Sediment-clogged inlet screens are a common reason a washer fills slowly, and you can clean washer inlet screens in about half an hour by shutting off the water, disconnecting the fill hoses and rinsing the small mesh screens inside the inlets and hose ends. Check them when the washer fills slowly, fills on only one temperature or shows a fill error, especially if your home is on well water.
Time: about 30 minutes · Difficulty: Easy · You'll need: needle-nose pliers, a small soft brush, a bucket, towels, a flashlight
Before you start
- •Unplug the washer.
- •Turn off both hot and cold supply valves.
- •Handle the screens gently. They're fine mesh and dent easily, and some aren't designed to come out at all.
- •Have a bucket ready for the water left in the hoses.
Steps
Step 1 — Disconnect the hoses at the washer
Pull the washer out enough to reach the back, then unscrew both hoses from the washer's inlets over the bucket.
Step 2 — Find the screens
Shine a flashlight into each inlet port. You'll usually see a small domed or flat mesh screen just inside. Many hoses also have a screen in the end that connects to the wall valve.
Step 3 — Remove the screen carefully
If your manual says the screen is removable, grip its outer edge gently with needle-nose pliers and ease it straight out, without squeezing the mesh. If it resists, leave it in place and clean it there instead.
Step 4 — Rinse and brush
Run the screen under water and brush away sand, rust flakes and mineral grit. For screens left in place, brush them gently and flush the area.
Step 5 — Clear the hose ends
Check the hose ends for their own screens or debris. A quick flush of each hose into the bucket, with its valve briefly opened, clears loose grit.
Step 6 — Reinstall and reconnect
Press each screen back in evenly, domed side facing the way it came out. Reattach the hoses and tighten them as described in how to replace washing machine fill hoses.
Step 7 — Test the fill
Open the valves slowly, check for drips, and run a short cycle while you watch the fill speed.
Didn't fix it?
If the washer still fills slowly with clean screens and full water pressure at the faucets, the water inlet valve may be failing. A washer that won't fill at all, overfills, or keeps filling with the machine off needs a technician right away.
New Jersey tip
Private wells are common in parts of Hunterdon, Sussex and Morris counties, and sediment, iron and grit from wells show up in washer screens, ice makers and dishwashers. A whole-home sediment filter, installed by a plumber or well professional, protects every appliance. If fill problems continue, our Morris County technicians can test the inlet valve.
From Kevin: In well-water homes I often find the inlet screens packed solid. Cleaning them takes ten minutes, and it often turns a slow-filling washer back into a normal one.
Washer still filling slowly? Call ProFix NJ at (973) 718-9373.