Empty the water tank
The water container of a condenser or heat-pump dryer is full and needs emptying.
What it is for
Pull out the container, empty it into a sink and push it fully back. AEG says to drain it after every drying cycle.
Makes differ, check your machine’s manual: the same drawing can mean different things on different brands, and only your model’s manual says exactly what a programme does, how hot and how long.
- What it looks like
- A container with water in it and a drop above or beside it; AEG draws the container tipped over, pouring.
- Names makers use
- Empty condensate container (Bosch); Drain the water container (AEG); Water tank full (Whirlpool)
Where makes differ
Bosch draws a tank with a drop; AEG a tilted container pouring a drop; Whirlpool lists a tank symbol. Vented dryers have no water tank and no such symbol.
Often confused with
The fluff (lint) filter — or on some models the filter in the base — needs cleaning before the dryer can work properly.
Other symbols with the same shapes
Sources
No single published standard defines washing-machine or dryer programme icons, so this meaning is taken from 3 makers’ own guides and manuals, each fetched and read on the date shown:
- Bosch: Bosch Home UK — Tumble dryer symbols and settings — Dryer display: Empty condensate container symbol (a container with water and a drop) — “Empty the condensate container”. Checked 2026-09-25.
- AEG: AEG — LAVATHERM 7DEE835R / 7DEE832R tumble dryer user manual (PDF) — Display: “indicator: drain the water container” (a tipped container with a drop); clean the filter and drain the water container after each drying cycle. Checked 2026-09-25.
- Whirlpool: Whirlpool product help — Control Panel Symbols and Usage, Compact Heat Pump Dryer — Status symbols: “Water tank full” — see “Empty Water Tank” in the Owner’s Manual. Checked 2026-09-25.
Written in our own words; quotations are the makers’ wording.