Miele W3204
Hi I have a Miele washing machine which is about 6 1/2 years old. Recently it has developed a fault "check drain". The problem went away after a reset but has gradually got worse to the point the machine will always display this error message, So I have taken the following steps:
1. cleaned the filtor at the lower lhs sode of the machine. As I have never done this before there was quite a lot of build up. This temperarily fixed the problem
2. I opened up the machine and removed, cleaned the hose from the drum to the filter. The plate which holds the ball (float) had quite alot of build up which I chipped away (hose to drum connection). Also I cleaned the hose from the pump to the drain hose.
I tried it on a spin cycle. The machine was definately draining but with1 minute remaining the light came on again. The machine did not go into spin and the cloths were very wet.
Can you offer any advise as to how to fix please?
Solution Summary
AI-generated from this discussion
This thread was marked as solved. Here's a summary of the problem and the fix, generated from the discussion below.
Miele W3204 showing persistent 'check drain' despite draining
- The problem
- A Miele W3204 developed a recurring 'check drain' fault. Cleaning the pump filter briefly improved it, and the hoses from drum to filter and pump to drain were cleaned. The machine would still drain on a spin cycle, but with 1 minute remaining the fault returned, spin was aborted and the laundry was left very wet.
- Likely cause
- A partial blockage was initially indicated, but because the error remained after the obvious drain path was cleaned and the machine was still pumping out, the strongest diagnosis in the discussion was a blockage in the pressure system, such as the pressure chamber or its small hose.
- What fixed it
- Recommended action was to inspect and clear the washing machine pressure system, following the small rubber hose from the pressure switch to the pressure chamber and cleaning any blockage found. The exact repair was not confirmed in the thread.
- Checks to try
- Cleaned the lower left pump filter
- Removed and cleaned the hose from the drum to the filter
- Cleaned build-up around the ball/float area at the hose-to-drum connection
- Cleaned the hose from the pump to the drain hose
- Tested on a spin cycle and confirmed the machine was draining before the fault reappeared
Safety: Disconnect the washing machine from the electrics before dismantling. Further diagnosis should be carried out by a suitably qualified appliance engineer.
1 Answer
Hello Rak. When the check drain error is triggered it usually means there is a partial blockage somewhere (most commonly in the pump filter). That prevents the water being pumped away properly. But if this error occurs when there clearly isn't a blockage then the most likely causes is a blockage in the pressure system. Check out all of my articles about washing machine pressure system and common faults
If there is a blockage then it can be cleaned out relatively easily. You need to disconnect the washing machine from the electrics. Access is usually gained by peeling the door seal from the door frame and taking off the front panel of the washing machine. The pressure chamber is usually at the front on most washing machines these days. However, if you take off the lid and locate the pressure switch you can see where the small rubber hose connected to the bottom of it actually goes. If it goes to the back of the washing machine then the pressure chamber will be there. It would normally go to the front. For more details, carefully read the articles I've linked to. If you do try to dismantle the washing machine to get to the pressure chamber make sure you take plenty of photos as you go. It's remarkably easy to believe you will remember how things go back and then completely forget.
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