I have a AEG lavamat Turbo 16830 which washes & spins fine. The drier cycle had degraded & did not work. It counted down the 125mins in less than 10mins & the clothes remained wet & cold. After running I emptied the water using the drain pump hose & confirmed the impeller was free to move. I tried the drying cycle again & the same problem was still present. Re-opening the drain pump emergency emptying hose there is >1litre water which suggests water was being fed ok for the condenser to work.
A quick websearch suggested the likely problem was a blocked condenser preventing airflow. This WAS the case (tissue paper-grr). I removed & cleaned the condenser, reassembled it & the machine works properly again. Thankyou everybody :D
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Method (drawn from many web authors)
Only do this if you are competent working on an appliance with it disconnected from the mains (elec & water)!
The lid and the rear half of the cabinet has to be removed, you will see a clear plastic chamber running down the side of the machine from the fan motor downwards. Remove the hose clip at the bottom of the chamber then lower the chamber away from the fan, clean it out by flushing and using a coat hanger wire to clear majority of bits. If the syphon tube to the rear side is blocked it can be cleared with cold water via a 6mm rubber irrigation hose ( use hot water to soften the pipe so you can put a 90degree bend in it & then set it with coldwater ).
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Getting the panels off; At the top back corners, remove bolts holding top and remove the top.
Looking down from the back, on each side, four cadmium plated bolts with lock washers secure the sides to the inner chassis. Remove the two nearest the back on both sides.
Looking down, in the back left hand corner is the fan; a single bolt secures the back panel to it. Remove it and note that it is not the same as the bolts so far removed.
At the bottom on the back, three bolts secure the back to the chassis. Remove and note that, again they are different from all others so far.
On each side , where the rear panel meets the front panel, at the bottom, find a plastic blanking plug. Remove it, and undo the bolt it hides. (When you reassemble it's very easy to "lose" this bolt inside. Magnetic socket or chewing gum to hold it in your socket spanner will make life much easier).
All that is now holding the panel is the while plastic moulding which holds the cold water inlet - you have turned the water off and disconnected the pipe from the back haven't you? A little plastic catch on each side holds this moulding, and once removed the back is free to slide off the plastic rails of the machine base...
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Removing the condenser; As suggested by others, it is easier to pull upwards on the fan assembly at the top of the machine. The assembly has just enough "give" to enable you to pop the top of the condenser out from where it mates up with the fan assembly. It's then simple to unclip it at the bottom using a screwdriver.
MrT, August 2012
