Miele washing machine error code F11

What Miele publishes for it

On a Miele washing machine, the manufacturer publishes this for the drain is restricted. That sentence is Miele's own, read off its published support page for this condition rather than worked out from the outside. Everything below it — what the condition covers and what is worth doing first — is ours, written from what this equipment does in Miami kitchens.

What this block of conditions is about

Miele writes the condition as F and a number on the W1 machines and on the professional Little Giants alike, and the numbering runs further here than on anything else it builds — past F200 and past F300. The high numbers are not more serious than the low ones; they are a later block of the same list.

What it covers

What a published cause names is a circuit rather than a component, which is the single most useful thing to know before anybody orders a part. This one covers:

• The end of the drain hose is too high.
• The drain hose is kinked.
• Monitor these points for a while afterwards, as the plastic may weaken and tear. In the event of any damage, the drain hose must be replaced. Please contact Miele Service.
• The drain filter and the drain pump are blocked.
• If the drain outlet is blocked, there may be a large quantity of water left behind in the drum.
• Danger of scalding if laundry has been washed at a high temperature.
• Be careful when draining the suds.
• Do not unscrew the drain filters completely.
• Slowly unscrew the drain filters to let the water out.
• Once the flow of water stops, unscrew the drain filters completely.
• Put the drain filters back in place. Please note that each drain filter must be inserted on the correct side.
• Screw the drain filters tight.
• If the drain filters are not screwed tight, water may leak out.
• Leaking water can cause damage.

Worth trying yourself, in this order

1. Make sure that the maximum delivery head of 3' 3" (1 m) is not exceeded.
2. Remove any kinks or loops from the drain hose.
3. Clean the drain filter and the drain pump:
4. Switch the washing machine off.
5. Open the access panel for the drain pump.
6. Place a suitable container under the access panel, e.g., a universal tray.
7. Tighten the drain filters back up again if you need to interrupt the flow of water.
8. Clean the drain filters thoroughly.
9. Check the drain pump impellers to make sure they can rotate freely. If necessary, remove any foreign objects (e.g., buttons, coins, etc.) and clean the interior.
10. Check that the drain filters have been inserted correctly and are screwed tight.
11. Close the access panel for the drain pump.

Then what

Try it in that order before booking anything. A Miele washer is a machine that reports precisely, so when a code clears after the owner has done what the maker asks, it has usually told the truth about what was wrong. If it comes straight back on a machine you have already reset, stop repeating the cycle: on the W1 and the Little Giants alike, a repeated lock or drain condition is a part, and running it again with a load in it only leaves you with wet laundry.

Miele publishes this one for the washing machines. The full Miele archive has the other conditions, searchable, and on this make the same number appears on more than one machine roughly a third of the time, so the appliance above is part of the answer. We repair this equipment across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach.