Was the vent thoroughly cleaned before you installed the dryer? If so, or is a completely new vent, perhaps that outside damper/door is not opening sufficiently. IMHO they never really work well and become stuck in open position from lint, with previous dryers. The door was gone when we bought current house and I never get the message on our Miele.

Only other thing I can think of is to ask if you use dryer sheets instead of fabric softener? The lint screen mesh on our MIele dryer is very fine, and that the stuff on those dryer sheets can gunk up that screening very easily. Owners manual says to not use those dryer sheets (Bounce et al) but not everyone has time to read that booklet.

I'd take the flap off before starting a drying cycle and check if the light still comes on without it. You can put it back after the cycle is done. Also make sure the dryer can take enough air in - this light is all about airflow.

Alex

You are right about critters entering it, even birds. Our vent is one story up above the ground, and previous owner had a box shape around it, made of chicken wire. I figure a bird must have gotten in there. I left it on there after we moved in.

Maybe some rabbit wire would work and keep mice, etc., out?

Whirlpool-trainee, I could try propping the vent flap open when it gets warmer out side. It is sub zero degrees F, here in Iowa. The thing you mention about air flow is a possibility. Where does the air get taken in? The room is open but the built in surrounds the unit. But if I remember correctly this issue was there before the surround got installed. I remember it was a very windy day and I wondered if the wind was putting pressure on the vent flap, restricting it from opening. I never saw this happening though as I periodically looked. There also seems to be a relationship to really fluffy items that are drying. Like down pillows, blankets. Really linty things don't seem to trigger it though. It has been triggered with there was virtually no link on the screen. Could items IN the dryer restrict air flow?

In the opening below, in this cabinet, there are cutouts in the back that allow me to reach through to unplug my dryer and washer, so there is some air that can get through those openings, each a bit larger than the size of a single duplex outlet. There is about an inch on each side and about 2-3 inches at the top that are open through to the back of the set. This all "seems" like enough volume of space to compensate for the 4" ducting. But I have no real data to back that idea up.

Cavimum, I heard once that a mouse could get in through a dime sized opening. The spare vent I have is a plastic vent with a plastic baffle inside. It is way lighter than the one I have on the duct work. I will probably try this out when it is warmer outside.

I had the same issue with my hair dryer... I mean Miele. I ended up having to install a booster fan in the duct work to clear it up.

MRB

The dryer most likely takes the air in from the back of the machine. From reading that manual that I sent you the link to, the Check light comes on when the temperature increases too rapidly.

I would suggest you save some laundry and run a couple of cycles back-to-back with the flap removed. I don't think many critters enjoy having hot steam blasted at them.

Yes, bulky items can restrict the airflow inside the dryer. The air is pulled through the drum, so when a large item partially blocks the holes in the lint filter housing, the heater will heat but no air is sucked through it. Like covering the air inlet of a hair dryer. The unexpected temperature increase will set off one of two alarms (Check Vent or termination of the cycle).

Alex

Thanks MRB for the idea about a buster fan. My run is so short that I would think I don't need one.

Whirlpool, I ran about 6 loads yesterday and the only 2 times it came on was when I did down blankets and a fluffy fleece queen sized blanket. When I did a load of pillows last week it did the same thing. As you talk about the blockage of air, I think I have had some termination of cycles happening too.

I need to take a look at the files. I saved many. Thanks so much for that help.

Enduring,
What model number is your dryer? The reason I ask is that the bottom part of your dryer is a solid piece which I have never seen before. My washer and dryer is stacked and the dryer has a vented front. The only units that have closed fronts like yours are condensation dryers. I have a t12xx and a t15xx and they both come with a vented unit for the lower front. See the pictures of the dryer in the link below. I had to replace the front fascia one of mine because it broke when we lifted the machine to place it in the dryer. That was what made me think of your units.
Just a thought!
Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Miele vented dryer

It actually sounds as if you have three (3) ducting bends:

• Out of the washer
• Down to the basement
• To the outside

You might want to pull your units out from the wall and check the corrugated section for damage. Our T9822, Miele sensor settings can be adjusted as to when they are triggered regarding the Filter/Vent LED fault; this might apply to your dryer, and a query directly with Miele will give you confirmation. By scheduling a Miele service call, the Miele Tech can upgrade any firmware in both your units (providing there are newer versions available).

Also, the manual states the following: Room ventilation
The room air, which is taken in when
the dryer is in operation, is blown out
via the exhaust vent. It is important,
particularly if the room is small, to
ensure adequate ventilation and air
supply. Opening a window, for
example, will allow more air to enter the
room. Otherwise drying times and
energy consumption may increase.

homepro01, thanks for that picture. My dryer is the 8003 and it has a solid bottom, not like the current web page at all. It is plastic and could easily be broken if grabbed and lifted. We had to be careful of this when we got the machine in place. My machine otherwise looks the same as the web site. On the main dryer page, on that web site, it shows a stacked set that is referred to as a condensing dryer. The example is a stacked set with a woman kneeling down by the washer. It has the bottom solid as mine is, yet when I open that link to the condensing dryer, it is vented and not like the woman's dryer picture. Do you think they changed the design recently on all their dryers to get that vent in there?

As shown in my pictures, I have mine stacked with the stacking kit Miele offers. I followed the directions. I believe I need to call tech department and see if I can get a replacement front panel that is shown on the link you've provided, as I think this is the problem.

fahrenheit_451, thanks for the input. I double checked the standards that the manual has. I came up with 33.6 feet of duct. I see that the manual states to not use the plastic ring connector for anything over 33ft. I will look into that. I also notice that my corrugated run has a droop in it creating a tighter than 90 degree bend. I will need to take care of that too. I could put a rigid elbow in there and shorten how high the wall vent comes up from the basement. This should save some footage. I had the vent come in a little higher than I needed because I was originally going to place my set on a 2" rigid solid wood block platform but changed my mind because the one I built had a teeter toter rock going on.

I calculated for:
Right side venting @ 3'3"
3' of corrugated vent @ 5'11"
90 degree angle at the corrugated vent@ 8'2"
3' down to below floor to joist space @ 3'
90 degree Concertina bend elbow @ 2'4"
8' of run @ 8'
exit out the foundation with flap type vent @ 4'11"

I come up with 33.6 feet. I was the one responsible for calculations and I see I flunked. I was under the impression that I didn't need to count the transition corrugated vent, as I read a general venting article the following:

Maximum Length. (IMC 504.6.1) “The maximum length of a clothes dryer exhaust duct shall not exceed 25 feet from the dryer location (the point in the room containing the clothes dryer, where the exhaust duct starts at the wall, floor or ceiling opening) to the outlet terminal (the point at the immediate exterior of the house where the dryer exhausts ends with a backdraft damper to the outside). The maximum length of the duct shall be reduced 2 ½ feet for each 45 degree bend and 5 feet for each 90 degrees bend. The maximum length of the exhaust duct does not include the transition duct.”

With this in mind I thought I had plenty of leeway and just installed the dryer.

There is plenty of makeup air in the room in general. I live in an old house and it is not air tight. The room has been open to the rest of the house at all times. I was questioning the amount of space I left around the cabinetry, but now that I see what homepro1 links, it looks like they redesigned the air intake at the bottom of the dryer :(

Here is my behind the scenes venting:

The dryer not having openings in the lower part of the front panel is normal - only Miele condenser dryers have them.

The dryer pictured in the link above is a condenser model as can clearly be told by the removable water tank. Miele put the wrong dryer in that picture.

Alex

Oh darn, I removed the toe kick to try this out.

It looks like they redesigned the air in take. I have a T1415 and T1256 with vented fronts. I looked at a little giant dryer at a store today and it also has the flat front like your. Did taking the fascia off help in anyway?

Good luck!

I will need to wait for a bit to see if it helps. I don't have any laundry to do right now:)

Honestly, mrb627 has it correct...you are in booster fan territory.

Taking the toe kick off did not help.

I did a load with one pillow and one 2x3 heavy cotton bath rug. It was near the end of it's cycle at the cooling down phase. I walked away and the buzzer went off. Came back and the filter light was on. I opened the door and the pillow was standing, back at the rear vent area. I had the settings on normal, full load, extra dry. The rug was ever so damp and the pillow (synthetic stuffing) wasn't totally dry either. Moderate to large amount of lint on the screen. Rug had been washed a fair number of times. Pillow was the first time.

I took a piece of toilet paper and there was a nice draw that was being pulled in at the opening that I exposed. The filter light still went off.

Fahrenheit:
1) if I get a buster what kind do I look at?

2) Would taking that dip out of the corrugated run help, as seen in the picture, or do I just get the darn booster?

3) I would have never thought that I would have needed a booster with the unit 8' away from the outside wall. Is this fairly common? I recognize the bends are causing more resistance to air flow, but still.

4) Is this typical for all dryers to need a booster at 33' of adjusted run, or is it because my dryer is really a hair dryer like MRB-627 says? LOL.

I think part of the problem is that you just won't find the type of vent ducts in Germany that you find in the US. Complex and long vent runs almost don't exist. Most people over here, having vented dryers, just have a flexible plastic vent hose that they hang out of a nearby window when the dryer is running. The dryer's blower doesn't have to be all that strong. I don't know if Miele changed the fan for the US dryers but, going by your posts, I doubt it.

Anyway, here's the booster mrb was talking about.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dryer Vent Booster Fan

Does the Filter Light come on during drying, but the dryer completes the program with the clothing emerging as dry or does it shut off altogether?

As I recall, there is a sensitivity adjustment in the programming mode that may also alleviate your problem. I know longer have the service manual as I gave it to the couple that purchased my set. But someone may be able to look up the programming information to adjust the sensor.

MRB

I haven't figured it all out yet. It seems like the dryer finishes the cycle even with the fault light on. But I could be wrong, it only happens maybe once out of 4 or 5 loads. The dryer has never stopped with wet laundry in it. It does not get as hot as our Kenmore dryer down in the basement. It does seem to take a very long time to dry things. I have read that the Miele is designed to dry clothing to 2% moisture to decrease fabric wear.

One thing I read in some literature that I got online is that the "full load" button should always be used. Because of the government’s requirements on energy usage, only one element is activated by default. If the "full load" button is used then all elements are on. It has to be reactivated with each load.

Hi, we just purchased the Miele T8003 vented dryer and have a question regarding the plastic ring connector indicated in the user manual.

Our dryer is connected by a short solid pipe into the wall vent that leads to the outside of the house. Since we bought a display model from a local Miele Dealer, it did not come with that plastic connector. I read here that someone stated that you don't need the connector if the duct is over 33' long. Our machine is venting properly so our question is whether or not we need this plastic ring connector?

This post was edited by Pacific1 on Sat, Feb 1, 14 at 19:20

I have the same dryer. I was also getting the same error even though I client the lint after every use. I've even cleaned the lint from the inside of the dryer by using a flat painting stick to get the excess lint out.

Recently I learned that the proper way to actually clean the lint catch is to actually wash it out with a brush and water. The lint screen may look clean but fabric softener and dryer sheets tend to create a build up in the screen. If you run water in the screen, the water will sit atop the screen and may eventually seep through. By taking a stiff brush to the screen, you will work out the build up.

When end I first cleaned the screen with a brush and water, I was amazed at how much cleaner the screen came out. The next load of laundry also dried within 25-30 minutes compared to the 50 minuets my loads were taking to dry. Cleaning out the screen properly actually helps with the efficiency of the machine. I haven't had any errors since I washed out the screen properly. Good luck!

I had this error too on a ventless dryer and discovered that there is a compartment in the bottom left of the dryer that you can access. Once you open that you'll see it is probably quite clogged. After cleaning that out the dryer works fine.

This is an old thread. My machine is a vented machine. I have had this issue from day one. My machine occasionally still triggers the filter/vent light. Its when there is fluffy stuff in there like blankets or mattress pads.