Denys Mitchell Key Takeaways
- E5 on an Asko condenser or heat pump dryer is a condensate drainage fault, and the cycle will not finish while it is active.
- A full condensate tank is the commonest and easiest cause: empty it after every two or three cycles at full capacity.
- On a plumbed dryer, keep the drain hose free of kinks and sloping downhill, and check the standpipe.
- If the tank stays empty after a full cycle, the condensate pump is not moving water and needs a technician.
- Emptying the tank when you unload the dryer is the habit that prevents most E5 faults.
The Bottom Line
Empty the condensate tank every few cycles and keep the drain hose sloping down. If E5 returns right after emptying, suspect the pump.
A condenser or heat pump dryer does not blow its wet air outside. It cools the air, turns the moisture back into water, and then has to put that water somewhere, and the part that deals with it is the least glamorous in the machine. When the Asko dryer condensate tank is full, or the drain hose is kinked, or the little pump that moves the water has stopped, the dryer halts mid-cycle and shows E5. Most owners meet this fault in the middle of a load, and most can prevent it with a routine that takes less than a minute. This guide explains the water path, how often to empty the tank, how to care for a drain hose and what E5 means when emptying does not fix it.
| What you notice | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Cycle stops partway with E5, tank full | Condensate tank at capacity | Empty, rinse and reseat the tank |
| E5 and the tank is still empty after a full cycle | Condensate pump not moving the water | Call a technician |
| Water pooling in the base tray on a plumbed model | Drain hose kinked, blocked or looped upward | Check the hose route and flush it |
| Drying takes longer over several weeks | Drainage impaired and condenser losing efficiency | Clear the water path and review the routine |
How Does the Asko Dryer Condensate Tank Work?
It collects the water that the dryer pulls out of your laundry, and it needs emptying before it fills. This site's E5 code page describes two arrangements on Asko condenser and heat pump dryers: a collection tank that you empty by hand, and a direct connection that pumps the water out through a drain hose. Either way, a small internal pump moves the water out of the collection sump.
The E5 page calls a full tank the most common and easily resolved cause. Emptying it clears the fault straight away, and a power-off at the mains for 60 seconds lets the dryer restart cleanly.
How Often to Empty the Tank
After every two or three cycles when the dryer is used at full capacity. The code page gives the capacity of the tank on the T608 and DC7 heat pump models as roughly three to four liters, which is close to a gallon, and a full load of damp laundry can fill a large share of it. Most T-series dryers keep the tank in the upper left or the lower section of the front panel.
- Pull the tank out and carry it level to a sink so that it does not slop.
- Empty it completely, then rinse it out.
- Slide it back firmly until it clicks into position.
- Make it a habit: empty it when you take the load out, and the tank will never be full when the next load starts.
If Your Dryer Uses a Drain Hose
Then the hose and its route matter more than the tank. Pull the dryer forward and look at the condensate hose at the back: it must not be kinked or pinched against the wall, and it should fall in a gradual downward slope to the drain, because any upward loop traps water and stops it draining. Also check that the standpipe or drain it feeds into is not blocked, and flush the hose with water from time to time to clear detergent residue and lint.
- Check for kinks every time the dryer is moved, because pushing it back is how hoses get pinched.
- Keep the slope downhill from the dryer to the drain, with no rise anywhere along the route.
- Look at the standpipe for a blockage that would stop water going down.
- Flush the hose with water now and then to clear residue.
Why Is There Still Water in the Tank When the Dryer Is Set to Drain?
Most likely because the water is not leaving by the hose, so it is collecting in the tank instead. The code page treats a plumbed dryer and a tank dryer as two different set-ups, and a hose that is kinked, looped upward or blocked at the standpipe produces the same sign as a failed pump: water that stays in the machine. Check the hose route first and the standpipe second.
If both are clear and the tank still fills, run a full cycle and watch. The page says that if the tank stays empty after a full cycle on a tank model, the pump is not moving water into it, which needs a technician. The pump itself is easy to recognize by silence: if it makes no sound at all during the cycle, the motor has failed.
Is It Safe to Keep Using the Dryer With E5?
No. The dryer will not complete a cycle while E5 is active, and the page says not to run the machine again until the fault is cleared. If you see water leaking from the base of the machine, stop at once, because the base tray overflow sensor may have been activated and water on a laundry floor is a hazard of its own. Water in the base tray also means a leak path, so stop and look. If E5 comes back within a single cycle after you have emptied the tank, a pump fault is the likelier explanation.
A Routine That Prevents E5
Four small habits keep the water path clear, and they sit well alongside the rest of dryer care.
- Every load: empty the condensate tank and clean the lint filter.
- Monthly: rinse the tank, and check the drain hose for kinks if the dryer is plumbed.
- When drying slows down: look at the water path before suspecting the heating.
- After moving the dryer: look at the hose, because that is when it gets pinched.
When to Call a Technician
Call if the tank is still empty after a full cycle, if the pump makes no sound at all, or if E5 returns straight after emptying. Condensate pump replacement on T608 and DC7 series dryers starts from $130 according to the code page, and the final price is confirmed after an on-site diagnosis, with a written estimate before work begins.
Our E5 code page lists the safe checks, and the dryer repair service covers the pump, the lint path and the heat pump circuit. For the wider routine see our dryer maintenance guide, and if the dryer will not heat at all, the dryer not heating guide is the next place to look. Book a visit or send us the model and whether it uses a tank or a hose.