Sometimes the washer finishes its cycle and leaves the fabric softener compartment full of water. The fact that the fabric softener has gone, and been replaced by water shows that the function has worked. The water is left behind due to a blockage, or a missing siphon tube.
How fabric softener compartment works
Here’s how it is flushed into the drum. The small fabric softener compartment in the soap dispenser drawer has a plastic cap or tube at the back. When the time comes for the softener (conditioner) to be released, cold water runs into the small compartment. This flushes the softener over the top and down the dispenser into the drum.
When the water flow has turned off the compartment is left momentarily full of water. This unwanted water should automatically siphon up the inside of the tube and into the drum. Siphoning is triggered when water, or the fabric softener spills over the top of the compartment.
What causes water to be left?
This tube often gets blocked by the fabric softener itself. If you remove the dispenser drawer and take off the cap or device you can give the whole thing a good clean out. Make sure you clean through the hole in any tube leading through to the bottom of the drawer. If any part is missing, the siphoning will not occur.
To test the function, hold the soap drawer under a tap and allow water to fill the fabric compartment to overflowing. When you turn off the tap, hold the drawer steady and level. The remaining water should slowly siphon out of the hole under the cap and run out from the bottom of the drawer.
If everything is clean, and the water drains out ok when doing the above test, but there is still some water left in the fabric softener compartment at the end of the cycle then check the rest of this article for more ideas.
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Still leaving water in drawer?
It shouldn’t be possible for the compartment to be left full of water if the compartment is cleaned and tested as described above. But if there’s only a small amount of water left inside try ensuring the washing machine is level and not tilting towards you. Make sure the washer is level across front to back as well as side to side.
The only other explanation I can think of is that stray water could be getting into the compartment after the fabric conditioner has been washed out – but not enough to fill to overflow which would start the siphoning process and remove it. If you suspect this check out this article for details about deflected water inside the soap dispenser – Fabric softener taken out too soon. You could also try adjusting the cold water pressure on the washing machine tap to see if it makes any difference.
More fabric softener articles and problems
- Fabric Softener not being taken out
- Fabric softener taken out immediately (or too soon)
- Don’t use fabric softener on children’s sleepwear (flame resistance issue)
- Save on fabric softener when tumble drying
- How to remove the soap drawer
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julie edwards says
April 21, 2014 at 11:35 pmI have cleaned all the drawer compartment out with a pin drawer is constantly cleaned I have used washing machine cleaners soda crystals and white vinegar and boil washes empty and still the fabric drawer is filling up with water and the filter at the bottom of my machine is also full of water after every wash my machine is Russell hobbs rh1042 and is only two years old so please can you tell me what is wrong thank you
Whitegoodshelp (Andy Trigg) says
April 23, 2014 at 10:24 amHi Julie. There is always water in the pump filter. No amount of cleaning by boil washes and additives will affect the soap dispenser. If the fabric softener compartment has all the parts still, and everything has been removed and clean it should be impossible for water not to siphon away after the machine has flushed the conditioner away because it’s just physics.
Try removing the soap drawer and holding it under the tap. let water run into the fabric compartment until it all overflows then stop the water. The water in the compartment should all siphon out. If it doesn’t there must be a blockage or a small part missing.
helen says
March 21, 2015 at 3:39 pmIve tested it under running tap and it drains away what now ?
Andy Trigg (Whitegoodshelp) says
March 25, 2015 at 4:02 pmHello Helen. If it runs away under the running water from a tap and then the compartment drains away all the water that shows there is nothing wrong. Maybe you cleared partial blockage when you ran the water from the tap into it?
Brian stephenson says
April 21, 2015 at 2:43 pmI have a Samsung eco bubble washer it takes fabric conditioner in on the wash or first rinse cycle what can I do
Andy Trigg (Whitegoodshelp) says
April 21, 2015 at 3:00 pmHello Brian. The answer is in the article. There is a link to your problem at the bottom under the section “More fabric softener articles and problems”.
Tina says
April 23, 2015 at 5:48 pmI have a Kenmore top load washer with a non-removable fabric softener cup. My cup fills with water and I’m told by technical support that a fix does not exist and will not be repaired. My washer is less than a year old. I cannot seem to find a siphon tube as described in previous post. Can you offer any advice?
Andy Trigg (Whitegoodshelp) says
April 24, 2015 at 1:47 pmHello Tina. It seems strange that technical support don’t know how to fix this. Either it’s designed to retain water, or it’s designed to flush the softner out and for the water to drain away. If it’s the latter, which every washing machine I’ve ever seen is, and the water is not draining away then there is a fault.
I would ask the manufacturer if water should be left inside the softner compartment after each wash or not. If they say no try asking them what are all the possible causes (although I have tried to list them all in my article). If the siphon tube is inaccessible, it is blocked, and you cannot access to clean it then it’s going to look like a design fault. In the UK such an issue would need to be taken up with the retailer under the sale of goods act.
Sarah says
May 24, 2015 at 2:22 pmThanks so much for this tip – it worked!
Reba Konecny says
July 9, 2015 at 6:29 pmMy washer flushes out the softener but then leaves the water at the end. Does that mean the tube that sucks it down is prob plugged? I cleaned my machine took the top off and all and this happened after that! Please help!?