Appliance question - washer

[White Horseradish]

What would make a washer not drain completely? About how expensive is that to fix?

There is a commercial washer up for sale real cheap that would be great for my parents rental property, but it has this problem.

[brimic]

Bad pump?

[K Frame]

When you say drain completely... how completely?

My first guess would be the selonoid or switch that senses the water level in the tub and activates the pump.

If it were the pump, my guess is that it wouldn't drain at all, which is what happened to my Mother's washer just a few months ago. Pump failed and it was loaded with laundry and water.

[AJ Dual]

The other possibility is if there's a backflow valve that isn't working 100% and depending on how the drain pipe is situated it could have an outlet that's higher than the inner washing basin, and the last bit of the pipe when the washer is mostly empty and can't push more flows back in.

Although if this is a commercial washer, maybe they drain straight down and don't go "up and over" into a drain or a sink like residential ones do.

How much water are we talking?

[White Horseradish]

About four inches of water is what's left.

[AJ Dual]

Does the drain pipe go up into a wall mounted drain or a washtub?

Like this?

http://www.doityourself.com/forum/attachments/plumbing-piping/4327d1350175606-washing-machine-drain-2-machines-into-1-drain-37541d1317825496-plumbing-washer-vent-waste-discharge-washer-installation.gif

When it's like this, the washer can't empty the drain hose once the washtub is empty, because there's no more water to push the water already in the hose ahead of it, so that 2-3 feet of water in the hose will stay stagnant until the washer drains and pumps out it's water again. There should be a backflow valve in the pump or somewhere in the washer that prevents that water from getting back into the washer.

If it's a downward floor level drain that does not go up, and all draining is below or down from the washtub water level that remains, it's something else.

Or maybe the commercial washer is supposed to be all downward draining, but someone hooked it up like a residential washer like the picture?

Quick and dirty fix would be to route the washer to a floor drain and see if the excess water leaves after the wash cycle.

[K Frame]

I'm thinking 4 inches of water is probably a lot more than 2 or 3 gallons...

[RoadKingLarry]

Time for a new one.

[Cliffh]

But the maintenance costs are outrageous! :D

[Jim147]

Get a model number for the washer and I'll have an idea about the the problem. It could be as simple as a duel belt Speed Queen or Maytag and the pump belt is worn out.

jim

[White Horseradish]

Get a model number for the washer and I'll have an idea about the the problem. It could be as simple as a duel belt Speed Queen or Maytag and the pump belt is worn out.

jim

It is a Speed Queen. I'll see if I can get a number.