How do you force a washer to drain water?

Forcing a residential washing machine to drain standing water when it is stalled with a full drum involves canceling the current cycle and initiating a manual drain program. First, press and hold the "Cancel" or "Power" button on the digital control panel to stop the active cycle. Second, turn the program dial to select the "Drain and Spin" setting, then press start. If the electronic controls do not respond, you can drain the tub manually by opening the lower service access door, placing a shallow baking pan underneath, and slowly unscrewing the pump filter plug a quarter-turn at a time to let water trickle out in controlled batches. You can troubleshoot drainage easily by listening for the pump motor. You can verify that your draining procedure was successful when completely emptying the trapped water allows the drum to empty.