainage. Your washer may struggle to drain if you cannot meet such standards.
- Pump failure – The pump may fail from excessive pump filter clogging or a damaged or worn-out part; in either case, it cannot pump out water.
Fix
Check the drain pipe for kinks and straighten them out, and if the drain hose is blocked, clear the blockages. While at it, position the drain pipe 39-96 inches off the ground.
As for the drain pump, clean the pump filter from any clogging and replace the drain pump if it’s damaged or worn out.
4. Drum Obstruction
The drum is one of the most sensitive parts of the washer. If something obstructs it, that alone may stop the washer from running; in this case, it may stop spinning as soon as it happens.
In particular, you must inspect the drum lock for obstruction, as it might have caught something foreign.
Fix
Check for visible obstructions around the drum lock and remove them before re-running the washing machine.
5. Component Failure
Lastly, your Maytag washing machine won’t continue filling up with water if one of its main components fails. The component in question may be any of these:
- Heating element – The heating element automatically turns on when the washer starts to run. The washer, however, stops running as soon as it senses that the heating element is defective (or burnt).
- Motor – The motor is instrumental in turning the drum. However, that doesn’t happen when it fails, and it could be a case of just wearing out or short-circuiting.
- Drive belt – The drive belt also helps in the drum turning process, and its failure means the drum doesn’t turn even if the washer fills up.
- Water-level switch – The water-level switch, sometimes known as the pressure switch, monitors the amount of water in your Maytag washing machine. Its failure means a disrupted fill-up process.
- Control module – The control module is more like the engine of your washer. It controls all principal functions, including the fill-up and spin cycle, and once it fails, the washer may stop filling and not run.
Fix
You can observe the heating element for signs of burns and replace it if that’s the case. You can then test the motor’s terminals with a multimeter. If they don’t show continuity, replace the motor.
Also, use the multimeter on the water-level switch and replace it if it fails to show continuity. Replace the drive belt if it shows signs of looseness or frailness and the control module if it shows signs of shirt-circuiting.
Maytag Washer Fills with Water But Won’t Run
Consider that your Maytag washer might be filling up with water but not running due to one of these issues:
- Power issues – perhaps inadequate power or just a recent power surge
- Unbalanced laundry load – which needs even distribution
- Existing error code – which needs clearing or resetting
- Interrupted or paused cycle – which requires a restart
- Failed component such as the lid switch, belt, water-level switch, timer, or motor, which needs replacing
My Maytag Washer Doesn’t Fill Up with Water
Your Maytag washer doesn’t just stop filling up with water unless something stops it. The issue could be a turned-off water supply valve or blocked fill hoses.
In that case, you must ensure that the water supply valves are fully open and that there are no kinks or twists on the supply hoses.
If that’s not it, it could be an insufficient water pressure. The water pressure might not be enough to allow the washer to continue filling up with water.
Other issues worth checking include an opened lid or door or a defective water-level switch. In such a case, you should firmly latch the door or lid if it’s open and replace a faulty water-level switch.
Maytag Top Load Washer Fills with Water Then Stops
Your Maytag top-load washer will start filling up with water and stop for different reasons. First, it could be because the lid is up when it should be down (or shut).
And if nothing is wrong with the lid, it could be a wrong wash cycle or setting. So, you’ve to re-check the setting.
If nothing is wrong with the wash setting or cycle, it could be that the washer doesn’t drain. If so, check for drain hose obstruction, pump clogging, or wrong drain hose positioning and fix the mess.
Lastly, the water-level switch, motor, drive belt, heating element, or control module could be defective, and if so, you must replace them.
Maytag Washing Machine Stops Mid Cycle Full of Water
While it’s abnormal for a washer to stop mid-cycle while full of water, that could happen. In such a case, your Maytag washing machine might not be running full of water due to one of these issues:
- Insufficient water pressure
- Leaky water inlet hoses
- Failed pump
- Defective water level switch
- Defective water inlet valve
- Short-circuited control module
People Also Ask
1. Why Does My Washing Machine Fill Up with Water Then Stops?
Your washing machine fills up with water and then stops because its lid or door is opened, you are using the wrong wash setting or cycle, or the washer doesn’t drain.
If that’s not it, it could be a drum obstruction or a failed component, such as the drive belt, water-level switch, motor, or control module, which needs replacing.
2. How Do I Reset My Maytag Washer?
You can seamlessly reset your Maytag washer by disconnecting it from the power supply for at least a minute. One way is by unplugging it, and the other is by turning off its circuit breaker.
3. How Do You Fix a Washing Machine That Keeps Filling with Water?
You can fix a washing machine that keeps filling by:
- Raising the water pressure if it’s not adequate (below 20 psi)
- Fixing any leaky hoses (you can also replace them if you can’t seal them)
- Replacing a defective washer pump
- Replacing a malfunctioning water-level switch, inlet valve, or control module
4. Why Does My Maytag Washer Start Washing Then Stop?
Your Maytag washer starts washing and then stops because of a cycle interruption, failed power supply, water supply disruption, a fault code, drainage fault, or a component failure. The failed components could be the motor, drive belt, water-level switch, timer, or control module.
Concluding Thought:
Now you have the five issues to check when your Maytag washer fills with water then stops. Your Maytag washing machine might stop after filling up with water because there’s an issue with the lid, wash cycle, drainage, drum obstruction, or principal components such as the heating element, water-level switch, motor, drive belt, or control module.
You can troubleshoot your Maytag washer DIY if you can address the culprit as shared. But if you can’t, don’t hesitate to call Maytag or talk to a local washer expert.
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