Washing machine won’t drain or spin (Bosch & Siemens)
✅ Safe to check yourself
This is a common, low-risk check most people can do safely. Always unplug the appliance (or isolate power) before touching internal parts.
Quick TipTake a photo of the appliance's model/serial number sticker now — you'll want it if this does end up needing a part or an engineer.
If your Bosch or Siemens washing machine finishes its cycle with water still sitting in the drum, and won’t spin, the most common cause by far is a blocked drain pump filter — not a broken pump. On models with a digital display, this usually shows as fault code E18 or F18.
What to check first
- Turn off and unplug the machine before doing anything.
- Find the pump filter — on most Bosch/Siemens front-loaders it’s behind a small flap at the bottom-front of the machine, sometimes with a drain hose stub above it.
- Place a shallow tray and towels underneath — there will be a small amount of trapped water, which can be hot.
- Unscrew the filter cap anti-clockwise slowly, letting water drain into the tray.
- Pull the filter fully out and check for coins, buttons, hair grips, or a build-up of fluff and grit — this is what usually stops the pump.
- Rinse the filter under a tap, check the pump impeller behind it spins freely, then refit and hand-tighten the cap.
If the filter is clear and it still won’t drain
- Check the drain hose isn’t kinked or blocked where it connects to your sink waste or standpipe.
- Check the load isn’t heavily unbalanced — an unbalanced spin can trigger a safety cut-out that looks like a drain fault.
When to call an engineer
If the filter and hose are both clear and the machine still shows E18/F18, the pump motor itself may have failed. That’s a straightforward part-swap for an appliance engineer, but involves accessing wiring inside the case — worth booking rather than DIY-ing unless you’re comfortable working inside appliance casework.