Miele Dryer Heats But Still Wet: Condenser Drain Hole Clogged With Hair (Service Diagnostic)

What this symptom pattern actually means

A Miele ventless condenser dryer can produce heat normally and still leave laundry warm but damp when the machine cannot remove moisture from the process air efficiently. In this specific scenario, the dryer is not failing to heat. It is failing to dehumidify because condensed water is not leaving the condenser module area fast enough.

The most common reason for that, especially after years without deep cleaning and in homes with pets, is a restricted drain hole (drain port) in the condenser module drainage path. Hair and lint form a dense mat at the narrowest point. Water lingers. The internal environment stays humid. Drying performance drops.

This is the exact symptom set you asked for:

• The dryer runs and heats
• The drum feels humid
• Clothing comes out warm but still wet or damp
• Cycle time stretches or the unit never seems to reach a dry finish

Keywords used as the market searches them: Miele dryer heats but still wet, Miele dryer too humid, Miele condenser drain hole clogged, Miele dryer standing water, lint and pet hair drain blockage.

Reality check: where the water comes from

The blower moves air, not water. Water appears inside the dryer because moisture in the air condenses into liquid on the condenser or heat exchanger surfaces.

Here is the correct chain, limited to this drainage scenario:

1. Warm air passes through the drum and picks up moisture from laundry.
2. Moist air is routed through the condenser module area.
3. Moisture condenses into liquid water on cold surfaces and runs down into channels.
4. That water is supposed to flow through an internal drain path into a sump area, then out via pump to the container or drain hose.
5. When the drain hole is restricted, condensed water cannot leave continuously. Water remains in channels and pockets, and humidity stays high.

When humidity stays high inside the closed system, the dryer can keep heating, but it cannot pull moisture out of fabric efficiently. Warm humid air has limited capacity to absorb more water. That is why you get “heat but still wet.”

Why hair makes this clog happen faster

Lint alone can pass through many drain paths in small amounts. Hair changes everything because it creates a mesh.

In this scenario, the clog material is usually:

• Fine lint that escapes normal filters over time
• Human hair
• Pet hair (cats and dogs accelerate matting)
• Moisture that turns fibers into paste

Hair strands bridge openings. Lint sticks to hair. Water glues the mass together. The drain hole is typically the narrowest point in the drainage chain, so it becomes the natural place where the mat anchors and grows.

Once the drain hole starts restricting, it becomes self reinforcing:

• slower drain means more standing water
• standing water traps more fibers
• more fibers create a denser restriction
• restriction grows with every cycle

What “standing water” does to drying, step by step

This section is the full cycle from normal operation to the failure you described, without introducing other causes.

Stage 1: Partial restriction

The drain hole is not blocked yet, just narrowed by a thin felted layer.

Operational effect:

• water drains but slowly
• a thin film of water remains in the condenser module area longer than designed

User facing effect:

• drying starts to feel slower
• drum air begins to feel slightly more humid near the end of the cycle

Stage 2: Persistent wet pockets

As restriction increases, water pools in low points and channels.

Operational effect:

• condenser module surfaces stay wetter for longer
• moisture removal efficiency drops because the air is not being dehumidified as effectively cycle after cycle

User facing effect:

• laundry is warm but damp
• towels and heavy items never finish right
• the machine “feels like it is working” but results are poor

Stage 3: Sludge formation

Wet lint plus hair becomes paste. Paste becomes sludge. Sludge sticks to plastic channels and collects at the drain hole.

Operational effect:

• drainage becomes intermittent
• water remains in places where it should not remain during normal operation

User facing effect:

• the drum feels humid throughout, not just at the end
• the dryer may run longer but still fails to dry

This is the core mechanism: the dryer heats, but because water is not leaving the condenser module area, internal humidity stays elevated and drying is inefficient.

Field indicators that specifically point to this drain hole hair clog

These are observations that match this single scenario.

• You find wet lint paste, hair mats, or sludge in the lower condenser module area or around the condenser box cavity.
• You observe signs of water lingering where you normally do not see it, depending on your model’s accessible areas.
• Performance decline is gradual over months, not a sudden dead failure.
• Homes with pets show faster recurrence because hair continues to feed the restriction.
• The dryer heats and runs, but the load stays damp.

If these are present, the drain hole restriction is a high probability diagnosis.

Homeowner safe actions that target only this drain hole clog

The goal is to reopen drainage flow without disassembly or forcing debris deeper.

Safety boundaries

• Power off before reaching into cavities.
• Do not remove panels.
• Do not pour large amounts of water into the dryer.
• Do not use sharp tools that can puncture plastic channels, seals, or hoses.

Step 1: Expose the area you are allowed to access

Access points vary by model, but the principle is the same: you are looking for the lower condenser module drainage area where wet debris collects.

What you do:

• Remove the normal user accessible filters and anything designed to be removed for cleaning.
• Use a flashlight to locate wet lint paste or hair mats.

Step 2: Remove hair mats by hand first

Hair is the structure of the clog. Pulling hair out first reduces the mat’s strength.

What you do:

• Lift and pull hair mats out in clumps.
• Do not push them toward the drain hole.

Step 3: Vacuum, do not push

Use suction, not force.

What you do:

• Vacuum loose debris from corners and low points.
• If you have a wet dry vacuum, it is ideal for pulling wet sludge out.

Step 4: Controlled flush only if you can immediately remove the water

If the blockage is right at the drain hole, a tiny warm water flush can loosen it, but only if you can remove water and debris right away.

What you do:

• Add a small amount of warm water to the local area, not a stream.
• Immediately suction the loosened debris back out.
• Repeat small flush then suction.

What you do not do:

• Do not keep flushing in the hope it will “go through.” If it is blocked, you can flood internal pockets and create leaks.

Step 5: Confirm drainage is restored by running a short test

You are confirming that condensed water is now leaving the condenser module area continuously.

What you do:

• Run a short warm cycle.
• Observe whether water begins moving out normally to the container or drain line.
• Confirm that the drum environment feels less humid as the cycle progresses.

A successful drain restore usually produces a noticeable improvement quickly, often within one or two loads.

If cleaning does not restore flow, what service does in this exact scenario

If the drain hole clog has progressed into sludge deeper in the path, homeowner access may not reach it. Service focuses only on drainage restoration and confirming no secondary water retention remains in the condenser module area.

Professional workflow for this drain restriction scenario:

1. Visual confirmation of wet lint paste and hair accumulation in the condenser module drainage zone.
2. Access and cleaning of the drain path transition point where channels meet the sump area.
3. Cleaning of the sump pocket and intake area where hair sludge tends to settle.
4. Verify pump can evacuate water at normal rate after the restriction is removed.
5. Run an operational test to confirm humidity drops and drying performance returns.

The reason service is sometimes required is simple: the restriction point can be behind designed user access, and forcing it from the front can push debris deeper or damage seals.

How to describe this problem correctly on a Volt and Vector troubleshooting page

Use language that is accurate across multiple Miele condenser platforms without claiming a single exact geometry:

• “Condensed water is formed at the condenser module area and must drain through internal channels into the sump. The most common restriction point is the narrow drain port where those channels transition into the sump or pump intake area. Lint and hair can mat there, especially with pets, slowing drainage and leaving standing water. Standing water keeps internal humidity high, so the dryer heats but loads stay damp.”

This matches reality and avoids over claiming an exact hole location for every revision.

Summary that matches the strict request

A Miele ventless condenser dryer can heat normally and still leave laundry wet when the condenser module drain hole is clogged by lint plus hair. Hair creates a mesh, lint sticks, moisture turns it into paste, and the drain restriction causes standing water. Standing water raises internal humidity. High humidity prevents efficient moisture removal from laundry. Result: heat but still wet.