Whirlpool Duet Sport Washer will not drain - F-21 error

Perfect! Yes, they aer 1/4" 6pt screws. I didn't have to lift my washer, but the previous tech had put in 1 screw crooked, so that was FUN! I had cut out an opening on an old cracked tote and was able to hold all the water as long as I transferred some to a bunch of tupperware. Make sure you line up the upper mark on the white drain plug before putting back in. The tote was getting overloaded and I didn't notice the alignment marks until after having some water overflow. Just a heads-up if anyone has an emergency and HAS to get the plug back in in a hurry.

I found:
Wife's Victoria's Secret panties
2 dimes
4 pennies
some legos
a metal nut
pencil eraser
wall anchor
some legos

My washer had this same problem and error message. After removing the front panel, draining the water, cleaning out the filter, replacing everything and running a test load, it still failed to drain. So I took everything apart again and checked the pump motor (just to the right of the filter, it twists off). The motor had a small sock tangled in it. Now the washer is working perfectly. Thanks to those of you who offered help!

Just had the exact same problem. Front panel screws hard to get at, (unit stacked) but used univeral on ratchet. Wow, how easy compared to our old stacking GE unit. Word of advice, unscrew the drain plug slowly. We had a LOT of water, and used a heavy duty garbage bag held around the drain to "catch" the water. Worked great-no wet towel mess. Thanks

when you take off the drain plug have a shop vac there and open slowly while sucking the water there is very little water leak that way really no mess

Regarding the F02 Error on the Front End Whirlpool Duet, I was able to resolve the problem with the instructions from here, just want to stress cleaning out the filter by removing the front panel. Very easy and the error code is now gone. (screws are underneath front panel at bottom, remove stacker drawer for easy access, remove screws, pull panel off, remove the filter cap, turn to the left and pull out—that's where you will locate the clog. Thank you so much! I had called whirlpool and Sears and neither source was helpful, they suggested using a local technician. THIS FIX TOOK 10 Minutes. DO IT!

I went through a few other websites first before I found this one. Right after I got the washer I washed about 12 of our pet pigs blankets and all was good until last night when my boyfriend tried to wash a load of our jeans and POOF! F21. We are both pretty mechanical and couldn't fix it from the manual. Anyway I followed the directions and we have a washer now, after a coffee full of pig hair. I also noticed that the clothes weren't getting as clean as I thought they should. All is good now.

david

Just fixed mine today. Took about 5 minutes. One thing I did that I have not seen listed was to put my washer on its back, that way when I undid the drain, there was no mess at all. I am sure that I didn't get ALL of the material that created the blockage, but I am sure that the time I saved in clean up will more than pay for doing this easy process again.

Tilt it on it's back...its the way to go!!!

Disconnect the AC plug
Remove the bottom front access panel (3 screws on bottom front lip)
there you will see the filter access , have rags ready for extra water ,check the pump impellers that they freely move.

F21, this was a big problem for us as well. Started with an "SD error" which indicates that it is taking 4 mins to drain water from the washer, after that when it takes up to 8mins the F21 error occurs.

The instructions to fix this were great and did the trick, would add a few suggestions:
1) Removing the front panel just under the washer door can be tricky, it is secured underneath by 3 1/4" hex screws, you may need a special hex driver or ratchet to remove (can get at home Depot for $4)
2) Make sure you check the tubing from the drum and out to the drain they can be clogged to
3) Twist open drain filter slowly, water will come out so put a heavy duty garbage bag underneath to catch water
4) When replacing filter make sure to line up notch at the top of filter with the groove inside and then slowly screw clockwise back in until tight
5)Make sure to replace front cover tightly, there is a drip fuse that won't let the washer run unless front cover is back on.

Socks are the most common I thing I found.

All took about 10 mins. Good luck

I had the same problem, thought oh no it's gonna cost me. Googled it, came here...and what do you know. Problem solved. Had 2 baby socks and what looked like lint in there. All better!!!! Took 5 minutes or less to fix. 3 screws in front on bottom....big clean out in front of pump.

I had the F-21 error message come up also. I tilted the machine back and propped it up with (4) 2X4's. Using a ratchet, I took off the three bolts on the bottom front panel. The drain is located on the right front of the machine. I loostened the big round filter access port and caught the water in a heavy duty trask bag (which I emptied three times). I found 2 quarters, 2 dimes, 2 pennies and a button. I stuck my finger into the pump motor and found a micro fiber lens cleaning cloth stuck in the impeller. I removed sais items and put the machine back together, and it now runs fine!
Since doing this, I have gained hero status here in the home front! It was very easy and I recommend doing it yourself instead of calling a service repair person. If you know how to use a screwdriver, you can do it!

We just fixed this F21 problem. It took us about a half hour and we found over $9.00 in change, about 20 hair pins, candy wrappers, lots of animal hair, and 2 buttons. Take the 3 screws off the bottom front panel, twist off the drain plug (need something to catch the water), and clean the plastic filter. We had lots of stuff in the black tube also.. so we decided to remove it and clean it too. The hardest part of the whole thing was putting the clamp back on the black hose. So, saved lots of money on a house call, spent a bit of time, and made $9.00!

I used to get this F-21 error every time.

Funny I did not find and detailed instructions here on how to fix this. Then I found a manual (https://secured.whirlpool.com/Service/SrvTechAdm.nsf/2cd44500d572193285256a45004fd9d6/6545d78b3f479480852571650061b1ba/$FILE/8178558.pdf).

Followed instructions on page
4-11, # 10 - to open the lower access panel
4-17 # 1 to 4 - to open the filter

It is here I found one shredded cloth, couple of legos and a sketch-pen

I had the same F-21 error and thanks to others who have posted, I was able to solve the problem. F-21 is the code Whirlpool uses to signify that the machine has tried to empty the drum unsuccessfully for four minutes. This is telling you either the hose that drains to the wall is blocked or the filter for the pump is blocked. If your hose is kinked, you have solved the problem. If it is not, then you have to clean the filter. To do this, do just as the others have recommended...
1) Unplug the machine.
2) Remove the front panel(my duet had 3 1/4" sheet metal screws on the bottom of the panel.)
3) Unscrew the white cap you see next to the small little pump.(note, any water in the machine will flood out. Have about 20 towels or better yet...a wet/dry shop vac. Someone else suggested this and it worked great. Once you turn that white cap a revolution or two, water will come out slowly. You can use the shop vac to **** it up before it hits the floor)
4) Pull out the cap completely and look at your new treasure. Mine consisted of the following: Two collar stays, one small plastic jewel from a shirt, two pieces of orange plastic of unknown origin and the big prize...one slimey sock.
5) Carefully replace the white cap being sure not to cross thread the connection.
6) Replace the front cover(this was the hardest part, those small screws are a pain to work with)
7) Plug it back in and fire it up!!!

Good luck and thank you to all who have posted...you saved me well over $100 I am sure!!!

Thank you all! Worked great! When I got the F21, I turned washer off, which took about 10 minutes. I then ran a "Drain/spin" cycle. When it finished (11 min.), I followed the instructions (remove the 3 screws & cleaning the filter) and had very little water drain out...FYI. You might want to try running that cycle cycle first for less clean up.

first unplug power,get a big can of peaches or what ever is handy,to push under washer so you can get to the 3 screws on front panel......once I got those off,and did a little prying to remove panel,I found the manual in a plastic pouch on the other side.ok,you will see a good size plug ,have containers under there and ready to catch water.....turn toward your left,its hard at first,but turn slowly,the water will come out,after most of the water has drained keep turning and pull on out,you will be amazed at what you will find!look back in there to see if you see anything else,if you do,just pour some water in the tub ,squeeze black rubber bulb,it will milk the rest on out. good luck,hope this helps

1) take (3) screws off front lower panel, remove panel.
2) unscrew ground wire off on right side and pop out the plastic crossbar by reaching behind and squeezing 2, one on each side, clamps together to get out of way. (can get to parts much easier by doing this) also disconnect (3) rubber boots from bottom of filter from the machine. Note: the front one pull up and toward you. the back two you have to work a little (not hard at all)
3) get 2-4 gallon bucket (I used an old kitty litter bucket, worked fine) set close to washer under filter.
4) put wash rag under filter (this will catch excess water) and remove white hose. (an adjustable pair of pliers works great) quickly turn filter unit to the right and pull a little toward you over the edge so the water coming out can go directly into the bucket. YOU WILL GET WATER" Note: if the sound and/or sight of running water makes you have to use the restroom, it would be a great time to go before step 4. Note: be careful not to disconnect and/or pull apart the 2 black wires on the filter.
5) after water drains disconnect black hose. (an adjustable pair of pliers works the best.
6) disconnect (3) screws and pull apart filter.
7) take trash out of inside of filter and go to sink to rinse and clean.
8) put filter back together and tighten (3) screws. Note: make sure the grooves line up (they are in a shape of an hourglass) if you look careful enough you can see what holes the screws were in before.
9)set filter inside of washer and hook black hose back up. Note: if you take the clamp and push it all the way to the back and position the squeezers at the top. you can hold the hose on with one hand and are able to get adjustable pliers in to squeezers easier.
10) hook up white hose (much easier than black)
11) slide and pop the (3) rubber boots back into position.
12) pop clamps back in place for crossbar and reconnect the ground wire.
13) replace front lower panel and replace (3) screws
congratulations you are finished. when I did this I became $0.11 richer and I found my grandsons missing sock. approx. time 20-30 min.

We only got about one gallon of water, luckily. Easy fix. We had a stench that we thought was coming from a sewer line in the basement for almost a year. Little did we know it was all the gunk in the washer filter! We found a bracelet, 3 dimes, 2 pennies, 1 quarter, 3 nails, 2 hairclips, a hairband, and drumroll please... a nursing pad! And a BIG stench. Highly recommend making sure you clean out the big soft rubber hose that comes from the drum into the filter housing. AND...RUN A BLEACH ONLY CYCLE THROUGH WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED. Altogether an easy fix. We're marking it on the calendar to do it again every six months.

We got 6 slimy baby socks and a dime. Thank you all for posting!!!

Great instructions thanks! We actually ran the washer through the drain cycle, and only had about a gallon of water come out. Also, before we opened the filter we pulled the filter out of the 3 red rubber holders holding it down and could tip the filter toward the bucket. It was stinky, but not too messy! Lots of hair, a swim suit top insert, and pony tail holders. Thanks for all the tips.

The error on my machine was F-- and no number. It was, however, getting stopped on alternate cycles with an SD error. Once I got here, I thought what the heck. I tried it and it worked!!!
1) The screws for the panel are the three that run parallel to the floor.
2) Our machine doesn't have a pedestal, so we had to tilt it back to get the screws out. This makes it a two person job.
3) It was really hard to turn the drain valve to the left to get it open. In part, because we couldn't get the proper leverage as it was so close to the floor.
4) The garbage bag solution was brilliant. Just empty the water out of the bag and you're done with no other clean up.
5) Found a lot of dog hair, pencil, broken plastic toy and some change.
6) We also discovered that the funky, musty smell in our basement from time to time was actually the washer. The sitting water in the drain combined with the dog hair was the culprit.

Thanks for saving my Sunday, and my week ahead, by helping me get to seven loads of laundry.

Followed the simple steps and IT WORKS. Thanks everyone, and THANKS FIXYA.com. I found 3 of those Purex washer/dryer sheets (won't be using those anymore), $2.05 in change, a hard plastic straw, a blue marble and a key!

Thanks this fixed my washing machine Whirlpool Duet; a bobbypin was jamed in a the pump; cleaned the filter & put it all back together; works fine thank y'all very much !!!

I followed the instructions on removing the 3 little screws. THANK YOU to whomever posted to make sure and have a HEAVY garbage bag ready to catch the water before removing the lid to the filter (I tucked part of the garbage bag edge under the filter to keep the water from going everywhere). Found a handkerchief, 3 pennies and a bead. Reran machine and it worked. THANK YOU ALL!!!! :) Happy Housewife

My Washer was doing the F21 too off and on and the solutions posted worked very well... I took the three screws out the bottom of the front panel. Twisted the white cap off and caught all the water with nearly 10 towels...(should have used the shop vac) and i found two kids socks, and of course they werent a match, 4 dollars and 42 cents in change, a pen, hair barette and lots of hair. It was crazy how much was in there... and the put it back together and ran it and it works like it was brand new. Its even really quiet again.... thanks everyone

I tried re washing and as soon as it gets to 2 minutes it says f 2,,,and I shut it down,and the clothes are soak.I then tried to go back to drain spin and it did the samething..and also just beeps and beeps

I too cleaned the drain but put two bricks under the front legs. This kept the water inside and allowed me to clean the drain with out a mess. A small frying pan caught the little that came out with the filter. thanks for the help.

Just want to tell you I fixed the problem (cleaning the drain) myself in 10 minutes. The hardest part was finding the right ratchet set to use. I am annoyed because Whirlpool doesn't tell you what the error code means and wanted to send a technician. After a no-show one day, we rescheduled and the technician called to make sure we really wanted him, as he was going to charge $170 and clearly this is something we could do ourselves. I appreciate his honesty and we did it! Now I'm angry that Whirlpool runs this scam by referring you to someone who I'm sure pays them a cut!

Lot's of good advice! I was able to resolve this F21 problem quickly and at no cost. I didn't discover any interesting treasures, just lint, hay and stones. I still don't see how Legos can get threw the small holes in the drum, maybe they come pre-installed from the factory. We've had our pair for one year and my wife loves it.

My washer will wash fine til about 17 minutes then it goes to F21 then 5d and them we reset it and start over and it does it again.

Thanks everyone for great instructions on this. I had the same problem and it took me longer to paw through hubby's tool chest to find the right size socket than it did to actually clean out the drain!

The problem was clothing caught in the drain. Unplug and turn off hot and cold. If water is in the basin, pull the washer out a bit and tilt back to 45 degrees. Unscrew the three screws holding the bottom cover in place on the front. Once open, the drain plug is on the right and unscrews. This is where the clothing was located for me. I removed it, put the plug back, screwed the cover back on, and started a new cycle.

Item number 200263553210 on eBay is a cheap PDF repair manual for that model.

Premmy

Thank you!!! I've been struggling FOREVER with this problem. Every repair person tells me to run the clean cycle... After two days of running the cycles - putting Draino in the drains - suctioning the drains... I was losing my mind! I finally got down on my belly and found the filter. I put a brownie pan in front of the drain and had my mini shop vac ready to catch the water... I opened the valve slowly and was able to control the water beautifully. My 5 year old and 9 year old daughters and I managed to fix the problem in minutes - with no mess!!! And yes, we found lots of change, panties, bandaids, rubber bands, erasers - the works... Amazing the machine worked at all.

Here is a tip to deal with the water when uncloging the filter. I used it, and it worked great. Before you start the repair, empty the washer of all garments, and clean off the end of the drainage hose. Then Blow backwards through the drain hose. Set the washer to drain cycle, and let it drain until it stops. You may have to do this more than once, but blowing through the drain hose will temporarly unclog the filter, and allow it to drain some of the water. After the drain cycle finishis, complete the repair as listed. I only had about 32 ounces of water come out, not bad at all. I did Find lost of hair, about $3.00 in change, and several air soft pellets. Hope this helps.

save yourself money . . .follow the instructions to remove the front panel screws with a ratchet, and unscrew the drain plug . . have a bucket or two ready . . .A LOT of whater will come out, as well as whatever is clogging the drain. . . in our case, 4 quaters, 10 pennies, a hair clip, a pen, a stocking, several air soft gun pellets, wads of fuzz, a green unidentified object (looked like wax that you use when you swim so you don't get water in your ear) the tag to something from pacsun, and a bullet .. . if i hadn't have seen it myself i wouldn't have believed all that stuff could get stuck in there . . .cleaned it out, and save at least 100 bucks . . b/c the instruction manual basically says if you check the drain hose and it's clear, and you still keep getting the F21 error, call a repair man . . .did the whole job in 15 minutes