The pump filter protects the drain pump by catching coins, buttons and lint. If it fills up, the machine drains slowly or not at all, and water sitting in it can smell. Cleaning it every three months, or monthly in a busy household, keeps it healthy.
What you need
- A shallow baking tray or tupperware
- Old towels
- A torch
Steps
- Unplug the machine and turn off the tap.
- Open the small hatch at the bottom front (on some machines, prise it off with a coin).
- Lay towels down and set the tray under the filter. If there is a small drain tube, pull it out and let the water run into the tray, stopping it when the tray fills.
- Unscrew the filter slowly anticlockwise. More water will come out.
- Remove coins, fluff and hair, and rinse the filter under a tap.
- Look into the housing with a torch and check the pump impeller turns freely by hand.
- Refit the filter, turning it all the way clockwise, and close the hatch.
Run a short rinse and spin and check for drips around the filter.
