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Dryer Steam and condensate parts: What It Does and Signs It's Failing

Steam dryers have a water drawer (on LG, the steam feeder) that supplies a steam generator for steam cycles. Ventless heat pump and hybrid dryers pull water out of the air and pump it away through a drain hose.

How it works

Water from the drawer goes to the generator, which turns it into steam for the drum. In ventless models, condensed water collects in a sump and gets pumped out the drain hose. A kinked, crushed or clogged hose, or a frozen sump, stops the drain.

Signs it is failing

• Add-water message with the drawer empty or not fully closed
• No steam on steam cycles
• Drain code on a ventless or hybrid dryer

Add-water and drain codes come from this system. On LG hybrid dryers, the drain code means the hose is kinked, crushed or clogged, or the sump has frozen.

Can you replace it yourself?

Fill the steam drawer to the max line with tap water, not distilled, and push it fully closed. For a drain code, straighten and clear the hose, and use only the standard hose that came with the dryer. Pump or generator replacement means taking panels off with the dryer unplugged.

Buying the right part

Steam and drain parts are model-specific, so order by full model number.

Error codes linked to the steam and condensate parts

• AddAdd water for steamLG
• E13Drain problem (heat pump and hybrid dryers)LG

Last reviewed 2026-10-19.