Miele F11 fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
Water left standing in the cabinet because the machine cannot drain. Miele treat this as an owner job and walk you through the drain pump.
Take care
What F11 means
F11 appears when there is water in the wash cabinet that should have been pumped away, and it is one of the codes Miele hand back to the owner with real instructions rather than a booking link. They go further than most manufacturers here: the article walks through removing the non-return valve and cleaning the drain pump itself, with photographs. That is unusual, and it reflects the fact that a blocked drain pump is a mechanical obstruction rather than a failure. Miele publish two separate versions of this article and it is worth making sure you are reading the right one, because the machines differ internally. One covers the G 1000 through G 6000 generations. The other covers G7 series and G5 Discovery machines from year of manufacture 2019 onwards. That split is the only year marker Miele publish anywhere in their dishwasher support, which makes it a useful landmark for working out roughly which generation you have.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Filters blocked | The assembly in the base of the cabinet. Miele treat filter cleaning as routine owner maintenance and publish a separate code, F177, purely to prompt it. | Common |
| Drain pump obstructed | Glass fragments, fruit stones or a cherry pip in the impeller. Miele publish instructions for clearing this yourself, including removing the non-return valve. | Common |
| Drain hose kinked or blocked | Crushed behind the machine or silted where it meets the household waste under the sink. | Common |
| Sink waste or trap blocked | Where the machine shares a waste with the kitchen sink, a greasy trap stops the dishwasher while nothing in the appliance is wrong. | Occasional |
What to try yourself
Switch the machine off and disconnect it from the mains before putting a hand anywhere inside. Miele are explicit about isolating before this job.
Bail the standing water out of the cabinet with a jug and a sponge until you can see the base clearly.
Miele warn about scalding from hot water in their drain pump guidance. If the programme stopped while hot, give it time before you start.Remove and clean the filters in the base of the cabinet, separating the parts rather than rinsing the assembly whole.
Follow Miele’s own instructions for your generation to lift out the non-return valve and check the drain pump impeller for obstructions. Use a torch and look before reaching in — broken glass is the usual find.
Check which article applies to your machine. Miele publish separate guidance for G 1000 to G 6000 machines and for G7 and G5 Discovery machines from 2019 onwards.Refit the valve and filters properly, restore power, and run a short programme to confirm it drains.
Get a qualified appliance engineer to look at your Miele F11
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What it costs to fix
Typical repair cost
£0–£260
Time on site
45 minutes
Free if it is a blockage, which it usually is. A replacement drain pump on a Miele is typically £140 to £260 fitted — above the market average, in line with the rest of the brand.
Typical UK prices including parts and labour, updated August 2026. Your quote may differ.
What other owners found
Nobody has shared what worked for them on this code yet. If you have had it, you would be the first — and it genuinely helps the next person.
Related Miele fault codes
- E24Get it checkedThe machine cannot drain. Bosch publish a full owner procedure for this one, and two warnings about doing it that their UK page leaves out.Related: draining and filter
- i20Get it checkedThe machine could not drain. Two beeps on a model without a display, and the filter in the bottom of the tub is the first place to look.Related: draining and filter
- F03Get it checkedDrain failure or timeout — one of only two codes Hotpoint invite you to look at yourself, and usually a blockage.Related: draining and filter
- OEGet it checkedDrainage problem. LG list this twice — once as a running fault and once as an installation fault — and the second is the one people miss.Related: draining and filter
- E3Get it checkedThe dishwasher does not drain. Three flashes on a machine without a display, and Candy tell you exactly how to count them.Related: draining and filter
Common questions about Miele F11
Which set of instructions applies to my machine?
Miele split it by generation. One article covers G 1000 through G 6000 machines; the other covers G7 series and G5 Discovery machines made from 2019 onwards. The internals differ, so following the wrong one will have you looking for parts that are not there.
Is it safe to take the drain pump apart myself?
Miele think so for this code, which is telling given how readily they route other faults to their own service. They publish step-by-step instructions with photographs. Isolate the machine from the mains first, and treat anything sharp in the pump housing with respect.
What if it comes back after cleaning?
Then the pump itself may have failed rather than been blocked, and Miele’s own guidance is to contact Customer Service if the fault persists. You will have ruled out the free explanation, which is worth saying when you book.
Sources and how we verified this
We establish the facts from the sources below and then write the explanation ourselves. We do not copy manufacturer wording and we do not host their manuals.
- Manufacturer support portal
Checked by Appliance technical reviewer (Qualifications to be displayed on appointment) on 5 August 2026.