The short answer
On an AEG Electrolux dishwasher, water left in the machine most often comes back to a drain pump jammed or worn, with debris in the pump filter chamber close behind. Age, not electronics, sets the ranking here: hardened door seals, worn pump impellers, scaled heating elements and a chafed door harness fail long before the board does, and they fail in the order wear predicts. The first checks below are owner work, but the ranking here points at a repair that ends in a service call, so do them to confirm rather than to fix.
What you are seeing
- What this fault looks like, and which observations point somewhere else.
- the machine stopping mid-cycle with a code and a full tub
- water backing up into the sink or the air gap when the machine drains
- standing water in the sump at the end of every cycle
- a drain that runs briefly and then stops with the tub still full
- Not this fault: if the tub is empty but the dishes are dirty, read the cleaning page
Ranked causes on this platform
- Ranked for an AEG Electrolux dishwasher, which runs an earlier-generation controller whose indicator sequence, not a numeric display, reports the fault on many models. No measured frequency exists for this address, so the order is platform judgement rather than a share.
- A drain pump jammed or worn — Why: Glass, grit and labels reach the impeller through the filter and stop it, and the pump then hums without moving water.
- Debris in the pump filter chamber — Why: On machines with their own pump access, the trap in front of the impeller collects everything the main filter passes.
- A check valve holding shut or leaking back — Why: A valve stuck shut blocks the drain; one held open lets waste water back in, which is why some machines are dirty before they start.
- A blocked filter stack and sump — Why: The drain path starts at the filter, so nothing downstream matters until the filter is clean.
- A kinked, crushed or badly routed drain hose — Why: A hose crushed behind the machine at installation is the fault that appears the day after a kitchen is finished.
What to check, in order
- The order follows the ranking above: most likely and cheapest first, nothing needing a meter until everything else is eliminated.
- A drain pump jammed or worn — Because: glass, grit and labels reach the impeller through the filter and stop it, and the pump then hums without moving water.
- Debris in the pump filter chamber — Because: on machines with their own pump access, the trap in front of the impeller collects everything the main filter passes.
- A check valve holding shut or leaking back — Because: a valve stuck shut blocks the drain.
Checks you can safely do yourself
- Isolate the appliance before any panel comes off, and stop at the first step that explains the fault.
- Isolate the machine, remove the filter and check the pump inlet is clear and turns freely. — Tools: a torch and gloves — Time estimate: allow half an hour
- Open the pump filter cover with a towel underneath and clear the chamber. — Tools: towels and gloves — Time estimate: a quarter of an hour
- Note whether the tub fills with dirty water between uses, which points at back-flow rather than at drainage. — Tools: nothing — Time estimate: a short observation
- Twist out the filter stack, wash it, and sponge the sump clear of debris. — Tools: a sponge, a brush and gloves — Time estimate: a quarter of an hour
- Stop condition: Stop there: the next step means metering live terminals or opening a sealed system.
Safety first
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel, because a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Isolate the circuit before reaching into the sump, and treat the water in a machine that has just run as hot enough to scald. Never defeat the door latch to run the machine open; the latch switch exists to stop the wash the moment the door moves.
When to call a technician
Call a technician when the filter, hose and air gap are clear and the pump still will not move water, when the pump has to be reached from underneath the machine, or when waste backs up into the sink from the house drain. Standing water left in a machine for days is a reason to stop using it.
The fact bundle for this address was empty, so no warehouse figure appears. Every number on the page is a program safety constant, cited to its publisher. — Sources
General guidance- 1910.147 — The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout) — Occupational Safety and Health Administration, fetched 2026-09-06
Other faults documented for this brand and appliance. — Nearest pages of the same kind
What this page does not cover
This page is generalized across every AEG Electrolux dishwasher family and model number: no family fault list, no model parts list, and no measured figure from the program warehouse. Where a family- or model-specific page exists it goes deeper, and it should be preferred over this one.
Links: - [Common AEG Electrolux Dishwasher Problems](/blog/aeg-electrolux-dishwasher-problems) - [AEG Electrolux Dishwasher: Abnormal Noise or Vibration](/blog/aeg-electrolux-dishwasher-abnormal-noise) - [AEG Electrolux Dishwasher: Does Not Clean or Dry](/blog/aeg-electrolux-dishwasher-cleaning-performance)
Adjacent pages for what this one rules out. — Where to go next
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
