The short answer
On a condenser or heat-pump dryer, a machine that stops with a full-tank indication is usually a tank that is not seated, a blocked condenser or a drain hose that has been kinked or set too high. Emptying the tank and reseating it firmly resolves most of them.
What the machine shows
- A full-tank indication with an empty tank — The tank is not seated, or the sensor is not seeing it.
- The tank fills far faster than usual — Normal for damp loads, but check the condenser too.
- Water pooling under the machine instead of in the tank — A drain path or condenser problem; see the leak page as well.
- The cycle stops early and repeatedly — The machine pausing on the tank condition.
- A plumbed machine that has started filling its tank again — The drain hose has been kinked, lifted or disconnected.
- Not this fault: no tank on the machine at all — You have a vented dryer, and this page does not apply.
Ranked for condenser and heat-pump machines
- Tank not fully seated in its housing — First, and the reason many of these calls need no parts at all.
- Condenser unit blocked with lint — Second, and it is a user-cleanable part on most machines.
- Drain hose kinked, lifted too high or disconnected — Third on plumbed installations.
- Condensate pump or its filter blocked — Fourth, and it shows as a tank that fills on a plumbed machine.
- Sensor contacts dirty or wet — Fifth, and cleaning them is straightforward.
- Pump or control failure — Last, after the five above.
Work through it in this order
- Empty the tank and push it firmly home — It is the leading cause and it takes a minute.
- Take out and rinse the condenser filter or unit — Lint here blocks the whole condensate path.
- On a plumbed machine, follow the hose for kinks and height — Hose routing causes most plumbed failures.
- Wipe the tank housing and the sensor contacts — Dirty contacts imitate a full tank exactly.
Owner checks
- Remove the tank, empty it and refit it firmly until it seats — Listen for it to click or feel it stop squarely.
About 10 min
- Open the condenser access and rinse the unit or its filter — Follow the machine’s own cleaning instructions for the part.
Tools: soft brushAbout 25 min
- Clean the lint filter and the filter housing — Lint that passes the filter ends up in the condenser.
Tools: vacuumAbout 10 min
- Trace a plumbed drain hose for kinks and check its height — A hose lifted too high will not drain and the tank takes over.
About 20 min
- Wipe the tank seat and any visible sensor contacts dry — Damp contacts cause phantom full-tank indications.
Tools: dry clothAbout 10 min
- Stop before dismantling the condensate pump — It sits inside the cabinet beside mains wiring.
Water inside an electrical appliance
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Condensate is not drinking water: empty the tank into a drain, not into a sink used for food. Dry any water that has reached the floor before moving the machine, and never run the dryer with the condenser access open.
When to call
Call when the tank is seated, the condenser is clean and the machine still stops on a tank condition, because the pump and the sensing circuit are inside the cabinet. Call as well for a plumbed machine whose hose is correct and which still fills its tank. If water is appearing under the machine rather than in the tank, treat it as a leak and take the dryer out of use until it is found.
Related pages
Scope of this page
Generalized across dryer families under this badge and written for condenser and heat-pump machines; vented machines have no drain path at all. Where a family-specific or model-specific page exists it is the narrower answer. Not here: tank capacities, pump part numbers, hose height specifications and condenser cleaning intervals by model.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
