Condenser dryers stop and flag 5E or F05 when the water tank is full, the drain hose is blocked, or the condenser pump has failed.
Likely causes, ranked
- Full water tank Most likely — Empty the tank at the top or bottom drawer. Some dryers refuse to restart until the tank is seated properly.
- Blocked or kinked drain hose Likely — A hose crushed behind the machine or blocked at the standpipe stops the pump — Samsung 5E covers this.
- Failed drain pump Less likely — No sound from the pump with an empty filter and clear hose points to a failed pump.
- Blocked condenser or pump filter Likely — Fluff in the pump filter or a dirty heat exchanger restricts the drain path (Hotpoint F05).
First checks
- Empty the water tank fully and reseat it.
- Check the drain hose for kinks and clear the standpipe.
- Clean the pump filter (washer-dryer models).
- Rinse the heat exchanger (condenser models).
- Run a short cycle and watch the tank fill rate.
Safety
Unplug before removing panels or filters. Water spills are likely — keep towels down.
Call a professional when…
Tank, hose and filters are clear and the code returns — the pump needs an engineer.