Miele Tumble Dryer (Condensing) Leaking?

[j3stn]

Hi,

Miele tumble dryer has started leaking. It leaks from the rear. I have had the back off and can see that it is from the back of the condensor at the bottom. There is a small hole behind the condensor which is where water drains into and this flows somehow into the small container to its left. This has the motor with impeller which pumps the water up to the collection container. I have had this out and blown throught the pipe so no blockages. I have run the machine with the back off and the impeller spins every so often to pump water up. However the small hole behind the condensor fills and this is what overflows and leaks out of the back plate. If I blow into this hole the water passes into the container to the left to be pumped up but if I just pour water into it it sits there and dows not flow through naturally? Is this correct? If I run the machine with the metal back off then no water appears at the back but if I put the back on for a while then it starts to leak. Once I take the back off there is alot of moisture on the metal back plate iteslf which runs down?

I had an issue a few months ago where the sensor went and I took the back off to replace it with the kind help of this forum.

Any Ideas?

 

[Susanne]

Hi there,
I've just taken off my back plate to get to the sensor (to fix the "machine running cold only" problem), and when I took off the plate, the silicone seal broke in two places, ie. 2 small sections of the seal remained attached to the machine, instead of staying on the back plate.

I assume that unless I reseal the back plate with a new and continuous seal, there is a chance of water leaking through in those two places.

Perhaps a similar thing is causing your problem?

 

[j3stn]

Hi Suzanne, I had that fault also. Replaced sensor and all worked fine for a short while but then it started leaking. With the back plate off there is a small hole just behind the condensing unit. It is full of water and seems not to drain through into the container which has the pump in it. This overflows thus leaks out the bottom of the back plate. If you pour water into this hole on your machine does it draim immediately. If I blow into the hole it forces the water through but it does not seem to flow naturally? If I seal then I think the water will just come up the back plate until it reaches the electrics?

 

[zipper]

Sounds like a housekeeping issue to me.
Remove the condensate pump & thoroughly clean/flush all the passages/hoses (use a bottle brush where you can).
Check the pump & level switch. Check the condensate tank isn't holed/split. Make sure the condenser is clean & the machine is level.

 

[j3stn]

Hi Zipper, once again you come to my rescue!

I have cleaned everything. I removed the pump and container and cleaned the pump. Blew through the hose from the pump to the collction container at the top - no blockages. I ran the machine with the back off and the impeller did spin as the container at the bottom filled. Only for about 10 secs though then stopped and span again about 2 mins later. So that seems to be working ok.
WHat is the hole for at the back right behind the condenser small hole about 10cm diameter. Water runs into this from the condenser itself but when it was leaking - I put the back on for a while then when leaking removed the back to see the back plate dripping with condensation and this small hole full of water and overflowing thus leaking at the joint where the backplate meets the machine. The water was not running from this hole into the container where the pump is housed. I blew into this hole which forced the water through to the container. Is the water supposed to flow easily from here? If so there might be a blockage between the two? Why was there so much condensation on the backplate? Will this not effect the heater and electrics? Interestingly since then I have put it back together and had no leaks??!! But have not dryed any towls either.
Also the black seal from the backplate should this be water tight?

Many thanks again Zipper for looking into this for me.

Best
J

 

[zipper]

small hole about 10cm diameterJ

10cm is a big hole.....10mm is a small one.
Regardless..if you can get a bottle brush down there give it a good clean & flush through.

 

[freiscot]

I have the exact same problem as described above. I have the back of the Miele and will need to reseal it. 2 questions: did the last suggestion of cleaning out the drain hole solve the problem of water leaking from the back? The rubber seal that fits the metal rim of the back (behind the drain hole), has a break in the upper rim of the rubber, is that normal or should the seal be complete without any opening?

 

[j3stn]

Hi, I tried all Zippers suggestions and he has always been right so far. My machine has now stopped leaking but not sure quite how? I found out the pump blade should be spinning the entie time the machine is on so I ran it with the back off to check and mine seemed to be working fine. So not sure if previously it was sticking or not but took it apart and it seems to work now. I cleaned everything I could and there was some fluff inside but not sure if it did effect the operation or not. Thelast thing I did was in fact to re-seal the back with silicone. I only did the bottom u bit and the gap which you mentioned in the seal behind the condensor. I filled this with silicone too. I beleive the dripping was NOT from the pump container but from condensation running down the metal back plate and leaking out the bottom after the seal was broken. It has not leaked since sealing it and has worked fine. ALthough I have not put it under heavy pressure. I noticed it leaked when I would dry bath towels as these are big heavy and full of water after washed. I bought a cheap vented dryer and put it in the garage for these and only use this dryer for clothes now but it has been fine since.

Hope this helps, if not try Zipper he is brilliant.

J

 

[freiscot]

Thanks J,
I could not find anywhere obvious where the leak was coming from. I know the water was running out the back where the seal was because the metal plate backing was wet, with some fluff, and rusty. I have it on top of the wshing maschine (no other option), so the vibrations from that probably have not helped, though they are meant to be able to cope with it. Like you, I have cleaned out as much as I could and have now resealed the back. I will test it our tomorrow and hope that it functions.
Thanks again for your help.

 

[freiscot]

Tried out the dryer today. The water is still running out. It seems to be running out of the bottom. My guess, now, is that it was damaged when we moved house last year. I can't get access to underneath the dryer to see if there is some kind of puntured tank or so - I will need to give-up and pay for a Miele technician to come out.

 

[dblain]

Tried out the dryer today. The water is still running out. It seems to be running out of the bottom. My guess, now, is that it was damaged when we moved house last year. I can't get access to underneath the dryer to see if there is some kind of puntured tank or so - I will need to give-up and pay for a Miele technician to come out.

I've exactly the same issue following sensor replacement - I'll let you know if find a fix

 

[freiscot]

Good to hear. Looking at again, the water does seem to be leaking out of the back plate, which then runs down to the bottom and makes the underneath wet, even though I resealed it with heat-tolerant silicone. Behind the back plate there is a small drain hole, which fills up with water: I wonder if that should have a cover on it? Anyway, thanks for your help and I look forward to reading about the Miele technician's solution.

 

[coltmanneil]

Hi I have same problem ,i have a miele T7744C and it has a drain pump and float which when the small container is ful this pumps the condensed water into an external drain (in my case).
I took the back when i noticed dripping water from the rear.Saw that there was a 10mm gap in the rubber once the main cover was on ,i can only think this is to let condensation from the rear drip through here into the drai hoe then into the tank,then get pumped away.
All my drains are clear and pump and float work,but lately theres a lot of condensation on the back plate and ive had leaks as well.
Did anybody soved this condensation on the backplate problem thanks???

 

[charliektm400exc]

I had the same problem, dryer leaking. Pulled it apart and couldn't find any problems with drain or pump system. No blockages.

When I pulled the heat shield off the back, bits of the gasket fell out. It looked like it was just old. In the end I replaced this gasket with a home made seal (neoprene round seal from an industrial supplier) AUD30 instead of AUD140 and out of stock at Miele.

That fixed the problem, so I guess the original problem was that seal failing due to age and leaking condensation.