---
title: "Alto-Shaam E34: the steam generator did not drain during cleaning"
description: "What E34 means on Alto-Shaam E34: the steam generator did not drain during cleanings, what to check before booking, and when it is not a failure at all."
url: "https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/alto-shaam-e34/"
---

# Alto-Shaam E34: the steam generator did not drain during cleaning

At the end of a cleaning program the CTP pumps out its steam generator.

## What E34 actually means.

At the end of a cleaning program the CTP pumps out its steam generator. If the water is still above the lower level probe three minutes after the drain pump is switched on, the display calls out E34. The manual lists scale or a blockage in the pump, a failed pump, or a failed level probe.

Alto-Shaam commercial appliance display

What to do when E34 shows on the commercial appliance

### Kind of code Water, fill and drain

Water is not arriving, not reaching its level, not heating or not leaving on time. A dish machine may be short of fill because a supply valve is half closed or its line strainer is clogged, it may drain slowly through a scrap basket full of debris, or its booster may be too scaled to heat the rinse; a combi's steam generator may be scaled or its water treatment exhausted; a washer-extractor may time out on a slow drain. Opening the supply valve, cleaning strainers with the unit off and checking the drain line are fair; a pump, a fill valve, a heater or a leak near wiring is a visit.

### Usually leads to Dish machine repair

Undercounter, door-type and conveyor dish machines: tank heaters, boosters, wash pumps, fill and drain valves.

### Shows up as Commercial Appliance Error Code on a Combi, Fryer, Dish Machine or Laundry Display

A commercial appliance error code appears as letters or numbers on a combi, fryer, reach-in controller, dish machine or laundry machine display, or as a flashing light or an alarm tone.

### Make Alto-Shaam

An Alto-Shaam call is usually booked for the hours between the last plate and the prep crew, so the cabinet can cool and the tech can open it without holding up service.

### Source Alto-Shaam Combitherm CT PROformance Series operator's manual, MN-35948 Rev 21 (10/21) (Wayback copy)

Combitherm CT PROformance (CTP) combi ovens, error code table in operator's manual MN-35948 Rev 21.

## Before you book, in this order.

Each step comes from Alto-Shaam's own guidance for E34 on its commercial appliances. Follow it to the end: the last card says whether this is a visit.

01

Acknowledge the code and leave the door closed until the program has stopped.

02

Look under the oven and around the floor drain for water and keep people clear of any puddle.

03

Book a visit; descaling history is worth mentioning, because scale is the first cause listed.

### Still there?

It usually turns into [dish machine repair](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/services/dish-machine-repair/). Book with the code and the model number.

### What not to do

E34 has nothing to do with incoming water, which shows as E01, E51 or E105. It is also different from a drain blocked by food in the cabinet floor, which the manual warns about as a routine cleaning issue.

## What you may notice with it.

The commercial appliance problems E34 tends to arrive with. Answer these at the commercial appliance before anyone is booked.

[All problems](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/problems/)

Before you call

### [Commercial Appliance Error Code on a Combi, Fryer, Dish Machine or Laundry Display](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/problems/commercial-error-code/)

[All 8 causes, cheapest first](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/problems/commercial-error-code/)

It also comes with

- [**Water on the Commercial Kitchen Floor Near Equipment and Outlets**](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/problems/commercial-water-on-the-floor/)
- [**Combi Oven Steam Problem: Weak Steam, Scale or a Dry Cavity**](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/problems/combi-oven-steam-problem/)

Problem

### Commercial Appliance Error Code on a Combi, Fryer, Dish Machine or Laundry Display

8 causes, cheapest first

Where E34 usually leads

## Dish machine repair.

**Dish machine tank heater or booster element, thermostat, fill valve, float switch, drain valve, wash pump seal or motor, conveyor drive · moderate.**

Book a visit [What the job involves](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/services/dish-machine-repair/)

## Alto-Shaam commercial appliances.

An Alto-Shaam call is usually booked for the hours between the last plate and the prep crew, so the cabinet can cool and the tech can open it without holding up service.

[Alto-Shaam commercial appliance repair](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/brands/alto-shaam/)

More Alto-Shaam codes

[E01](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/alto-shaam-e01/) [E02](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/alto-shaam-e02/) [E03](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/alto-shaam-e03/) [E13](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/alto-shaam-e13/) [E20](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/alto-shaam-e20/) [E21](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/alto-shaam-e21/) [E36](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/alto-shaam-e36/) [E57](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/alto-shaam-e57/) [E89](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/alto-shaam-e89/) [E92](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/alto-shaam-e92/) [E100](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/alto-shaam-e100/) [E105](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/alto-shaam-e105/)

[All 15 Alto-Shaam codes](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/#codes-alto-shaam)

Water, fill and drain on other makes

[Blodgett Water Level Error](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/blodgett-water-level-error/) [Cleveland LOW WATER light](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/cleveland-low-water-light/) [Dexter F2](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/dexter-f2/) [Frymaster E33](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/frymaster-e33/) [Hatco LO H2O](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/hatco-lo-h2o/) [Hobart 019](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/hobart-019/) [Miele Professional F18](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/miele-professional-f18/) [Pitco DRAINING TURN OFF](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/pitco-draining-turn-off/)

[All 45 codes of this kind](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/#family-water)

Alto-Shaam builds this

### Commercial cold storage

Reach-in and pass-through cabinets, walk-in coolers and walk-in freezers, prep and sandwich tables, undercounter units and blast chillers that hold a kitchen's food at safe temperatures.

Alto-Shaam builds this

### Commercial cooking equipment

Fryers, griddles, charbroilers, restaurant ranges, convection and combi ovens, steamers, kettles, holding cabinets and toasters, on gas or electric, that make up the hot side of a kitchen line.

## In Alto-Shaam's own words

> Calcium build-up or blockage in steam generator drain pump.

[Alto-Shaam Combitherm CT PROformance Series operator's manual, MN-35948 Rev 21 (10/21) (Wayback copy)](https://web.archive.org/web/20220509173647/https://www.alto-shaam.com/en/media-library/widen-assets/technical-literature/operators-manual/operators-manual_combitherm_ctp_mn-35948-en-18-pdf.pdf) [Alto-Shaam Combitherm CT PROformance Series operator's manual, MN-35948 Rev 21 (10/21) (Wayback copy)](https://web.archive.org/web/20220509173647/https://www.alto-shaam.com/en/media-library/widen-assets/technical-literature/operators-manual/operators-manual_combitherm_ctp_mn-35948-en-18-pdf.pdf)

Every code on this site is taken from the manufacturer's documentation, never from a forum or a parts listing. Combitherm CT PROformance (CTP) combi ovens, error code table in operator's manual MN-35948 Rev 21.

## Alto-Shaam E34 commercial appliance 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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For the heart of your home.

## Questions about E34.

### Can I clear E34 myself?

Acknowledge the code and leave the door closed until the program has stopped. If it comes back, it needs a visit.

### Why does my Alto-Shaam stop cleaning with E34?

The steam generator did not empty in time. Scale in the drain pump is the most common reason the manual gives.

### Is water on the floor normal with E34 on an Alto-Shaam?

No. If water is pooling, keep people away and dry it before anyone works near the oven.

### How do I avoid E34 on my Alto-Shaam combi?

Descale on the schedule the manual sets and keep the drain screen in place so solids do not reach the pump.

---

**[Read on the site: Alto-Shaam E34: the steam generator did not drain during cleaning](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/alto-shaam-e34/)**

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