It’s impossible to wash your clothes if your GE washing machine won’t fill with water. To help you figure out why your appliance is not filling as it should, we’ve created this handy list of potential reasons to explore. By the end of this guide, you should have a good idea of what’s causing your GE washer not to fill and the best steps to take next.
Here are five possible reasons your GE washer is not filling with water.
1. The water supply is turned off
Starting with the basics, you should first rule out that the water supply isn’t turned off. Washers are supplied with both hot and cold water, meaning the hot and cold water supply valves both need to be fully open for the washer to fill.
You can usually find the water supply valves on the wall behind or near the washer. Once you locate them, ensure they are both fully open and not partially open or closed.
2. The supply hoses are kinked or pinched
Next, you’ll want to check that the supply hoses that carry the water from the water supply valves to the washer are not kinked or pinched. To do this, pull the washer away from the wall so you can access the hoses.
If you see any kinks in the two supply hoses, straighten them out, as kinks will inhibit the flow of water, preventing your washer from filling. When you’re sure the hoses are okay, push the GE washer back into position, being very careful not to pinch the hoses between the wall and the washer.
3. The inlet screens are clogged
The screens on the water inlet valves filter out any debris or sediment in the water before it enters the washer. You can find the inlet valves on the back of the washer where the hot and cold supply hoses are connected.
Over time, the inlet screens can become clogged with sediment and debris, meaning they need to be cleaned periodically. When clogged, your washer will take ages to fill or won’t fill at all. To inspect and clean these screens, follow these steps:
- Unplug your washer.
- Turn off the water supply to the washer.
- Pull the washer away from the wall.
- Disconnect the supply hoses from the inlet valves by unscrewing them.
- Catch any water that spills out of the hoses with a bucket or towels.
- Carefully pull out the screens from the inlet valves using needle-nose pliers.
- Clean the screens by rinsing them under running water and scrubbing them with a soft toothbrush.
- Put the inlet screens back in, connect the supply hoses, and turn the water supply back on.
4. Not enough water pressure
The next thing to check is the water pressure. Most GE washers, and washers in general, need at least 20 psi to fill and function properly. You can check the water pressure relatively easily by following these steps:
- Cut off the power to the washer.
- Turn off the water supply valves.
- Pull the washer out from the wall.
- Disconnect the supply hoses from the washer.
- Attach a pressure gauge to the end of the cold water supply hose.
- Direct the end of the hose over a sink or bucket.
- Turn on the cold water supply valve.
- If the pressure gauge reads over 20 psi, the water pressure is fine.
- Repeat this process for the hot water.
- If you don’t have a pressure gauge, observe whether the water trickles out weakly or in a strong stream.
5. Faulty water-level pressure switch
The water-level pressure switch senses and controls how much water fills the tub. If the water-level pressure switch is faulty, it can’t do this job properly, resulting in the washer either overfilling or not filling with water.
The water-level pressure switch has an air tube attached to the washer’s tub. When water fills the tub, the air pressure increases in the tube, pushing against and activating the pressure switch.
Here’s how to check if your water-level pressure switch is faulty:
- Unplug your washer.
- Remove the top panel or the control panel on your washer to access the water-level pressure switch.
- Inspect the tube on the pressure switch for kinks or splits.
- Disconnect the wires attached to the pressure switch.
- Remove the pressure switch and the connected air tube from the washer.
- Set a multimeter to ohms and press its probes against the terminals of the pressure switch.
- The reading should be at or very close to 0 ohms if it has continuity.
- Next, blow gently into the air tube. You should hear a click and the reading on the multimeter should change.
- If it fails either of these tests, your water-level pressure switch will need to be replaced.
6. The lid or door is not fully closed
Whether you have a top load or front load model, your GE washer won’t fill with water if the door or lid is not closed properly. Try opening and closing the door or lid again firmly, and also check that no items are caught in the door or obstructing it.
Finally, look for detergent buildup around the latch or lock mechanism that may prevent the door or lid from closing and locking properly, and clean them if necessary.
7. Faulty water inlet valves
The water inlet valves open and close, controlling how much water flows into the washer. There are two water inlet valves, one for the cold water and one for the hot water. If one becomes faulty, your washer will not fill with water.
You must check them with a multimeter for continuity to know if they’re faulty. Here’s how:
- Unplug the washer and turn off the water supply.
- Remove the top panel or the control panel housing to access the water inlet valves. The inlet valves are at the back, where the supply hoses connect.
- Remove the wire connectors from each inlet valve’s solenoid terminals.
- Set a multimeter to ohms and press the probes against the hot water inlet valve’s solenoid terminals.
- The reading on the multimeter should be between 500 and 1500 ohms.
- Repeat this process for the cold water inlet valve.
- If either fails the continuity test, they will need replacing.
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