Tumble dryer not draining (condenser)
Condenser dryers stop and flag 5E or F05 when the water tank is full, the drain hose is blocked, or the condenser pump has failed.
Likely causes, ranked
- Full water tank Most likely — Empty the tank at the top or bottom drawer. Some dryers refuse to restart until the tank is seated properly.
- Blocked or kinked drain hose Likely — A hose crushed behind the machine or blocked at the standpipe stops the pump — Samsung 5E covers this.
- Failed drain pump Less likely — No sound from the pump with an empty filter and clear hose points to a failed pump.
- Blocked condenser or pump filter Likely — Fluff in the pump filter or a dirty heat exchanger restricts the drain path (Hotpoint F05).
First checks
- Empty the water tank fully and reseat it.
- Check the drain hose for kinks and clear the standpipe.
- Clean the pump filter (washer-dryer models).
- Rinse the heat exchanger (condenser models).
- Run a short cycle and watch the tank fill rate.
Safety
Unplug before removing panels or filters. Water spills are likely — keep towels down.
Call a professional when…
Tank, hose and filters are clear and the code returns — the pump needs an engineer.