On a Miele dishwasher, F11 is a drain fault and F70 is a water-level or water-protection fault. F11 usually means a clogged filter, hose, or pump; F70 usually means a small leak has tripped the float in the base. Neither should be cleared without finding the cause.
F11 appears when the Miele cannot pump water out within the expected time. The most common cause is the fine filter under the lower spray arm clogging with debris, followed by a blocked or kinked drain hose and a drain pump jammed with a shard of glass or a pit. Clearing the full drain path and testing the pump resolves nearly all F11 faults.
F70 is different: it is the water-protection system doing its job. A small leak, from a spray-arm bearing, a seal, or a hose, has let water reach the base tray and trip the float, and the machine shuts down to prevent water damage. Clearing the code without finding the leak simply resets the countdown, so the priority is locating and repairing the source.
Both codes reflect Miele's design philosophy: the machine protects itself and your kitchen rather than running through a fault. That is why a methodical diagnosis matters. We clear and test the drain path for F11, and we trace the leak feeding the base tray for F70, then dry the sensor and confirm a clean cycle before closing the job.
Quick Reference
| Code | Meaning | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| F11 | Drain fault | Clear filter, hose, pump |
| F70 | Water level / leak | Find leak, free the float |
| F11 recurring | Weak drain pump | Test and replace pump |
| F70 recurring | Leak not yet found | Trace seal or bearing |
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