<!-- from fixya rte -->Washer fills up with water when not in use. - Kenmore 3.8 cu. ft. HE3 Front Load Washer

It sounds like one of the automatic water fill valves in the machine is leaking water when washer is off and the valves are closed. There are two manual water supply valves at the wall behind the washer, one for hot water and one for cold. Close the manual hot water supply valve and allow the washer to sit and see if it fills with water. If it does fill, then the cold water automatic fill valve is leaking. If not, then open the hot water manual supply valve and close the cold water manual supply valve. Allow the washer to sit again and see if it fills. If it does then the hot water automatic fill valve is leaking. Replace the leaking valve in your washer. You can order the new valve online using washer brand and model number on a appliance parts web store, or maybe even find it at a local appliance parts store.

If water runs in when the machine is OFF but stops when the tap is turned off it means a faulty watervalve.replace water valve. Probably a double valve. Dont mix up the hoses or the wires........Nomess

Fillingwith water:
The waterfill valve - The water fill valve is a mechanical and electrical part,the coils on the valve need electricity to mechanically open the valve to allowthe water to flow into the washer....myth....the washer pumps water into itself...no, itdoes not. The fill valve opens and the house water pressure pushes the waterinto the washing machine.
No cold wateror no hot water - The fill valve has two coils, one for the hot water and onefor the cold water. It is possible that one of the coils can fail and you loosethat filling ability. If the cold water coil quits, the hot will still work andduring warm fill you will get hot water only and during a cold fill you willget no water at all. If the hot coils quits, you will still have cold waterfill, cold water only on a warm setting and no water on a hot fill setting. Youcan No cold water or no hot water- The fill valve has two coils, one for the hot water and one for the coldwater. It is possible that one of the coils can fail and you loose that fillingability. If the cold water coil quits, the hot will still work and during warmfill you will get hot water only and during a cold fill you will get no waterat all. If the hot coils quits, you will still have cold water fill, cold wateronly on a warm setting and no water on a hot fill setting. You can testa fill valve live for 120volts, power to a fill valve coil and no fill = a bad fill valve. You can also testthe coils for continuity, nocontinuity = a bad fill valve. Some Maytag washers have a fuse in the fillvalve circuit, if this fuse let go the washer will not fill. Fill valves canalso from time to time stick open and not stop filling. If you have to shut offthe fill valves to stop the water fromfilling in the washer, you have a bad fill valve and you will have to replaceit.
Water level controls - The water levelcontrol is also know as apressure switch, this is where you set the water level ( small - medium - large). The water level control is responsible to shut off the power to the fillvalve and direct that power to the timer so the washing machine can start up.The WLC has electrical contacts in it that sends power to the fill valve and whenthe WLC is satisfied the water level is correct the electrical contacts openpower to the fill valve and send the power to the timer and the washer starts.Picture of this here. How the water level control knows when it istime to shut the water off is, a air tight hose runs from the outer washer tank to the waterlevel control. As the water fills the outer tank air is pushed up the hose,depending on which setting you have made ( small- medium - large ) is takes acertain amount of this pressure to make the WLC cycle over and shut off the waterand send this power to the timer. If this hose develops a leak or a pin holethe washer can over fill as the WLC may not be able to shut the water off. Thewater level control can also break down and allow the washer to over fill aswell.
Testinga water level control or a fill valve can be done by using a Testing a water level control ora fill valve can be done by using a ohmmeter or a voltmeter. Testing a waterlevel control or a fill valve can be done by using a ohmmeter or a voltmeter. Testing a waterlevel control or a fill valve can be done by using a ohmmeter or a voltmeter.
You can get required parts from www.repairclinic.com
This will help. Thanks please keepupdated.please do rate the solution positively .thank you for using fixya.

The water fill valve - The water fill valve is a mechanical and electrical part, the coils on the valve need electricity to mechanically open the valve to allow the water to flow into the washer....myth....the washer pumps water into itself...no, it does not. The fill valve opens and the house water pressure pushes the water into the washing machine.
No cold water or no hot water - The fill valve has two coils, one for the hot water and one for the cold water. It is possible that one of the coils can fail and you loose that filling ability. If the cold water coil quits, the hot will still work and during warm fill you will get hot water only and during a cold fill you will get no water at all. If the hot coils quits, you will still have cold water fill, cold water only on a warm setting and no water on a hot fill setting. You can No cold water or no hot water - The fill valve has two coils, one for the hot water and one for the cold water. It is possible that one of the coils can fail and you loose that filling ability. If the cold water coil quits, the hot will still work and during warm fill you will get hot water only and during a cold fill you will get no water at all. If the hot coils quits, you will still have cold water fill, cold water only on a warm setting and no water on a hot fill setting. You can test a fill valve live for 120 volts, power to a fill valve coil and no fill = a bad fill valve. You can also test the coils for continuity, no continuity = a bad fill valve. Some Maytag washers have a fuse in the fill valve circuit, if this fuse let go the washer will not fill. Fill valves can also from time to time stick open and not stop filling. If you have to shut off the fill valves to stop the water from filling in the washer, you have a bad fill valve and you will have to replace it.

The water is siphoning out as it fills. Your drain hose is too low or has a air block. Remove the drain hose from the drain. Set the washer to fill. Hold the drain hose up higher than the washer. If it fills correctly and starts agitating,correct the drain hose problem.

if it agitates without water then the fill pressure switch is stuck , this will lead the unit to beleive its full already.
replace the water level/fill switch for the fix.
Phil

Check to see if there's good water volume coming through the hoses attached to the washing machine. If there is, check to see if the screens inside the water-inlet valve are clean. (The water-inlet valve is the device on the washing machine that the fill hoses are attached to.) If they're clean, you probably have a defective water-inlet valve. If so, you should completely replace the valve.
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The water-level switch regulates your washer's fill volume. This switch is usually a diaphragm device with a small, clear tube attached between the switch and the bottom of the washer's outer tub. As the water level in the tub increases, the pressure on the air in the tube increases. When the pressure reaches a certain level, it activates the switch, shuts off the water, and signals the timer to begin the agitate cycle. If the switch is defective, it may prematurely signal the water to shut off. If so, you probably need to replace the water-level switch.

The water fill valve - The water fill valve is a mechanical and electrical part, the coils on the valve need electricity to mechanically open the valve to allow the water to flow into the washer....myth....the washer pumps water into itself...no, it does not. The fill valve opens and the house water pressure pushes the water into the washing machine.
No cold water or no hot water - The fill valve has two coils, one for the hot water and one for the cold water. It is possible that one of the coils can fail and you loose that filling ability. If the cold water coil quits, the hot will still work and during warm fill you will get hot water only and during a cold fill you will get no water at all. If the hot coils quits, you will still have cold water fill, cold water only on a warm setting and no water on a hot fill setting. You can No cold water or no hot water - The fill valve has two coils, one for the hot water and one for the cold water. It is possible that one of the coils can fail and you loose that filling ability. If the cold water coil quits, the hot will still work and during warm fill you will get hot water only and during a cold fill you will get no water at all. If the hot coils quits, you will still have cold water fill, cold water only on a warm setting and no water on a hot fill setting. You can test a fill valve live for 120 volts, power to a fill valve coil and no fill = a bad fill valve. You can also test the coils for continuity, no continuity = a bad fill valve. Some Maytag washers have a fuse in the fill valve circuit, if this fuse let go the washer will not fill. Fill valves can also from time to time stick open and not stop filling. If you have to shut off the fill valves to stop the water from filling in the washer, you have a bad fill valve and you will have to replace it.

The water fill valve - The water fill valve is a mechanical and electrical part, the coils on the valve need electricity to mechanically open the valve to allow the water to flow into the washer....myth....the washer pumps water into itself...no, it does not. The fill valve opens and the house water pressure pushes the water into the washing machine.
No cold water or no hot water - The fill valve has two coils, one for the hot water and one for the cold water. It is possible that one of the coils can fail and you loose that filling ability. If the cold water coil quits, the hot will still work and during warm fill you will get hot water only and during a cold fill you will get no water at all. If the hot coils quits, you will still have cold water fill, cold water only on a warm setting and no water on a hot fill setting. You can No cold water or no hot water - The fill valve has two coils, one for the hot water and one for the cold water. It is possible that one of the coils can fail and you loose that filling ability. If the cold water coil quits, the hot will still work and during warm fill you will get hot water only and during a cold fill you will get no water at all. If the hot coils quits, you will still have cold water fill, cold water only on a warm setting and no water on a hot fill setting. You can test a fill valve live for 120 volts, power to a fill valve coil and no fill = a bad fill valve. You can also test the coils for continuity, no continuity = a bad fill valve. Some Maytag washers have a fuse in the fill valve circuit, if this fuse let go the washer will not fill. Fill valves can also from time to time stick open and not stop filling. If you have to shut off the fill valves to stop the water from filling in the washer, you have a bad fill valve and you will have to replace it.

The water fill valve - The water fill valve is a mechanical and electrical part, the coils on the valve need electricity to mechanically open the valve to allow the water to flow into the washer....myth....the washer pumps water into itself...no, it does not. The fill valve opens and the house water pressure pushes the water into the washing machine.
No cold water or no hot water - The fill valve has two coils, one for the hot water and one for the cold water. It is possible that one of the coils can fail and you loose that filling ability. If the cold water coil quits, the hot will still work and during warm fill you will get hot water only and during a cold fill you will get no water at all. If the hot coils quits, you will still have cold water fill, cold water only on a warm setting and no water on a hot fill setting. You can No cold water or no hot water - The fill valve has two coils, one for the hot water and one for the cold water. It is possible that one of the coils can fail and you loose that filling ability. If the cold water coil quits, the hot will still work and during warm fill you will get hot water only and during a cold fill you will get no water at all. If the hot coils quits, you will still have cold water fill, cold water only on a warm setting and no water on a hot fill setting. You can test a fill valve live for 120 volts, power to a fill valve coil and no fill = a bad fill valve. You can also test the coils for continuity, no continuity = a bad fill valve. Some Maytag washers have a fuse in the fill valve circuit, if this fuse let go the washer will not fill. Fill valves can also from time to time stick open and not stop filling. If you have to shut off the fill valves to stop the water from filling in the washer, you have a bad fill valve and you will have to replace it.

Washer Basics: Filling with water:
The water fill valve - The water fill valve is a mechanical and electrical part, the coils on the valve need electricity to mechanically open the valve to allow the water to flow into the washer....myth....the washer pumps water into itself...no, it does not. The fill valve opens and the house water pressure pushes the water into the washing machine.
No cold water or no hot water - The fill valve has two coils, one for the hot water and one for the cold water. It is possible that one of the coils can fail and you loose that filling ability. If the cold water coil quits, the hot will still work and during warm fill you will get hot water only and during a cold fill you will get no water at all. If the hot coils quits, you will still have cold water fill, cold water only on a warm setting and no water on a hot fill setting. You can No cold water or no hot water - The fill valve has two coils, one for the hot water and one for the cold water. It is possible that one of the coils can fail and you loose that filling ability. If the cold water coil quits, the hot will still work and during warm fill you will get hot water only and during a cold fill you will get no water at all. If the hot coils quits, you will still have cold water fill, cold water only on a warm setting and no water on a hot fill setting. You can test a fill valve live for 120 volts, power to a fill valve coil and no fill = a bad fill valve. You can also test the coils for continuity, no continuity = a bad fill valve. Some Maytag washers have a fuse in the fill valve circuit, if this fuse let go the washer will not fill. Fill valves can also from time to time stick open and not stop filling. If you have to shut off the fill valves to stop the water from filling in the washer, you have a bad fill valve and you will have to replace it.


Water level controls - The water level control is also know as a pressure switch, this is where you set the water level ( small - medium - large ). The water level control is responsible to shut off the power to the fill valve and direct that power to the timer so the washing machine can start up. The WLC has electrical contacts in it that sends power to the fill valve and when the WLC is satisfied the water level is correct the electrical contacts open power to the fill valve and send the power to the timer and the washer starts. Picture of this here. How the water level control knows when it is time to shut the water off is, a air tight hose runs from the outer washer tank to the water level control. As the water fills the outer tank air is pushed up the hose, depending on which setting you have made ( small- medium - large ) is takes a certain amount of this pressure to make the WLC cycle over and shut off the water and send this power to the timer. If this hose develops a leak or a pin hole the washer can over fill as the WLC may not be able to shut the water off. The water level control can also break down and allow the washer to over fill as well.
Testing a  water level control or a fill valve can be done by using a Testing a  water level control or a fill valve can be done by using a ohm meter or a volt meter. Testing a  water level control or a fill valve can be done by using a ohm meter or a volt meter. Testing a  water level control or a fill valve can be done by using a ohm meter or a volt meter.
A couple of tips from readers (Thankx!! ):
~ If you have a loose hose on the water level control or tank end, use a plastic wire tie to help hold the hose tighter and make a tight fit.
~ The water level tube (tube that runs from the square box), access panel on the outer drum where the bleach tube also ends) from the pressure sensor switch (front panel) can become clogged.  Or the two holes from the outer tub into this square box panel on the outside of the outer tub can become clogged. Either clog, I am told by my help repair guy can cause the sensor to think that there is still too much water in the tub and so will not allow motor to activate spin.
~ If the water level control contact is bad, it may also stop the filling ok, but not tell the washer to start agitating.