Kenmore dryer
showing Ex21
On Kenmore's compact condensing dryer, Ex21 and Ex22 mean the condensate drain pump is not doing its job.
Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm
- Water system (ventless)
- Ventless condenser and pump repair
- Source: Kenmore
Book a visit
Three short steps, about a minute.
or call (844) 314-5837
Loading appointment form…
The appointment form couldn’t load. Please try again.
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 dryerKind of codeWater 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 toVentless 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 asDryer Leaking Water
Water under a ventless condenser or heat-pump dryer, or dripping from a vented dryer's duct.
MakeKenmore
Store-brand dryers in electric and gas versions, built for Kenmore by other manufacturers over the years.
SourceSears 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.
Unplug the dryer.
Check the drain hose for kinks, a clog or a sag that traps water.
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. 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
Dryer Leaking Water
5 causes, cheapest first
Where Ex21 usually leads
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
Electric dryer
The most common dryer in US homes: a 240-volt heating coil, a belt-driven drum and a vent to the outside.
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.
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
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.
All service areasTampa BayFL · 31 areas
Miami / South FloridaFL · 47 areas
New York MetroNY · 75 areas
HoustonTX · 36 areas
ChicagoIL · 50 areas
Los AngelesCA · 95 areas
San DiegoCA · 31 areas
Questions
about Ex21.
Can I clear Ex21 myself?
Can a kinked hose cause Ex21 on a Kenmore compact dryer?
What is the difference between Ex21 and Ex22 on a Kenmore compact dryer?
Back to your everyday
Still showing Ex21?
Book with the code exactly as displayed, the whole model number, and whether you smell burning or gas — for a code, that is where the diagnosis starts.