--- title: "Kenmore dryer showing Ex21 | DryerRepair.center" description: "What Ex21 means on Kenmore dryers, what to check before booking, and when it is not a failure at all." url: "https://dryerrepair.center/error-codes/kenmore-compact-ex21/" --- # Kenmore dryer showing Ex21 On Kenmore's compact condensing dryer, Ex21 and Ex22 mean the condensate drain pump is not doing its job. ## What Ex21 actually means. On Kenmore's compact condensing dryer, Ex21 and Ex22 mean the condensate drain pump is not doing its job. The trouble can be a clogged pump or hose, the harness to the pump, the pump itself or the control. Kenmore dryer display · also shown as Ex22 What to do when Ex21 shows on the dryer ### Kind of code Water system (ventless) On a ventless dryer, the water it pulls from the load is not reaching the container or the drain — a full tank, a blocked condenser or a pump that is not running. ### Usually leads to Ventless condenser and pump repair Heat-pump and condenser dryers that leak, stop with a full-tank warning or take hours, repaired at the exchanger, pump and filters. ### Shows up as Dryer Leaking Water Water under a ventless condenser or heat-pump dryer, or dripping from a vented dryer's duct. ### Make Kenmore Store-brand dryers in electric and gas versions, built for Kenmore by other manufacturers over the years. ### Source Sears PartsDirect: Kenmore compact condensing dryer error codes (Wayback 19.11.2019) Kenmore compact condensing (ventless) dryer (Sears chart). ## Before you book, in this order. Each step comes from Kenmore's own guidance for Ex21 on its dryers. Follow it to the end: the last card says whether this is a visit. 01 Unplug the dryer. 02 Check the drain hose for kinks, a clog or a sag that traps water. 03 Book a visit if the hose is clear; the pump and its wiring are tested next. ### Still there? It usually turns into [ventless condenser and pump repair](https://dryerrepair.center/services/ventless-condenser-and-pump-repair/). Book with the code and the model number. ### What not to do Ex21 is not a sign that the dryer is overfilling with water. It collects water from the clothes and cannot move it on. ## What you may notice with it. The dryer problems Ex21 tends to arrive with. Answer these at the dryer before anyone is booked. [All problems](https://dryerrepair.center/problems/) Before you call ### [Dryer Leaking Water](https://dryerrepair.center/problems/dryer-water-leaking/) [All 5 causes, cheapest first](https://dryerrepair.center/problems/dryer-water-leaking/) It also comes with - [**Dryer Takes Too Long to Dry**](https://dryerrepair.center/problems/dryer-takes-too-long/) Problem ### Dryer Leaking Water 5 causes, cheapest first Where Ex21 usually leads ## Ventless condenser and pump repair. **Condensate pump, condenser or heat-pump system · moderate.** Book a visit [What the job involves](https://dryerrepair.center/services/ventless-condenser-and-pump-repair/) ## Kenmore dryers. Store-brand dryers in electric and gas versions, built for Kenmore by other manufacturers over the years. [Kenmore dryer repair](https://dryerrepair.center/brands/kenmore/) More Kenmore codes [E1](https://dryerrepair.center/error-codes/kenmore-110-e1/) [E5B](https://dryerrepair.center/error-codes/kenmore-417-e5b/) [E8C](https://dryerrepair.center/error-codes/kenmore-417-e8c/) [E10](https://dryerrepair.center/error-codes/kenmore-417-e10/) [dE](https://dryerrepair.center/error-codes/kenmore-796-de/) [tE1](https://dryerrepair.center/error-codes/kenmore-796-te1/) [Ex52](https://dryerrepair.center/error-codes/kenmore-compact-ex52/) Water system (ventless) on other makes [ASKO E3](https://dryerrepair.center/error-codes/asko-e3/) [GE Empty Tank](https://dryerrepair.center/error-codes/ge-empty-tank/) [LG E13](https://dryerrepair.center/error-codes/lg-e13/) [Whirlpool Water tank](https://dryerrepair.center/error-codes/whirlpool-water-tank/) [Fisher & Paykel H2O FULL](https://dryerrepair.center/error-codes/fisher-and-paykel-h2o-full/) [All 7 codes of this kind](https://dryerrepair.center/error-codes/#family-water) Kenmore builds this ### Electric dryer The most common dryer in US homes: a 240-volt heating coil, a belt-driven drum and a vent to the outside. Kenmore builds this ### Gas dryer Heat from a burner on natural gas or propane, lit by an igniter and watched over by a flame sensor, with the motor on 120 volts. Kenmore builds this ### Stackable dryer The dryer half of a stacked pair or a single-frame laundry center, where the height and the closet decide how the repair is done. ## In Kenmore's own words > Condensate drain pump failure [Sears PartsDirect: Kenmore compact condensing dryer error codes (Wayback 19.11.2019)](https://web.archive.org/web/20191119232438/https://www.searspartsdirect.com/diy/error-codes/dryer-repair/1234594/kenmore-compact-condensing-dryer/0582) [Sears PartsDirect: Kenmore compact condensing dryer error codes (Wayback 19.11.2019)](https://web.archive.org/web/20191119232438/https://www.searspartsdirect.com/diy/error-codes/dryer-repair/1234594/kenmore-compact-condensing-dryer/0582) Every code on this site is taken from the manufacturer's documentation, never from a forum or a parts listing. Kenmore compact condensing (ventless) dryer (Sears chart). ## Kenmore Ex21 dryer repair, where we come out. The same visit in every metro below: the code, the model number, and a diagnosis before any part is ordered. 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Unplug the dryer. If it comes back, it needs a visit. ### Can a kinked hose cause Ex21 on a Kenmore compact dryer? Yes. Sears includes a clog or restriction in the pump and drain hose among the checks, and a kink behind the cabinet is the easiest one to fix. ### What is the difference between Ex21 and Ex22 on a Kenmore compact dryer? Sears groups them together as condensate drain pump failure with the same steps, so both start at the hose and pump. --- **[Read on the site: Kenmore dryer showing Ex21 | DryerRepair.center](https://dryerrepair.center/error-codes/kenmore-compact-ex21/)** **[Book a visit with DryerRepair.center](https://dryerrepair.center/schedule/)**