Dryer
Washer Dryer Combo Not Drying: Causes and Fixes
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Prefer to read it? Quick checklist
- Which of these matches what you see right now?
- Water remains in the hose or the hose sags into a trap instead of lying flat: The drain hose traps water or forms a U-shaped bend: Water remains in the hose or the hose sags into a trap instead of lying flat. (likely)
- The cold faucet is off or the hot and cold connections do not match their labels: The cold-water faucet is closed or supply hoses are swapped: The cold faucet is off or the hot and cold connections do not match their labels. (likely)
- Laundry sits above the marked fill line or exceeds the drying capacity: The drum is loaded above the drying fill line: Laundry sits above the marked fill line or exceeds the drying capacity. (likely)
- None of these; show more: Which of these matches what you see right now?
- A blanket or heavy item stays folded rather than opening during drying: Thick items are folded or tangled together: A blanket or heavy item stays folded rather than opening during drying. (possible)
- Drying is weak and the taps are not fully open, the inlet filters at the back look dirty, or: Cold water is restricted by a closed tap, clogged inlet filter or dirty drain pump: Drying is weak and the taps are not fully open, the inlet filters at the back look dirty, or the drain pump has not been cleaned recently. (possible)
- Clothes come out very wet after a Dry Only cycle, or the wash spin did not remove much water: The load still holds too much water when drying starts: Clothes come out very wet after a Dry Only cycle, or the wash spin did not remove much water. (possible)
- None of these; show more: Which of these matches what you see right now?
- The hose, water supply and load follow LG's guidance but drying remains poor: A service fault remains after LG's setup checks: The hose, water supply and load follow LG's guidance but drying remains poor. (possible)
- None of these: Call a qualified technician. If none of these matches, stop and have a qualified technician inspect the appliance rather than opening it.
Last updated
If your washer-dryer combo is not drying, check the drain hose, water supply and marked load line before requesting repair. This guide uses LG’s US WashCombo support instructions; other brands may use a different drying system. LG’s ventless process sends steam through the drain hose, so hose routing matters.
Quick checks before the next drying cycle
Look at the drain hose. LG says it should lie flat on the floor without forming a U-shaped trap. A hose that holds water can prevent steam from leaving the appliance and can lead to poor drying or tapping and grinding sounds. Check that no shelf or dispenser blocks the hose route.
Confirm that the cold-water faucet is open. LG says the drying system condenses steam with water. Check that the hot and cold supply hoses are connected to the matching inlets; LG says supplying hot water can reduce condensation-duct efficiency.
Check the marked fill line. LG says drying capacity is lower than washing capacity. Keep items below the drying line, and unfold thick garments or bedding so they are not nested together. The dryer not-heating hub covers airflow concerns on vented models; the washer not-draining hub covers a separate washer symptom.
Causes, from hose setup to service
1. The drain hose forms a water trap
The drain hose traps water or forms a U-shaped bend
Water remains in the hose or the hose sags into a trap instead of lying flat.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time
- 10 minutes
- Tools
- None listed
LG describes the WashCombo drying system as ventless: steam is expelled through the drain hose to the drain. If water sits in the hose, steam cannot be expelled as intended. LG says the hose should lie flat on the floor without a U-trap.
Check the visible route and remove an obstruction such as a shelf or dispenser that presses on it. If the installation makes a trap unavoidable, LG says the section should not exceed 6 cm (2.36 inches). Do not pull a connected hose hard or create a leak; ask the installer to correct the routing if needed.
2. The cold faucet is closed or the hoses are swapped
The cold-water faucet is closed or supply hoses are swapped
The cold faucet is off or the hot and cold connections do not match their labels.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time
- 10 minutes
- Tools
- None listed
LG says cold water is used to condense steam during drying and the cold-water faucet should remain open. It also warns that hot water supplied to the wrong inlet can reduce condensation-duct efficiency.
Check the faucet labels and visible hose routing against the installation guide. Do not disconnect pressurized hoses. If the connections do not match or the faucet leaks, stop and ask an installer or plumber to correct them.
3. The load is above the drying line
The drum is loaded above the drying fill line
Laundry sits above the marked fill line or exceeds the drying capacity.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 5 minutes
- Tools
- None listed
LG says a combo’s drying capacity is smaller than its washing capacity. A load that fits for washing can still be too large for drying. The appliance’s marked fill line is the cue for the drying load.
Remove enough items to bring the load below that line. Do not rely on a washer capacity label as the drying limit. Run a smaller load if the current load remains damp.
4. Thick items are folded or tangled
Thick items are folded or tangled together
A blanket or heavy item stays folded rather than opening during drying.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 5 minutes
- Tools
- None listed
LG says thick items can stay folded and dry poorly. A blanket or heavy item wrapped around other clothes can prevent the load from opening during the cycle.
Unfold the item and place it in the drum so it can move. If the load is too bulky to stay below the fill line, divide it into smaller drying loads.
5. Cold water is restricted
Cold water is restricted by a closed tap, clogged inlet filter or dirty drain pump
Drying is weak and the taps are not fully open, the inlet filters at the back look dirty, or the drain pump has not been cleaned recently.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time
- 20 minutes
- Tools
- None listed
LG’s long-dry-time page says restricted cold supply reduces drying performance. Its checks are a fully open hot and cold tap, clean inlet filters on the back of the washer and a drain pump (bottom left of the unit) and filter that have been cleaned recently.
Use the owner’s manual for the filter and pump procedures, as LG’s page does. Unplug the unit and shut off the water before disconnecting anything, and expect some water to spill from the pump filter.
6. The load is too wet when drying starts
The load still holds too much water when drying starts
Clothes come out very wet after a Dry Only cycle, or the wash spin did not remove much water.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 5 minutes
- Tools
- None listed
LG says most combos spin before drying, and that a load that did not spin out well, or a Dry Only cycle with poor results, leaves too much water in the fabric. Its step is to run a spin cycle before starting the drying process.
If a separate spin makes the same load dry noticeably better, the cause was water left in the fabric rather than a fault in the drying system.
7. Poor drying continues after the setup checks
A service fault remains after LG's setup checks
The hose, water supply and load follow LG's guidance but drying remains poor.
- Difficulty
- Pro
- Time
- 45 minutes
- Tools
- None listed
If the drain hose lies correctly, the cold-water faucet is open, the supply hoses match their labels and the load is below the marked line, request service if drying remains poor. The LG support pages do not provide a homeowner procedure for opening or testing internal components.
Tell service whether the hose had standing water, whether the cold faucet was open, whether hot and cold were correctly routed and how much laundry was in the drum. Those details help the technician focus on the combo’s condensation path and operating conditions.
How LG’s drying system changes the diagnosis
LG’s WashCombo pages describe a drying system that sends steam through the drain hose. Water helps condense that steam. A hose that traps water or is blocked by a shelf can affect drying performance even if the washer drained during its wash cycle.
The water supply also plays a role. LG says the cold-water tap should remain open for drying and that hot water at the wrong connection can reduce efficiency in the condensation duct. Check the labels and installation sheet rather than swapping hoses based on guesswork.
The capacity label matters too. The washer may accept more laundry for washing than the system can dry in one load. Keep the load under the drying fill line, and unfold thick items. Do not assume an advertised wash capacity is the drying capacity.
What LG’s long-dry-time page adds
LG publishes a second page for combos that take far too long to dry, and it lists a different set of checks from the hose-and-load page above. It is written around the water side of the system, which is easy to overlook because the washing part of the cycle worked normally.
Water is the working part of the dry cycle. LG states that water is needed for the combo to perform the dry function: cold water condenses the moisture, so without it the clothes will not dry. Its first step is to check that both the hot and cold taps are fully open. A tap that was only partly opened after a plumbing job, or a quarter-turn valve that got knocked, is a free fix.
Reversed hoses. LG says the unit uses mostly cold water during the dry cycle, and that if hot water reaches the dryer, condensation efficiency becomes very low. Because a reversed pair of hoses still lets the wash cycle fill, the mistake can go unnoticed for months. Compare the hose colors or labels with the inlet markings on the back of the cabinet.
Inlet filters. LG says restricted cold supply reduces drying performance and tells you to inspect the inlet filters on the back of the washer and make sure they are clean and unclogged. The page does not describe how to clean them, so use the owner’s manual. Turn the water off and unplug the unit before you disconnect a hose.
The drain pump filter. The same page says a dirty drain pump can reduce the cold water supply, and recommends cleaning the drain pump at the bottom left of the unit and its filter. It points you to the owner’s manual for the procedure rather than describing it, and so does this guide. A drain pump filter holds water, so lay a towel down and have a shallow pan ready.
Capacity. LG says the dryer has a capacity of about half that of the washer. If you routinely wash a full drum and then dry it, it will not dry. Its fix is to reduce the load by half so it dries fully. This matches the “Fill up to this line” sticker advice on the other page; if the two ever seem to disagree, follow the sticker inside your own door.
Spin first. LG notes that most combos spin before drying. If the load did not spin out well, or a Dry Only cycle gave poor results, too much water remains in the fabric. Run a spin cycle before starting the drying process. This is a one-button test: if the same load dries better after a separate spin, the problem was water left in the fabric, not the drying system.
None of these pages tells you to check a heating element or a vent, and that is deliberate. A condensing combo has no outside vent to clean, so the usual advice for vented dryers that run but don’t dry does not carry over. Leave the faucet open between cycles too: LG says a small amount of water prevents dust from building up inside the internal components.
A practical order to work through
- Open both taps fully and confirm hot and cold hoses are on the right inlets.
- Lay the drain hose flat and remove anything pressing on it.
- Halve the load, unfold thick items and keep clothes below the fill line.
- Add a separate spin before the dry cycle.
- Clean the inlet filters and the drain pump filter according to the manual.
- Only then book service, and tell the technician which of these you already did.
Stop and call a pro
Stop if a hose is leaking, a supply connection is damaged, the appliance makes a persistent grinding noise or an error remains after the visible setup checks. Do not open the cabinet or bypass a safety feature. Ask an installer or plumber to correct a trapped hose or mismatched water connection if you cannot do so without disconnecting pressurized lines.
Frequently asked questions
Why does an LG ventless combo use water while drying?
LG says the water-free drying system sends steam through the drain hose. Water trapped in that hose can prevent steam from being expelled.
Should the cold-water faucet stay open during drying?
LG says to keep the cold-water faucet open because water condenses the steam in the drying system.
Can I use the washing capacity for a drying load?
LG says drying capacity is lower than washing capacity. Keep the load below the marked fill line and follow the model's drying instructions.
Sources
- LG WashCombo Problems with Drying PerformanceLG Support (US)
- LG Washer Dryer Combo Troubleshooting: Poor Drying PerformanceLG Support (US)
- LG Long Dry Time: Washer/Dryer Combo UnitLG Support (US)