How can I clean the water tank of my Bosch AutoClean Home Professional tumble dryer?Why is it dirty?

[wholelottared]

Hello everyone!!

I bought a flagship Bosch dryer last year, an AutoClean one that washes both the evaporator and the condenser. It's Home Professional, WTX87EH0TR (these info aren't needed for this problem I know, but sharing for the curious ones).

As y'all know, AutoClean devices doesn't have the usual door filter, so I bought them and added them myself the first day I bought it, so my device can last even longer. So now my device has the 2 way door filter that every Bosch dryer has + 2 AutoClean filters at the bottom. This makes the device protected from fluff in the best way, plus it washes both the condenser and the evaporator. The fins at the bottom still looks as clean as the first day I bought it.

But I have a problem. Everytime I empty the water tank, I realized it got dirty day by day with the fluff build up. The filter of the tank is not damaged, I checked. Even with 2 filters in bottom area + 2 additional filters I bought (4 filters in total) somehow fluff was able to reach the water tank, even though the evaporator and the condenser looks clean.

How did this happen? I don't know if it's connected, but is it because I use softener on the washing machine?

And most importantly, how can I clean this? Because it goes all the way inside, it's not only at the beginning.

I'll share some photos I just took, so you guys can have an idea of what I'm talking about. I'll be waiting for the replies, and the discussion about why is it happening and how can I clean it.

Thank you so much.

 

[ozzie908]

Have a similar issue

All I do is bleach it with warm water let it sit for a while and rinse with clean water.

`its the fine particles that none of the filters catch thats the problem.

 

[wholelottared]

replying to ozzie908

So did warm water with bleach help you with this problem?

I tried cleaning it with almost boiling water before, but it didn't help, the bottom was still black with fluff. But I didn't try adding bleach though. Does bleach break the fluff pieces or something? I'll try again with bleach if it really helps, thank you.

 

[ozzie908]

Wholelottared

It comes back after a while but bleach certainly helps.

 

[henene4]

These dryers do use the water in the tank to do most of the flushing.

Some fluff will always remain in that water, and it will settle in the tank no matter what.
It's not like anything is clogged, and if the condenser is clean, everything is working as intended.

 

[logixx]

Interesting. This is the water tank of my selfCleaning after three years. I remove the blue filter before emptying and, since the dryer is in the bathroom, I tip the whole thing over and water gushes into the bathtub. Maybe that extra water turbulence helps to keep the tank so clean.

I have, maybe four times over the years, removed my shower head and stuck the hose into the water tank to flush it out at full force - but there's never been really anything in there as far as lint goes.

 

[wholelottared]

replying to Logixx

that's really interesting. why does mine has fluff and yours doesn't even though my device has more filters?

do you not use softener? or is it because my device washes the back condenser too?

 

[logixx]

I use softener with practically every load - about 30 ml.

I've seen a YouTube video if an appliance retailer, who also has a AutoClean dryer and his water tank also had stuff in there. I will say that I'm very thorough about the filters, vacuuming them as well as both seals after almost every cycle. When drying small loads of shirts (almost no water left after spinning) I'll sometimes fill the tank prior to drying so the flushing cycles can do something (although the shirts don't give off lint).

I haven't used this blue cleaning fluid Bosch sell. I don't know what the inside if the heat exchanger looks like, but the fins at the front are spotless.

 

[wholelottared]

replying to logixx

Maybe AutoClean ones has a different kind of pump that is able to pump more fluff at the bottom of the device to the top? or maybe SelfCleaning Condenser devices has a filter in the pump that blocks fluff to go to the tank, but AutoClean ones doesn't have a pump filter. Just my guess though, it's definitely interesting.

 

[logixx]

According to Bosch's spare parts website, the exact same pumps are used.

 

[henene4]

The more lint the water has to wash away, the more will become suspended in it.

On the AutoClean system, the water has to flush away all the lint every load produces.
On the SelfClean system, it's only the bit that gets past the 2 filters.

By nature, some parts of the lint will be so small they are basically "dissolved" in the water.
No filter will keep that back.

 

[kkparis]

extra filter!

Hello!

I just came across this page looking for a similar answer - thanks to Ozzie908 for the tip on using bleach.

Quick question for original poster Wholelottared: where did you find a proper filter to fit in the space where the useless "colander" filter (LOL for lack of a better description) is currently in the door slot? Is it a Bosch filter for a different model that just happens to fit? Or is it an after-market compatible filter?

Having now owned this machine for a few years, I agree that it would be great to add a real (old-fashioned removable) filter here to get double protection, but I don't see that as an option in Bosch's list of parts for my machine WTX87M09FF/01. In the future I'm actually pretty sure I'll go back to the old non self-clean system as it seems to protect the innards better and you only have to clean the large condenser every couple of months or so.

Thanks all!

 

[logixx]

Any current Bosch/Siemens filter should fit, I think.

Bosch seem to have abandoned the fully self-cleaning models like yours anyway and gone back to filters and "regular" self-clean or a foam filter.

 

[kkparis]

Thanks for the advice, I just ordered a Series-8 compatible filter, fingers crossed!