Frigidaire Affinity Washer Not Draining? (Possible Causes & Fixes)

Ryan Womeldorf
by Ryan Womeldorf

Your washing machine, when working optimally, makes keeping your clothes clean easier than ever before. But like any machine running on a variety of components, there is a chance that it could break down over time.

With Frigidaire Affinity washers, which are front-loading, there is a chance that they may not drain. It can be due to a clogged drain pump or hose, a faulty switch assembly or door lock motor, a water pump belt, or several other potentially damaged or malfunctioning components.

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Why Won’t My Frigidaire Affinity Washer Drain?

The tough thing about finding the origin of a leak, particularly in a washing machine, is that there is no one obvious answer. Multiple components, any of which can go bad at any time, could potentially lead to draining issues with your washer.

Troubleshooting some of them is a fairly easy endeavor. Not only that, but you can cut down on some of the work by starting with some of the most common issues that could cause your Frigidaire Affinity to stop draining properly.

Drain Pump

More often than not, the main reason that your Affinity washer will not drain is due to an obstruction, damage, or malfunction in the drain pump. There are times where some small objects or even articles of clothing can get caught up in the pump.

To check to see if there is anything that may be blocking the drain pump, you will need to remove it and look for any obstructions. Even if there are no apparent obstructions, there is a chance that the drain pump could be running louder than normal during the drain cycle. When this is the case, the safe move is to replace the drain pump entirely.

Clogged Hose or Pump in the Drain System

Much in the same way that your drain pump can become clogged or broken, the hoses that connect to your drain system can do the same. When small articles of clothing get into the drain system, it can lead to clogging in either the pump hose or the drain pump itself.

Fixing a Clog

1. Remove the hoses from the pump. The only way to check for an obstruction is to remove all of the hoses from the pump. Don’t just check the ends of the hose, either.

2. Look deep. Use a flashlight to look down into the hose for any potential clogs that could be keeping your washer from draining properly.

3. Check for damage and replace. In the event that the hose has been cracked or otherwise damaged, you will need to replace it entirely. Otherwise, your washer will continue to drain improperly at best if it does so at all.

Door Lock Motor and Switch Assembly

The door lock is what keeps the washer door shut while it is performing an operation. When the washer door shuts and the lock clicks into place, the washer can then begin with the designated operation. But if the door isn’t properly latched, the switch will keep the washer from running.

When your switch isn’t working properly, the washer may not spin, keeping it from draining out the water in the barrel. The door lock will generally fail electrically or mechanically. Check to see if there is any damage or if it latches properly and replace if damage is apparent.

How to Fix it

To determine an electrical failure, look at the wiring diagram in your user manual. You will then need to use your multimeter to test each of the switches connected to the door locks to ensure that they have continuity. Should one switch not have the aforementioned continuity, you will have to replace the switch.

Lid Switch Assembly

If you have a front-loading washer, you can skip this step. The lid switch acts much the same as the door lock in that it keeps the machine from operating when the lid is open. When that lid switch assembly stops working, the washer won’t drain.

In order to check for a defective switch assembly, you can use your multimeter to check for continuity in each of the lid switches. Whichever ones don’t show that continuity, replace them. This should allow the lid to lock into place once again, draining your washer in the process.

Coin Trap

Some washers will come equipped with a coin trap that is meant to catch any of the loose debris that can find its way into the drain. It is important that you check the coin trap occasionally and ensure that it is clean.

When debris is allowed to continue accumulating in the coin trap, it can become clogged and lead to your washing machine failing to drain properly. When the washer won’t drain or isn’t doing so as it normally would, checking the coin trap and cleaning it can be a quick fix.

The Drain Hose

The drain system of your Frigidaire Affinity is the most important aspect of keeping your washer draining properly. As indicated with the drain pump above, when the components in the drain system stop working, your washer will not drain correctly if it does so at all.

1. Check the hose. Check the hose first before going into the drain pump to ensure that the hose isn’t twisted, bent, or kinked. More often than not, a simple straightening of the hose is enough to get the machine draining once again.

2. Disconnect the drain hose. Make sure that you disconnect the drain hose entirely and check it for any potential blockages. Try to remove any of them before returning the drain hose to the machine again.

3. Replace if damaged. And if the drain hose has become damaged or broken, simply replace it entirely.

Malfunctioning Settings

Another quite common cause for drainage issues in a Frigidaire Affinity washing machine pertains to issues with the settings. When they aren’t working correctly, your machine will fail to work in an optimal capacity at best and may not work at all at worst.

Thankfully, Frigidaire has a number of washing settings to accommodate your needs so that you can get your laundry done quickly, easily, and effectively. Something as simple as resetting your machine could prove to be effective.

Reprograming Your Frigidaire Affinity Settings

1. Plug it in. Start by first ensuring that your machine is plugged in. It may sound simplistic, but you would be surprised at the number of issues that are simply related to a power plug that isn’t properly connected.

2. Reprogramming. From there, press and hold the “soil level” and “spin speed” buttons together for a couple of seconds; you should hear a signal that will indicate that your washer has been set back to its default, original factory settings. You can then release the buttons and choose your program again.

Why Does My Frigidaire Affinity Washer Keep Pausing?

You may notice that from time to time, your Frigidaire Affinity washing machine will continuously pause, stopping the cycle right in the middle. This is typically denoted with a PAU to indicate that the cycle was interrupted and has not been restarted properly.

You can either cancel or complete the cycle before making a new selection. In most cases, it is as simple as a faulty button that gets stuck. Try working the button a little before proceeding to other options. Because of the delicate nature of the buttons, you may have to have a professional replace it if it continues to stick.

How Do You Run a Clean Cycle on a Frigidaire Affinity Washer?

One of the great things about modern washing machines like the Frigidaire Affinity is that it has a self-cleaning functionality.

1. Pushing the right buttons. In order to operate this on your model, all you need to do is push the “options” and “spin speed” buttons together simultaneously.

2. Switching to “clean”. Continue holding them down until you notice that the cycle status display switches over to “Cln.” From there, you can add in a washing machine cleaner or a cup of liquid chlorine bleach to your detergent receptacle and let it do the work for you.

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How Do I Find the Error Code on My Frigidaire Affinity Washer?

This is a relatively easy step. First, wake up the machine if it has not been used recently by pressing any button. Then, push and hold down the start/pause and cancel buttons simultaneously. So long as the buttons are held, you should see the failure code appear on your display.

The Frigidaire error display will be an E followed by some combination of two numbers, a letter and a number, or two letters. Not only that, but the control will beep and the wash, rinse, door lock, and final spin indicator lights will all flash at least once.

Ryan Womeldorf
Ryan Womeldorf

Ryan Womeldorf has more than a decade of experience writing. He loves to blog about construction, plumbing, and other home topics. Ryan also loves hockey and a lifelong Buffalo sports fan.

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