If your Miele dishwasher is not draining, the cause is usually something you can reach without tools: a filter combination packed with food, a small object jammed in the drain pump, or a drain hose that is kinked or clogged where it meets the sink. Check those three in that order before assuming a part has failed. On G 7xxx models and on G 5xxx Discovery machines made from 2019 onward, an F11 on the display with water still sitting in the cabinet confirms the dishwasher has detected a drain fault itself. Here in Southern California, hard tap water speeds the whole problem along, because mineral scale gives grease and food scraps a rough surface to cling to inside filters and hoses.
Normal water versus a real drain problem
Open the door after a finished program and look at the base of the wash cabinet. A thin layer of water sitting low in the sump, beneath the filters, is expected; most dishwashers, Miele included, hold a little there between cycles. What is not normal is water covering the cabinet floor, dishes that come out with a gritty film and dirty water pooled in upturned cups, or a program that stops partway and leaves the tub half full.
Think about what happened just before, too. A power cut or a tripped breaker in the middle of a cycle can leave water behind simply because the program never reached its pump-out stage. Restore power, start a short program and watch whether the water leaves. If it does, there may be nothing wrong at all. If the machine stops again with water inside, carry on with the checks below.
Start with the filter combination
The filter combination sits in the floor of the wash cabinet: a coarse filter, a fine filter and a flat micro-fine filter that lock together as one unit. Switch the dishwasher off, slide out the lower basket, then turn the cylindrical filter counterclockwise and lift the whole assembly out. Rinse each piece under warm running water and work the mesh gently with a soft brush. Paper labels from jars, lemon seeds, eggshell and bits of broken glass are the usual finds.
The machine reminds you when this is due. By default a Miele shows Check filters after every 50 program sequences; once you have cleaned them, confirm with OK. In Settings you can move that reminder anywhere between 30 and 60, and a busy household in Walnut or Escondido that runs a load every evening is better served by the shorter end. When the filters go back in, make sure the cylinder locks down firmly, because a filter seated at an angle lets debris slip past it and straight into the pump.
Check the drain pump under the filters
If the filters are clean and the water still will not leave, the drain pump is the next suspect, and on the newer machines this is exactly what F11 is pointing at. Unplug the dishwasher rather than just switching it off. Sponge out the standing water so you can see the bottom of the sump. With the filters removed you will find the drain pump cover; lift it out, look into the pump chamber and pick out anything caught there. A cherry pit or a sliver of glass is enough to stop the impeller from turning, so wear a glove. Before you finish, press the cover back until it sits completely flush, since a cover left slightly raised can bring the same fault straight back.
Plug the machine in again and start a short program, listening when it reaches the first pump-out. A working pump gives a steady hum and you hear water rushing away. Silence, a loud buzz with nothing moving, or a grinding sound usually means the pump motor has failed or the impeller is broken, and that calls for a replacement part.
Follow the drain hose to the sink
Under the sink, the drain hose normally runs to a garbage disposal or to a branch fitting on the sink drain. Look for a hose crushed behind the dishwasher when it was pushed into place, or pinched by bottles stored in the cabinet. If the dishwasher went in at the same time as a new disposal, the knockout plug inside the disposal's dishwasher inlet may never have been punched out, which blocks drainage from the very first load. Run the disposal before starting the dishwasher as well, because a disposal full of scraps backs water up into the hose.
Some counters have an air gap, a small chrome cap beside the faucet. Pull the cap off and clear out any sludge collected inside. While you are under the sink, confirm the hose rises in a high loop before it drops to the drain; a hose lying flat on the cabinet floor lets dirty sink water run back into the dishwasher.
When the display says F70 or Waterproof
People searching for a Miele dishwasher waterproof error are usually looking at F70. That code means the Waterproof system has reacted, which normally points to water collecting in the base underneath the machine from a leak, an overflow or heavy suds. The dishwasher cancels the program and keeps the drain pump running, so it can look like a drainage fault even though the pump itself is fine. Miele's instructions are to close the water faucet, turn the machine off, unplug it and contact Miele Service. Do not tip the dishwasher forward to pour the water out of the base; whatever caused it, whether a split hose, a worn seal or the wrong detergent foaming up, still needs to be found.
When it is time to call for a repair
Call a technician if the filters, pump chamber and hose are all clear and water still stays in the tub, if F11 returns after you have cleaned the pump, if the pump buzzes without moving water, or if F70 appears. Those signs point to a failed drain pump, a stuck check valve, a control fault or a hidden leak, and each one means sliding the dishwasher out of its opening. SoCal Appliance Repair Pro is an independent service that is not affiliated with Miele, and we work on Miele dishwashers in homes from West Covina and Glendora down to Oceanside and Carlsbad. The service call is $89, and you can reach us at (949) 541-9011 or through the booking button on this page. You can read more about how we handle these machines on our dishwasher repair page, and coastal homeowners can go straight to dishwasher repair in Carlsbad.
Common questions
Why is there water in the bottom of my Miele dishwasher?
A shallow layer down in the sump below the filters is normal, but water covering the cabinet floor means the machine is not draining. The usual causes are a clogged filter combination, an object stuck in the drain pump, or a kinked or blocked drain hose. Clean the filters first, then check the pump with the dishwasher unplugged.
What does F11 mean on a Miele dishwasher?
On G 7xxx models and G 5xxx Discovery machines built from 2019 onward, F11 with water left inside is a drain fault. Unplug the dishwasher, lift out the filters, clear anything blocking the drain pump and make sure the pump cover sits flush before you try another program.
What is the Miele dishwasher Waterproof error?
It is fault F70, which tells you the Waterproof system has reacted to water where it should not be, usually in the base under the machine. The program cancels and the drain pump keeps running. Close the water faucet, switch the dishwasher off, unplug it and arrange a service visit so the leak can be traced.
How often should I clean the filters in a Miele dishwasher?
Clean them whenever the Check filters message appears, which by default is after every 50 program sequences. You can set that reminder anywhere from 30 to 60 in Settings, and kitchens with hard water or daily loads do better with the shorter interval.
How much does a Miele dishwasher drain repair cost?
A visit from SoCal Appliance Repair Pro starts with an $89 service call. Beyond that, the total depends on what is causing the problem, since clearing a blockage, replacing a drain hose and fitting a new drain pump are very different jobs.