Water drainage fault on a Miele washer
When a Miele cannot pump out, the display says so in words. Some models show F11. Miele says the drain is restricted. The washer stops with water in the drum and the door locked.
Miele lays out the fix in its support notes. Switch the washer off. Open the flap at the bottom left. Put a pan under it, since a lot of water will come. Unscrew the drain filters slowly and let the water run out. Then pull them, clean them and check that the pump wheels spin free.
What we find in there tells a story. Coins, hairpins, bra wires and baby socks. If the filters are clear and the fault stays, look at the hose. Miele says the pump can lift water about one meter and no more. A kinked or looped hose also stops it.
W1 features that matter for repair
The W1 is the current Miele washer. It is a compact front-loader. Four features set it apart. For more on the brand, see our Miele repair page.
- TwinDos pumps two liquid detergents from built-in tanks in the right dose.
- CapDosing takes a one-use capsule of special soap for wool, silk or sportswear.
- The honeycomb drum has a pattern that holds a thin film of water under the clothes.
- QuickIntenseWash cleans a normal load in under an hour.
The drum holes are small on purpose. Miele says that keeps stray items out of the drain pump. Small things still get through the door seal gap now and then.
TwinDos not dosing
TwinDos uses two small pumps and two hoses. If a tank sits empty for months, the soap dries and clogs the line. The washer runs, but clothes come out dull. Flushing the lines with warm water often clears them. If a line is still blocked, we clear it or replace the dosing pump.
No spin, or a rough spin
A Miele will not spin a load it cannot balance. One heavy item is the usual cause. Add a towel or two and run a spin only cycle. If a mixed load still will not spin, the motor board may be at fault. The board drives the motor at each speed. When it fails, the drum turns slowly or not at all.
A growl that gets louder as speed climbs means bearings. On an old washer, that is a big repair. Banging at the start of spin means worn shocks.
Door lock and water inlet faults
The door lock is a common Miele part to fail. The door will not latch, or it will not release at the end. When the drum has no water and the door is still held, the lock needs to be replaced.
A water inlet fault means the washer is not filling fast enough. Miele says to check the inlet hose for kinks or loops first. Make sure the tap is fully open. If flow is good at the hose, the inlet valve has failed.
Water at the bottom left after you cleaned the filters is almost always the filters. Miele says they must go back in straight and be screwed tight. A bit of lint on the seal will let it drip. Take them out, wipe the seals and try again. Leaks from the door come from a torn boot or from too much foam.
What a repair visit costs
We test a home washer for $79. When you tell us to fix it, we drop that fee. You hear a fixed price first. It includes the part and the time. Work starts after you agree.
The tech we send is insured, licensed and background checked. He carries drain pumps, locks and shocks. A Miele board or dosing pump may need to ship, and we book the return right away. You can schedule online, and the office runs 6 AM to 9 PM each day. Same-day is the rule for most calls. The repair has a 30-day repair warranty.
Is an older Miele washer worth it
Most times, yes. A pump, lock, valve or shock is a small share of a new W1. The drum and frame hold up for many years. We say no in two cases. One is bad bearings on a very old unit. The other is a control board Miele has stopped making. We give you the full cost and our plain view.
A+ is a family owned, independent company. We fix Miele washers across Northern Virginia, per the Virginia repair page, and in Los Angeles, D.C., Chicago and Houston. Other brands are on washer repair. For the dryer beside it, see Miele dryer repair. We end each job with a drain and spin test and a look under the flap for drips.