Washing appliance comprising: a tub to house items to be washed; a circulation pump to circulate a washing fluid in the tub; a circulation pump motor to drive the circulation pump; a drain pump; a detection unit configured to monitor at least one electromechanical parameter of the circulation pump motor, and to detect, based on the monitored at least one electromechanical parameter, a starvation event indicating that air is drawn out by the circulation pump or a saturation event indicating that no air is drawn out by the circulation pump, and a control unit configured to determine a first starvation event and a second starvation event occurred after said first starvation event, and wherein the control unit is configured to: determine a starvation state of the circulation pump when both the first starvation event and the second starvation event are determined, said starvation state indicating that insufficient washing fluid is present in the tub to prevent air from being drawn out by the circulation pump; determine a saturation state of the circulation pump if said second starvation event is not determined, said saturation event indicating that sufficient washing fluid is present in the tub to prevent air from being drawn out by the circulation pump, and control the washing appliance based on the determined starvation state or saturation state of the circulation pump, characterised in that the first starvation event is determined when a starvation event is detected after a first number of consecutive saturation events is counted, or after a first time interval ( ΔT1) has elapsed during which no starvation event is detected, and that the second starvation event is determined when a starvation event is detected before a second number of consecutive saturation events is counted after the first starvation event, or before a second time interval ( Δ T2) has elapsed after the first starvation event during which no starvation event is detected, said first number of consecutive saturation events being higher than said second number of consecutive saturation events and said first time interval ( Δ T1) being higher than said second time interval (Δ T 2). a tub to house items to be washed; a circulation pump to circulate a washing fluid in the tub; a circulation pump motor to drive the circulation pump; a drain pump; a detection unit configured to monitor at least one electromechanical parameter of the circulation pump motor, and to detect, based on the monitored at least one electromechanical parameter, a starvation event indicating that air is drawn out by the circulation pump or a saturation event indicating that no air is drawn out by the circulation pump, and a control unit configured to determine a first starvation event and a second starvation event occurred after said first starvation event, and wherein the control unit is configured to: determine a starvation state of the circulation pump when both the first starvation event and the second starvation event are determined, said starvation state indicating that insufficient washing fluid is present in the tub to prevent air from being drawn out by the circulation pump; determine a saturation state of the circulation pump if said second starvation event is not determined, said saturation event indicating that sufficient washing fluid is present in the tub to prevent air from being drawn out by the circulation pump, and control the washing appliance based on the determined starvation state or saturation state of the circulation pump, determine a starvation state of the circulation pump when both the first starvation event and the second starvation event are determined, said starvation state indicating that insufficient washing fluid is present in the tub to prevent air from being drawn out by the circulation pump; determine a saturation state of the circulation pump if said second starvation event is not determined, said saturation event indicating that sufficient washing fluid is present in the tub to prevent air from being drawn out by the circulation pump, and control the washing appliance based on the determined starvation state or saturation state of the circulation pump,