F21 on a Whirlpool washer means one thing: the water is not leaving the tub fast enough. The machine gives the drain a set amount of time, does not see the level drop, and stops with the code rather than carrying on.
Most articles about F21 list every part that could possibly cause it. That is not very useful when you are standing in front of a full tub. So here is what it actually turned out to be on the last six of these I fixed in Stark County.
What F21 actually was, six times out of six
- Three of six — something stuck in the drain path. A sock lodged in the hose before the pump. Socks and clothing packed into the pump itself. Small items pulled through and jammed in the impeller.
- Three of six — the drain pump had failed. One had bearings on the way out. One ran sporadically and overheated, working for a couple of cycles and then quitting.
That is the honest split. Half the time F21 is laundry, and half the time it is a part. Which is why the first thing worth doing costs nothing.
Check the coin trap first — genuinely, do this yourself
On most Whirlpool front-load and top-load washers there is a filter or coin trap behind a small access panel at the bottom front of the machine. Put a towel and a shallow pan down first, because water will come out. Unthread the cap and look at what is in there.
If you find a sock, a wire from an underwire bra, a hair clip or a handful of coins, pull it out, thread the cap back in, and run a rinse and spin. In three of my last six F21 calls, that would have been the whole repair. I would rather tell you that than take a service call to remove a sock.
Also worth a look while you are there: the drain hose behind the machine, in case it has been kinked or pushed too far down the standpipe.
When it is the pump, and how I tell
If the trap is clear and the hose is fine, the next question is whether the pump is dead or is simply not being told to run. Those look identical from the front of the machine.
On one of these — a Whirlpool that drained fine for a couple of cycles and then quit — I measured 120 volts at the pump while it was sitting there doing nothing. That single reading settles it. The board is doing its job and sending power; the pump is receiving it and refusing to turn. The pump is the fault, not the control board.
That matters to your wallet. A drain pump is an inexpensive part. A main control board is not. Anyone quoting you a board for an F21 without having taken that reading is guessing.
What it usually costs
If it is an obstruction, it is a service call and you are done. If the pump needs replacing, most of these land in the $167 to $400 range including parts and labor. You get a flat-rate number before I start, the service call comes off the repair, and labor is covered for six months.
One thing to know: a washer that keeps swallowing socks is usually telling you the tub-to-boot seal has come away, so items slip past into the outer tub. If that is what is going on, taking out the sock is a temporary fix and I will say so.
Same code, different washers
F21 is Whirlpool language, but the fault is not. Maytag and Kenmore washers built on the same platform show it too — one of the six above was a Maytag and one a Kenmore. Some models display F21 as F21, some as 5d or Sud, and some just stop mid-cycle with water in the drum. The drain path is the thing to look at either way.
Cleared the trap and still getting F21? Request service online any time, or call or text (330) 915-7222.