Kenmore Series 80 won't drain

Washer Repair
1

Our 28 year old washer just died, so since I am out of work and old, we only had a little money to buy a washer. We ended up buying a used Kenmore Series 80 washer for $100 from a guy who said that he had to replace the dogs in the auger part of the agitator but now it works fine.

Well, it doesn’t… because the washer does not empty/drain.

During the time it is supposed to be draining, the agitator is spinning and so is the drum but no water is draining out the drain hose.

If I lower the open part of the drain hose to lower than the water level in the tub, water pours out of the hose so I know that the line is not plugged.

My guess is that the water pump is shot or stuck? I have seen the video on replacing the pump and it looks simple enough and the pump is relatively inexpensive (<$40), but my concern is that I go and spend $40 that we can’t afford and it turns out to be something other than the pump and we now have spent $140 on a washer instead of going to the laundromat to clean our huge pile of dirty laundry.

Based on what I described, can the problem be something other than the water pump?

Thanks for your help and advice!
John

3

I’ve found that if I turn it off via the dial, and let it sit for a bit, that when I pull the dial back out again to turn it on it begins to drain but then stops draining while it continues to spin.

What would cause the pump to work briefly but then stop after 30 seconds or so?

Would lint/debris cause the pump impellor to work initially but then get clogged and stop working. Is there an internal lint screen of some sort which might be partially clogged and then gets reclogged when water is being pushed/sucked through it?

Thanks for the help!

4

Hello,

When the washer finished washing (agitating) it should pause and start to drain without spinning. If it does drain and spin at the same time right after it’s done with wash then the problem most likely is a bad timer. If you need the correct part numbers, post the complete model number of the washer.

Gene.