F21 error woes

[Bope]

I have a Kenmore front load washer and it is constantly throwing a F21 error, clogged drain. The strainer is clean. My wife used to be able to turn it off then back on and it would work again. Any suggestions on what else to troubleshoot?

[TDKPE]

It probably has a strainer inside, which is easy to clean, but will present excessive back pressure when full of goo. I've done it a couple of times. Zero cost; just a little time investment. The hardest part is getting the front cover off and back on, though I had to use a big adjustable wrench (straddling the boss in the middle) to turn the strainer, as it took more torque than unassisted fingers could develop.

Edit: Here's a vid. Skip ahead to 0:30 if yours doesn't have the little door in the front. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwDKISK6Hb0

[6270_Productions]

I don't mean to be Captain Obvious here, but have you checked to see, if the drain (the one in the house - not the one in the machine) is partially clogged?

[Bope]

It probably has a strainer inside, which is easy to clean, but will present excessive back pressure when full of goo.  I've done it a couple of times.  Zero cost; just a little time investment.  The hardest part is getting the front cover off and back on, though I had to use a big adjustable wrench (straddling the boss in the middle) to turn the strainer, as it took more torque than unassisted fingers could develop.

Edit:  Here's a vid.  Skip ahead to 0:30 if yours doesn't have the little door in the front.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwDKISK6Hb0

That strainer is clean which is why I am trying to find out what else could be wrong. 

Seeing other models with easy access to the strainer makes it tempting to just throw out this one and get a new washer. Having to empty several gallons of stinky dirty water a couple cups at at time out of the strain an inch about the floor is the most infuriating thing.

[TDKPE]

I've heard of, or maybe actually experienced, hard debris clogging or stopping the pump impeller.  I seem to remember the service tech having to free it up once on ours, long ago.  A stalled pump, if memory serves, registers as a clogged drain.  But I'm working from misty memory buried in blackening gray matter, so who knows.  

[Phil Thien]

I had a clean strainer but my Bosch kept saying the drain was restricted. I disconnected the hose from the sink and attached it to a wet dry vac, and ran the vac while I emptied a few gallons of water into the bottom of the dishwasher.

Strained the water now in the vac and found some small pieces of glass, and a small rubber foot from a cutting board.

Been working like a champ ever since.

[jteneyck]

I have a Kenmore front load washer and it is constantly throwing a F21 error, clogged drain. The strainer is clean. My wife used to be able to turn it off then back on and it would work again. Any suggestions on what else to troubleshoot?

I found a piece of hard plastic lodged in the impeller of our front loader.  No clue how it got past the strainer. 

John

[Bope]

I pulled the pump motor out last night. Nothing was stuck in it. The impeller shaft looked bent but it looked like it had been running that way for a while. I also noticed as I tried to turn the impeller I was obviously pushing against the poles of the magnets until about 1/4 turn then the magnets would turn it the last 1/4 turn. I am hoping this motor is the problem.

[Overland1]

It probably has a strainer inside, which is easy to clean, but will present excessive back pressure when full of goo.  I've done it a couple of times.  Zero cost; just a little time investment.  The hardest part is getting the front cover off and back on, though I had to use a big adjustable wrench (straddling the boss in the middle) to turn the strainer, as it took more torque than unassisted fingers could develop.

Edit:  Here's a vid.  Skip ahead to 0:30 if yours doesn't have the little door in the front.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwDKISK6Hb0

Thanks for the video, I had no idea there was a strainer and maintenance to be done.

[TDKPE]

Thanks for the video, I had no idea there was a strainer and maintenance to be done.

Neither did I until the first time it happened.  I may have actually paid a service tech to do it, because I didn't know it was even there.  Expensive lesson, but the power of the innerweb and youtube have put me on the straight and narrow more times than I can count at this point.



Oh, and you're welcome.