Clogged Pump on a Kenmore Elite Washer HE3t Flashing an F2 Code

Causes

• The drain hose becomes clogged when small pieces of clothing or other material get stuck inside when the machine goes through the draining cycle. If the pieces are too large to go through the drain pump or there are many pieces going through at once, they can get stuck in the hose and cause a clog. Other things that can cause a clog include small toys or loose change.

Finding the Drain Hose Pump

• The drain pump is located in the front of the machine behind the front service panel at the bottom. Remove the panel by unscrewing the screws located at the bottom of the panel. Prior to removing the panel, arrange several towels on the floor to catch any residual water. The pump has a filter attached to it to catch large objects that may have passed through. Remove the filter as well to clear away any clogs.

Other Reasons for F2 Code

• If you check the drain pump and filter and there are no visible clogs, the F2 code may mean something else. The F2 code also alerts you when there is an abundance of suds in the wash drum. This occurs if you use the wrong type of laundry detergent, such as using regular detergent instead of HE detergent. To remove excess suds, run an empty cycle with hot water and 1 cup of chlorine bleach.

Considerations

• Prior to removing the front paneling to check the drain pump, turn off the machine and unplug it from its power source. Also make sure the drain hose in the back of the machine is more than 96 inches from the floor to allow for proper draining of the water, and there are no kinks in the hose.