What do you do when you have a Miele washing machine that doesn’t drain? Most people would immediately call in a Miele repair technician to take a look. This can be expensive and is probably not even necessary. This is because there are a lot of common causes for water not draining from the washing machine.
Luckily, many of the reasons water doesn’t drain from the washing machine are easily fixed. You can often take care of the problem yourself once you’ve done some troubleshooting. Very often your Miele washing machine isn’t draining properly due to a blocked drain hose or even a clogged drain pump.
Let’s take a look at some of the reasons that your Miele washing machine is not draining all the water so you can get it fixed quickly.
Top reasons that Miele washing machines won’t drain
Some very common issues arise on occasion that will cause the water to not drain properly. Before you call for a Miele technician to make a service call that can cost a lot of money, you should do some troubleshooting yourself to get to the bottom of the problem. Most are a DIY fix and we will give you tips on how to solve the problem yourself.
Using too much detergent
One of the easiest things to fix that could be causing your problem with water not draining properly is the fact that you may be using excessive amounts of detergent. It takes a while to have an effect, but when you use a lot of detergents then it can create sludge or residue inside the pump filter or even in the hose.
The way to get around this is to first stop using so much detergent when washing your clothes. Then do a cleaning cycle by adding some washing machine cleaner powder to the drum and running it at 90°C.
Take a look at the owner’s manual to see exactly how much detergent and what type is ideal for your model of Miele washing machine.
Related to using too much detergent is overloading the machine with too many clothes. The weight of it when it fills with water will cause the machine to become unbalanced and could damage the motor when the drum is spinning. This will cause the cycle to stop midway through so it doesn’t damage the motor. Take some of the clothes out of the drum and then restart it. Avoid overloading in the future.
Kinked or clogged drain hose
The most common and easily fixed cause of your water not draining properly is a kinked or clogged drain hose. Since the hose is flexible it can get bent very easily and this blocks the water flow out of the washing machine. As soon as the Miele detects that it can’t flush all the water, it will shut down in the middle of the wash cycle and leave water in the drum.
Think about the last time that you moved the washing machine as you may have inadvertently caused the hose to get kinked and block the flow. It is also a corrugated hose that tends to trap debris inside of it and allows sludge to build up where it bends. This will also block the flow of water and shut the wash cycle down.
Lastly, if your Miele machine is unbalanced and you tend to overload the drum then you will cause the machine to shake and move around. This movement could also cause the hose to get bend and block the water.
If it’s not bent then look for any obstructions in the hose itself. Some hoses are made out of opaque material which allows you to see through it somewhat and you’ll see if there is something blocking it. Otherwise, you’ll need to take the hose off of the Miele washer machine and bring it outside to flush it out with a garden hose.
When you put the hose back onto the machine and into the sink drain, make sure that the end of the hose is not deeper than 4 inches inside the drain so water doesn’t flow back into the Miele washing machine.
Blocked drain pipes
The next area of concern occurs further down past the end of the sump hose. This is where the pipes drain away water from the house. In some cases, the sump hose from the Miele washer is attached directly to a drain pipe that is dedicated for just this purpose. In others, the sump hose is attached to the pipes under the sink and drains there.
Whatever the case may be, there could be a blockage in that pipe that is affecting the draining of the water from the washing machine.
Give the drain pipes an inspection especially the u-bend as that is what generally traps debris and will cause water to back up into the machine causing it to stop. Carefully open each end and have a towel handy to sop up any water that might seep out. Dump the water into a bucket and see if there is any debris, sludge, or even an obstruction such as a small sock. Replace the u-bend once it is clear and then you should be able to run a test wash.
Blocked drain filter pump
There is a potential problem within many Miele washing machines if there is still water that isn’t draining properly. This can be caused by a clogged coin trap which is another name for the drain pump filter. The reason is that a lot of coins pass through the drum and could end up in the sump hose so the pump filter is there to catch it first.
There are loads of other small objects that are often found inside the drain pump filter such as small socks, safety pins, and hair bands. The thing to do is to get inside the pump drain filter and see if there is an obstruction.
- Unplug the washing machine from the mains power
- Close the valve for the water inlet supply
- Locate the service panel which is at the bottom right of the washer
- Once the flap is open you should see a cover cap for the coin trap aka pump drain filter
- Slowly turn the cap cover anti-clockwise and let the water out a little at a time into a shallow receptacle or into some towels on the floor
- Once the flow slows down you can open the pump trap up all the way and remove it
- Inspect the filter for any drain filter obstructions including sludge from excess lint build-up
- Clean inside the drain pump housing as there may be some hidden foreign objects
- Check if the pump impeller at the back of the housing can turn on its own by pushing with your finger
- Clean everything up and replace the cover cap and service panel
- Turn on the water and once the Miele washer is plugged back into the power supply do a test run
Assuming that you found some foreign objects in the drain pump filter or that some sludge needed to be cleaned then when you do a test run it will drain properly again. If there were no obstructions in the pump then you will have to go back to the drawing board to see what the drain pump problem could be.
Damaged door lock
Since the door is opened and closed quite a lot, it is a very common Miele malfunction in which the door lock won’t keep the door closed on the front end laundry loaders. When the door lock is loose but not completely loose then the machine may stop in the middle of a cycle. When the door lock is completely loose, it will signal to the computer to not start at all. If you have been having trouble with the wash getting interrupted and this time it is not draining then this is a sign that it is likely your door lock is faulty.
You can use a multimeter on the door lock assembly and see if it is working. If it is visibly loose then you should fix it. You should be able to replace this part yourself by following the instructions below or by watching some YouTube tutorial videos.
- Unplug the washing machine from the mains electric supply
- Unscrew the door lock assembly and remove it. Have the replacement Miele part ordered for the specific make and model Miele washing machines
- Screw the assembly back in and then plug the machine in again
Lid switch has a fault
If you have a Miele washer model that is a top loading kind then the lid switch assembly could be causing the same problem as the door lock. That is if the assembly is not working then it will not signal to the machine to start washing. It will start and fill the drum but it will stop before spinning so you’ll be left with lots of water in the tub and wet clothing.
You can find out right away if this is the case by checking if the indicator light on the display lights up or not when you open the door. If it doesn’t then this means the assembly needs a replacement. Unfortunately, this requires a technician who does services to come and fix it.
Damaged drive belt
At this point there is one last thing that should be checked and luckily it is one that you can potentially fix yourself. There is a rubber belt that connects the motor to the drum so it spins and even helps start draining. If this belt is damaged, or broken then it affects the drum spinning and will shut off the machine when it can’t. This is what leaves water in the tub.
You can inspect the belt to see if that is yourself and then potentially do a DIY repair.
- Unplug the machine from the power supply and then turn off the incoming water to the washer
- Drain off any of the water in the tub by locating the service panel on the bottom right of the machine
- Turn the machine on its side to expose the bottom and remove the protective metal plate
- Take a look at the drive belt that is now exposed and look to see if it is damaged in any way
- If it is damaged then unscrew the screws that attach it to the washer
- Replace with a new belt and screw it back into place
- Replace the metal protective plate and return the washer to its upright position
You should now be able to turn the Miele washer on again, connect it to the water inlet supply and then run a test. If it runs through without stopping then you have solved the problem and it only cost you as much as you paid for the replacement belt.
Final Word
There is no doubt that it is annoying to find that your Miele washer is not draining water properly. It should come as a relief that you are able to troubleshoot it yourself and get on with your normal laundry routine.
It could take a while to go through the process of elimination but once you do then you will now know what to do the next time your washer tub doesn’t drain water so you don’t worry about replacing it.
FAQ
What does the F11 error code mean?
This code lighting up your Miele washer front panel display will let you know that there is a malfunction and it won’t drain water. This will let you know right away that you need to look for obstructions in the drain pump or sink drain.
What does the F16 error code mean?
This code lets you know that you are using too much cleaning detergent in your washer. Don’t ignore this code as it could lead to poor drainage and other problems with your wash.
What does the F35 error code mean?
You’ll know that you have a problem with a faulty door lock on your Miele washer when you see this code. It indicates that the door can’t close properly and it will disrupt the cycle.