Our dryer has a diaper

Ok, I'll try to explain.  We'd run our towels through the wash the other night and threw them in the dryer.  After a while the dryer chimed as if it were done, but it was way too soon for the cycle to be over.  Confused, we restarted the dryer.  Again, it chimed after a short period.  And it kept chiming.  Normally it stops after about 3 times when the cycle is done, but this time it was like a crying baby that just would not stop.  We opened the door to the dryer, it kept chiming; we closed it and tried again, it kept going; Ty was ready to unplug it from the wall!  Our instruction manual only came in Norwegian and we'd only just finished our first language class so that wasn't much help.  Finally I noticed one of the indicator lights was on next to a symbol that looked like a tub of water tipping over.  Ok, maybe the sound has to do with the drain.  I looked around the back thinking maybe there's a kink in the hose...there's no hose.  There is nothing remotely like a hose or output of any sort where this supposed tub of water would be draining.  Ok, now what.

Oddly enough I'd noticed the day before that there appeared to be a little door on the front of the dryer just under the main door where you put the clothes.  It turned out that when you open the main door there is a little button that, when pushed, opens this little door.  Behind the little door were a few brightly colored tabs - like the green ones in a large office printer that basically say, "Over here dummy!"  Not knowing what they were for I just shut the little door and thought nothing of it.

Fast forward, the dryer is still "crying," it says something about draining water, and there's no hose or tube draining water out of the back.  I pop open the little door and take another look at what's behind the colored tabs.  One of the tabs is holding in what looks a little like the reservoir tank on my steamvac.  Lift the tab.  Yank a little.  Sure enough this large, flat plastic tub comes out and its full of water.  Pull back the flap.  Dump the water down the sink.  Pop it back in the dryer.  Well lo and behold, the dryer stopped "crying!"  Started the cycle again.  No problems this time.  The dryer finally finished the entire cycle and the towels came out nice and dry.

I have never seen a dryer that had to be manually drained before.

Just another day in Norway ;-)

Our dryer

Check out the indicator light
just above the Start/Pause button

...and there's the hidden button...

...push the button, the little door opens...

...lift the yellow lever and...

...out comes the tank...

...and you drain the water in the sink.