Direct answer: When an LG washer keeps draining, the most common cause is not a bad pump right away. More often the drain hose is set too far down the standpipe and the washer is siphoning water out, or the washer is not reading water level correctly and keeps trying to empty.
Most likely: Start with the drain hose position, standpipe setup, and whether the tub is actually filling and then losing water. If the hose setup is right and the drain pump runs even with little or no water in the tub, a water-level sensing problem becomes more likely.
Watch what the water is doing, not just what the machine sounds like. If the tub fills and the water level drops on its own, think hose setup first. If the pump kicks on and keeps running with the tub already empty, think sensing or control. Reality check: a lot of "bad pump" calls turn out to be a drain hose shoved too deep into the pipe. Common wrong move: sealing the drain hose tightly into the standpipe, which can make draining behavior worse instead of better.
Don’t start with: Do not start by ordering a washer drain pump or control board just because you hear draining. A washer that is siphoning can sound exactly like a pump problem.
You can hear water entering, but the tub never seems to keep it. The level falls without the washer making normal progress.
Start here: Start with the drain hose height and how far the hose is pushed into the standpipe.
You hear the drain pump humming or rushing water sounds even though there is little or no water left in the tub.
Start here: Start with a cancel or power reset, then inspect the pressure hose and air dome area for blockage or damage.
The washer may begin filling, pause, then go back to draining instead of moving into wash.
Start here: Check whether the washer can actually sense a stable water level before assuming the main control is bad.
The problem started after installation, cleaning behind the washer, or changing the drain hose routing.
Start here: Look hard at hose routing, standpipe depth, kinks, and any airtight connection at the drain.
This is the most common lookalike. The washer fills, but water keeps pulling out because the hose is too low, too deep, or sealed too tightly at the drain.
Quick check: With the washer filling, watch the tub water level and the drain hose setup at the same time. If the level drops without a normal drain command, correct the hose setup first.
The washer uses air pressure to read water level. If that small hose is clogged with residue, kinked, or popped loose, the machine may never get a clean full-level reading and can keep draining.
Quick check: Unplug the washer, remove the top or access panel as needed, and inspect the small pressure hose from the tub air dome to the pressure sensor for kinks, splits, or sludge.
Even if the pressure hose looks fine, soap residue and debris at the tub connection can block the air signal and confuse the water-level reading.
Quick check: Inspect the tub-side pressure port area for buildup if the hose is clear but the washer still acts like it cannot sense water level.
If the tub is empty and the pump still runs steadily after the hose setup and pressure-sensing path check out, the pump may be jammed internally or the washer may be commanding drain when it should not.
Quick check: Listen for a harsh pump hum, grinding, or a pump that stays on immediately after reset with no water in the tub.
You need to separate siphoning from an electrical drain command before you touch anything inside the washer.
Next move: If you confirm the tub is losing water while filling, you have a strong siphoning clue and should correct the drain hose setup next. If the tub holds water normally at first but the washer still switches into drain and stays there, move on to the water-level sensing checks.
What to conclude: The sound alone can fool you. What matters is whether water is being pulled out on its own or the washer is actively commanding drain.
A bad hose setup is the fastest, safest fix and the most common cause after a move or recent installation.
Next move: If the washer now fills and holds water normally, the problem was siphoning and you do not need parts. If the hose setup is clearly correct and the washer still keeps draining, move to the pressure-sensing path.
What to conclude: When the hose is too deep or too low, the washer can empty itself even though the pump is fine.
If the washer cannot read water level, it may keep trying to drain or fail to move into the wash portion of the cycle.
Next move: If the washer fills, senses level, and stops the endless draining behavior, the issue was in the pressure hose path. If the hose is intact and clear but the washer still acts like it cannot sense water level, inspect the tub air dome connection next.
Once the hose setup and pressure hose are ruled out, the next likely causes are a blocked pressure port at the tub or a drain pump that keeps running when it should not.
Next move: If cleaning the air dome area restores normal filling and washing, the washer was not reading water level correctly. If the pump still runs empty after the sensing path checks, the drain pump becomes the strongest repair part on this page. If the pump sounds normal but is clearly being commanded on at the wrong time, professional diagnosis is the safer next move.
By now you should know whether this was installation-related, a water-level sensing issue, or a pump problem.
A good result: A normal repair result is simple: the washer fills, holds water, washes, then drains only at the proper points in the cycle.
If not: If the washer still keeps draining after hose setup, pressure path checks, and a confirmed pump replacement need, the remaining fault is likely in the washer's sensing or control side and is not a good guess-and-buy repair.
What to conclude: The right fix depends on the pattern you saw, not the brand symptom phrase alone.
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The first thing to suspect is siphoning. If the drain hose is too low, pushed too deep into the standpipe, or sealed too tightly at the drain, water can pull out of the tub as fast as it goes in.
Yes, but it is not the first thing I would blame. A failing washer drain pump is more convincing when the tub is already empty and the pump still runs with a rough hum, grinding, or obvious pump trouble after the hose setup and pressure-sensing checks are done.
The washer pressure hose carries an air signal from the tub to the water-level sensor. If that hose is kinked, split, loose, or clogged, the washer may never get a clean water-level reading and can keep switching into drain.
Not early. Control faults are possible, but they are a poor first guess. Rule out siphoning, a bad drain setup, a blocked air dome, and a damaged washer pressure hose before spending money on electronics.
Not until you know why. If it is siphoning, the washer will not wash correctly and can overwork itself. If the pump is running empty for long periods, that can damage the washer drain pump.