Washing machine not filling with water? 7 checks before a repair
Most often the cause is a closed tap, a kinked hose or a clogged filter at the water inlet. Checking these takes a quarter of an hour and costs nothing.
- Most common cause
- clogged inlet filter or closed tap
- Time
- 15–30 minutes
- Repair shop, if nothing helps
- 340–610 zł to replace the valve
Before unscrewing the hose, unplug the machine and close the water tap. Put a towel and a bowl underneath, because some water stays in the hose. Don't remove the machine's casing.
Step by step
Check there's water in the tap
Turn on a tap in the bathroom or kitchen. If water flows weakly or not at all, the problem is in the plumbing, not the machine. In winter also check the hose hasn't frozen in an unheated room.
Open the tap fully
The tap by the machine sometimes gets turned by accident, e.g. while cleaning. Open it fully. The tap lever should point along the pipe.
Check the inlet hose
The hose must not be kinked, squashed by furniture or pressed against the wall by the machine. Straighten it along its whole length.
Clean the filter in the hose
Close the water and unscrew the hose from the machine. In the connector at the machine (and on some models also at the tap) there's a small filter. Pull it out with pliers, rinse it under the tap and clean sand and limescale off with a toothbrush. Put it back and hand-tighten the hose.
Check the door is properly closed
The machine won't let water in if the door lock hasn't engaged. Close the door until it clicks and check nothing is caught in the seal.
Restart the machine
Unplug it for 10 minutes, turn it back on and run a short programme, e.g. rinse. This often helps after a brief drop in water pressure.
Listen for the valve clicking
After the programme starts you should hear a quiet click and water rushing near the upper back of the machine. If it clicks but no water flows with the tap open and the filter clean, the inlet valve is most likely faulty.
- the filter is clean and the tap works, but the machine still won't fill
- the machine hums at start but you hear no water
- water keeps flowing, even with the machine off
- water leaks from the machine or you smell burning
How much does a repair shop charge?
| Inlet valve replacement | 340–610 zł |
| Inlet hose replacement (standard or Aquastop) | 110–340 zł |
| Water level sensor (pressure switch) replacement | 340–540 zł |
| Call-out and diagnosis | 140–270 zł |
Typical prices at independent repair shops in Poland, October 2026. Authorised service centres and big cities can be more expensive.
Repair or buy new?
The valve and hose are cheap parts, so in a machine younger than 8–10 years the repair almost always pays off. Before you call a repair service, clean the filter. In many homes with hard water that solves it for 0 zł.
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Open the calculator →FAQ
Why won't my washing machine take in water when the tap is open?
Most often because of a clogged filter in the inlet hose. Less often a faulty inlet valve in the machine or a door that isn't fully closed.
Where is the filter in a washing machine?
In the inlet hose connector at the machine, sometimes also at the wall tap. It's a small mesh you pull out with pliers after unscrewing the hose.
Which error code means no water?
It depends on the brand: e.g. 4C or 4E on Samsung, IE on LG, E02 on Candy and Hoover, F01 on Gorenje. You'll find the codes in our error code database.