E1
The most common appliance code — and it means four different things
Find your appliance below. E1 on a washing machine has nothing to do with E1 on an air conditioner.
🧺 Washing machine
Can you do it yourself?Easy — about 15 minutes, and the checks need no tools at all.
Worth repairing?Fix it. The checks cost nothing, and even a new inlet valve is a small fraction of a new machine.
The machine could not get water in, or could not reach the right water level within the time it allows itself. Nearly always a water supply problem rather than a broken machine.
Check in this order: is the tap behind the machine fully open; is the fill hose kinked or crushed behind the machine; unscrew the fill hose and clean the small mesh filter inside the inlet (it clogs with grit and limescale); then clean the drain pump filter behind the flap at the front bottom. If all of that is clear, the water inlet valve or the pressure sensor is likely at fault.
Parts people usually end up buyingWater inlet valve, inlet hose with mesh filter, drain pump filter.
Find parts on Amazon
🍽️ Dishwasher
Can you do it yourself?Easy to check, moderate to replace — 20 minutes to inspect the valve and filter.
Worth repairing?Fix it. The inlet valve is one of the cheapest parts on the machine.
The dishwasher is not filling with water properly — usually a blocked or failed water inlet valve.
Check in this order: tap fully open, inlet hose not kinked behind the unit, then inspect the inlet valve filter for debris. If the valve is clogged it can sometimes be cleaned; if it has failed electrically it needs replacing.
❄️ Air conditioner / mini split
Can you do it yourself?Not a DIY job. The breaker reset is the only step you should do yourself.
Worth repairing?Get it diagnosed before you decide. Loose wiring is cheap to put right; a failed outdoor control board on an older system can cost enough that replacement makes more sense.
A communication fault between the indoor and outdoor unit — the two halves of the system cannot talk to each other. Causes include loose or damaged communication wiring, a splice in that wiring, incorrect voltage or jumper settings after installation, a damaged control board, or storm and surge damage.
What you can safely do: switch the system off at the breaker for 15 minutes and then back on — that clears it when it was a one-off glitch. Looking for scorch marks or obviously loose wiring is also reasonable.
Call a professional for the rest. Diagnosing this properly means voltage testing at live terminals. That is HVAC engineer territory, not a DIY job.
🌀 Tumble dryer
Can you do it yourself?Easy to clean — 10 minutes. Replacing the sensor is a moderate job.
Worth repairing?Fix it. A thermistor is a cheap part, and dryers otherwise run for years without trouble.
A dirty or failed thermistor — the sensor that tells the dryer how hot the air is.
Check: unplug the dryer and gently wipe the thermistor clean with a dry cloth; lint coating it is a common cause. If the code returns after cleaning, the thermistor needs replacing.
🧊 Fridge / freezer
Can you do it yourself?Moderate — testing the sensor properly needs a multimeter.
Worth repairing?Fix it, and don't put it off. A cheap sensor left alone means spoiled food, which will cost you more than the part.
A thermistor fault — the temperature sensor is not reading correctly, so the fridge cannot regulate itself.
Check: the sensor can be tested for continuity with a multimeter and replaced if it fails. If your fridge is still cooling normally, this is worth fixing promptly before food safety becomes an issue.
🍟 Air fryer
Can you do it yourself?Not practical — the whole unit has to come apart to reach the sensor.
Worth repairing?Replace the fryer. On all but premium models the repair costs more than a new one, and no honest repairer will tell you otherwise.
A temperature sensor fault. Ninja and Philips models show this as E1; Cosori shows the same problem as Err 01.
Check: unplug it for 15 minutes and try again, as this sometimes clears a one-off reading. If the code comes straight back, the sensor has failed. On most air fryers the repair costs more than the unit is worth, so replacement is usually the sensible call.
E2
Door lock, temperature sensor or heating fault depending on the appliance
🧺 Washing machine
Can you do it yourself?Moderate — 30 to 45 minutes with a screwdriver.
Worth repairing?Fix it. Door locks are among the cheapest and most routinely replaced parts on a washing machine.
The door lock has failed, so the machine will not start or will not release the door. The drum cannot spin until the machine is certain the door is locked shut.
Check: make sure nothing is caught in the seal and that the door closes fully with a click. If the latch is visibly damaged or the lock makes no sound when a cycle starts, the door interlock needs replacing — a common and fairly cheap part.
🍽️ Dishwasher
Can you do it yourself?Cleaning the sensor is easy; replacing it means taking panels off.
Worth repairing?Fix it. It is a small part and the rest of the machine is unaffected.
A faulty temperature sensor — the dishwasher cannot tell how hot the water is.
Check: the sensor can sometimes just be dirty and clean up fine. If cleaning does not clear the code, it needs replacing.
🧊 Fridge / freezer
Can you do it yourself?Easy if it is ice — defrosting costs nothing but time.
Worth repairing?Defrost first, it is free and often the whole fix. If the motor really has failed, still worth replacing on a fridge under about ten years old.
The fan motor has failed or is blocked, so cold air is not circulating.
Check: look for ice build-up jamming the fan blade, which is the most common cause. Defrosting the freezer fully often fixes it. If the fan is clear but silent, the motor itself has gone.
🍟 Air fryer
Can you do it yourself?Not a DIY job — a blown thermal fuse or element needs a technician.
Worth repairing?Replace the fryer. Element repairs cost more than the appliance on most models.
A heating element or thermal fuse fault — the element is not heating as it should. Cosori shows this as Err 02.
Check: there is no safe home fix for this one. A blown thermal fuse or failed element needs a service technician, and on most air fryers that costs more than a new unit.
E3
Fan motor fault
🍟 Air fryer
Can you do it yourself?Cleaning is easy — about 20 minutes. Replacing the motor is not practical at home.
Worth repairing?Clean it first; that is often the entire fix. If the motor is genuinely worn out, replace the fryer rather than repair it.
The fan motor is struggling — usually debris caught around the fan, or worn bearings after heavy use.
Check: unplug it, let it cool completely, and clean out the basket area and the vents thoroughly. Baked-on grease around the fan is a frequent culprit. If it is clean and the fan still grinds or does not spin, the motor has worn out.
E4
Water supply, door latch or overheating depending on the appliance
🍽️ Dishwasher
Can you do it yourself?Easy — around 15 minutes of checks.
Worth repairing?Fix it. Both the door latch and the inlet valve are inexpensive parts.
Reported by manufacturers as either low water supply or a door latch problem, depending on the brand — worth checking both.
Check: confirm the supply valve is fully open and that your household water pressure is normal. Then inspect the door latch for damage or misalignment; if the door is not registering as shut, the cycle will not start.
🧊 Fridge / freezer
Can you do it yourself?Manual defrosting is easy but slow — allow most of a day. Replacing the sensor is a moderate job.
Worth repairing?Fix it. Left alone, ice build-up eventually kills the cooling, and then you lose the food as well as the fridge.
Defrost sensor failure — the fridge cannot run its defrost cycle properly, so ice builds up.
Check: defrost the appliance manually first by emptying it and leaving it switched off with the doors open. Then the defrost sensor should be tested and replaced if it has failed.
🍟 Air fryer
Can you do it yourself?Easy — about 30 minutes of thorough cleaning.
Worth repairing?Clean it. This is usually not a fault at all, just built-up grease and not enough space around the fryer.
The over-temperature cutoff has tripped — the unit got hotter than it is allowed to and shut itself down to stay safe.
Check: unplug it and let it cool right down. Then clean out accumulated grease and make sure nothing is blocking the air vents, and that there is clear space behind and above the fryer on the worktop. Grease build-up and cramped placement are the two usual causes.
E5
Temperature sensor or basket detection
🧺 Washing machine
Can you do it yourself?Moderate — panels off and a multimeter to test the sensor.
Worth repairing?Fix it, though it is not urgent. The machine still washes; it just cannot be trusted to hit the temperature you set.
The water temperature sensor has failed, so the machine cannot tell how hot the water is.
Check: the sensor can be tested for continuity and replaced. Until it is fixed, wash temperatures will not be reliable.
🍟 Air fryer
Can you do it yourself?Reseating the basket takes seconds. Replacing the micro-switch is not practical at home.
Worth repairing?Try reseating the basket first — free, and it usually works. If the switch itself has failed, replace the fryer.
The basket or drawer is not being detected, so the fryer refuses to run.
Check: take the basket right out and push it back in firmly until it seats properly — that clears it most of the time. If it still will not register, the micro-switch that detects the drawer has failed and needs replacing.
E6
Water heating fault
🍽️ Dishwasher
Can you do it yourself?Not recommended — this is mains wiring inside a wet appliance.
Worth repairing?Worth fixing on a machine under about seven years old. Older than that, the repair bill starts to rival a decent new dishwasher, and you would be putting a new element in a machine near the end of its life.
The dishwasher cannot heat the water — typically a failed heating element.
Check: dishes coming out cold and greasy alongside this code confirms it. The heating element needs inspecting and usually replacing. This involves mains wiring inside a wet appliance, so unless you are confident, this is one to hand to an engineer.
F1
Oven temperature sensor fault
🔥 Oven
Can you do it yourself?Moderate on an electric oven. Never attempt it on a gas oven.
Worth repairing?Fix it. The probe is a cheap part and ovens outlast almost every other appliance in the kitchen.
The oven's temperature sensor is not reading correctly, so the oven cannot hold a set temperature.
Check: the sensor probe inside the oven cavity can be tested for continuity and replaced if it has failed. It is a relatively straightforward part on most electric ovens. If you have a gas oven, leave it to a registered gas engineer.
F2
Overheating, or a drainage problem
🔥 Oven
Can you do it yourself?Letting it cool is free. Diagnosing why it overheated needs a professional.
Worth repairing?Get it checked before you use it again. An oven that overheats is a safety problem, not an inconvenience, and that changes the maths — do not run it while you decide.
The oven has detected an excessive temperature and cut out to protect itself.
Check: turn the oven off and let it cool completely before doing anything else. Once cool, the temperature sensor should be inspected — a sensor reading wrongly is the usual cause of a false overheat.
🍽️ Dishwasher
Can you do it yourself?Easy — about 20 minutes with a bowl and a towel.
Worth repairing?Fix it. This is nearly always a blockage, so it costs you nothing but the time.
Water is not draining out of the machine.
Check: look for a kinked or blocked drain hose behind the unit, then clear debris from the filter and pump at the bottom of the tub. Food residue and broken glass are the usual offenders. Standing water in the base confirms the diagnosis.
F3
Oven not reaching temperature
🔥 Oven
Can you do it yourself?Moderate — testing the sensor needs a multimeter.
Worth repairing?Fix it. Both the sensor and the element are affordable next to the cost of a new oven.
The oven is reading a temperature lower than it should, so it either never gets hot enough or keeps running.
Check: the temperature sensor should be tested for continuity and replaced if defective. If the sensor tests fine, the heating element itself may be failing.
F5
Spray arm problem
🍽️ Dishwasher
Can you do it yourself?Easy — 10 minutes, no tools needed.
Worth repairing?Fix it. This is cleaning rather than repair, and it costs nothing.
The spray arm is blocked or not rotating freely, so water is not reaching your dishes.
Check: take the spray arms out and rinse them, poking out any blocked holes with a cocktail stick — limescale and food debris clog them gradually. Also check nothing tall in the bottom rack is stopping the arm from turning.
AF
Restricted airflow
🌀 Tumble dryer
Can you do it yourself?Easy — around 30 minutes, ideally with a vent brush.
Worth repairing?Do this today. A blocked dryer vent is a genuine fire risk, not just a reason your clothes take two cycles to dry.
The dryer cannot move enough air through itself, so clothes take forever to dry and the machine flags it.
Check: clean the lint filter properly, then check the whole vent hose run behind the dryer for lint build-up, crushing or kinks. A blocked vent is both the usual cause here and a genuine fire risk, so it is worth clearing thoroughly rather than just resetting the code.
PF
Power failure occurred mid-cycle
🌀 Tumble dryer and other appliances
Can you do it yourself?Nothing to repair — restart the cycle.
Worth repairing?No repair needed. But if it keeps appearing with no power cut, have the socket and cord looked at — an intermittent connection is an electrical safety issue worth taking seriously.
The appliance lost power partway through a cycle and is telling you so when it came back on.
Check: if there was a known power cut, just restart the cycle and forget about it. If it keeps appearing with no obvious outage, check the circuit breaker, the power cord for damage, and whether the socket is loose — an intermittent connection at the outlet is a common cause and worth having looked at.
Samsung 4E
Water supply problem — the machine can't fill
🧺 Samsung washing machine
Can you do it yourself?Easy — about 15 minutes, and the checks need no tools.
Worth repairing?Fix it. Usually free, and at worst a cheap inlet valve.
The washer did not get enough water within the time it allows. Samsung also shows this as 4C on newer machines; both mean the same thing.
What to do: Check the tap behind the machine is fully open and the fill hose is not kinked. Then unscrew the fill hose and clean the mesh filter inside the inlet — grit and limescale block it over time. Samsung specifies a water pressure between 0.5 and 8 bar, so very low household pressure can also trigger it.
Parts people usually end up buyingWater inlet valve, inlet hose with mesh filter.
Find parts on Amazon
Samsung 5E
The machine isn't draining
🧺 Samsung washing machine
Can you do it yourself?Easy — about 20 minutes with a bowl and a towel.
Worth repairing?Fix it. Cleaning the filter costs nothing and solves it most of the time.
Water is not leaving the drum in the expected time. Shown as 5C on newer models.
What to do: Clean the drain pump filter behind the small flap at the front bottom — that clears it most of the time, and expect some water to come out, so have a towel ready. Then straighten the drain hose and check it isn't pushed too far down the standpipe. Samsung specifies the drain hose must sit at least 60 cm above the floor.
Samsung UE
The load is unbalanced
🧺 Samsung washing machine
Can you do it yourself?Instant — just open the door and redistribute the load.
Worth repairing?No repair needed. This is the machine protecting itself, working exactly as designed.
The drum could not balance the laundry well enough to spin safely, so the machine stopped rather than shaking itself apart. Also shown as Ub or Ur.
What to do: Open the door and redistribute the washing by hand — a single heavy item like a bath mat or a duvet is the usual cause. Adding a couple of towels helps it balance. Also check the machine stands level on the floor and the transit bolts were removed when it was installed.
Samsung dE
The door isn't registering as closed
🧺 Samsung washing machine
Can you do it yourself?The checks take seconds. Replacing the lock is moderate — 30 to 45 minutes.
Worth repairing?Fix it. The door lock is a cheap part and a very common failure.
The machine cannot confirm the door is shut and locked, so it refuses to start. Also appears as dC.
What to do: Open and close the door firmly until it clicks, and check nothing is caught in the seal. Check whether the child lock is on. If the door looks shut but the machine still shows the code, the door lock has failed and needs replacing — a common and fairly cheap part.
Samsung Sud
Too much foam in the drum
🧺 Samsung washing machine
Can you do it yourself?Nothing to fix — wait it out and use less detergent next time.
Worth repairing?No repair needed. This is a detergent problem, not a fault with the machine.
The machine detected excessive suds and paused to let them settle. It is not a fault — it is a reaction to detergent.
What to do: Wait for the machine to deal with it; it often clears itself after a pause. Then use less detergent next time, and make sure you are using a detergent meant for automatic machines. Samsung suggests running an Eco Drum Clean cycle, or an empty 90°C cotton cycle, to flush out the residue.
Samsung 3E
Motor problem
🧺 Samsung washing machine
Can you do it yourself?Not a DIY job beyond switching it off at the wall and trying again.
Worth repairing?Get a quote before committing. Motor and control board work is the one washing machine repair that can genuinely cost more than an older machine is worth.
The machine reported a fault in the drive motor or its control. Shown as 3C on newer models.
What to do: Switch the machine off at the wall for a minute and start a fresh cycle — a one-off glitch clears this way. If it comes back every cycle, it needs a service engineer; the motor and its control board are not a home repair.
LG OE
The machine can't drain the water
🧺 LG washing machine
Can you do it yourself?Easy — about 20 minutes with a bowl and a towel.
Worth repairing?Fix it. Nearly always a blocked filter, which costs nothing to clear.
Water is still in the drum and the pump has not managed to clear it in time.
What to do: Clean the pump filter behind the flap at the front bottom — coins, hair clips and lint collect there and are the usual cause. Then check the drain hose is not kinked behind the machine or pushed too far into the standpipe. If the filter is clear and you can't hear the pump run at all, the pump has failed.
LG IE
The machine isn't filling with water
🧺 LG washing machine
Can you do it yourself?Easy — around 15 minutes of checks.
Worth repairing?Fix it. Free if it is the tap or the filter, cheap if it turns out to be the valve.
Water is not reaching the drum, or not fast enough.
What to do: Check the tap is fully open and the inlet hose is not kinked. Clean the mesh filter where the hose screws onto the machine. If both are fine, the problem is usually the water inlet valve or the pressure sensor hose, which can come loose or get blocked.
LG UE
The load is unbalanced
🧺 LG washing machine
Can you do it yourself?Instant — redistribute the load and restart the spin.
Worth repairing?No repair needed. The machine is protecting itself.
The drum cannot balance the laundry well enough to spin, so it stopped.
What to do: Redistribute the washing by hand — one heavy item on its own is the usual culprit. Restart the spin. Check the machine is level on the floor and doesn't rock when you push a corner.
LG dE
The door is open or the lock has failed
🧺 LG washing machine
Can you do it yourself?The checks take seconds. Replacing the lock is a moderate job.
Worth repairing?Fix it. The door lock is a cheap and commonly replaced part.
The machine cannot confirm the door is shut.
What to do: Close the door firmly and check nothing is trapped in the seal. If it still shows the code with the door clearly shut, inspect the handle and the door lock for wear — the lock is the part that usually fails.
LG FE
The machine is overfilling
🧺 LG washing machine
Can you do it yourself?Easy to test — cut the detergent and run it again.
Worth repairing?Fix it, and don't leave it. If the inlet valve is passing water when it should be shut, the next step after an error code is water on your floor.
More water entered the drum than there should be, so the machine stopped to avoid a flood.
What to do: Empty the machine and start the cycle again from the beginning. Cut down the detergent — excess foam confuses the level sensor and causes this. If it keeps happening with the correct dose, the water inlet valve is letting water through when it should be shut, and needs replacing.
LG PE
Water level sensor fault
🧺 LG washing machine
Can you do it yourself?The power reset is easy. Diagnosing the sensor properly needs an engineer.
Worth repairing?Fix it. The sensor is inexpensive relative to the machine, and the fault only gets more disruptive.
The pressure sensor that tells the machine how much water is in the drum is not reading correctly.
What to do: Disconnect the machine from power for a few minutes, then plug it back in — that resets it and often clears a one-off reading. If the code returns, the sensor or its air tube needs looking at by an engineer.
LG tE
Water heating or thermistor fault
🧺 LG washing machine
Can you do it yourself?Not a DIY job — the element and sensor sit on mains wiring inside the machine.
Worth repairing?Worth fixing on a machine under about seven years old. Beyond that, get a quote and weigh it honestly against a new machine.
The machine cannot read the water temperature correctly, or the heater is not behaving as expected.
What to do: There is no reliable home fix for this one. The heating element and the temperature sensor sit inside the machine on mains wiring, so it needs a qualified engineer to test and replace them.
LG CL
Child lock is on — not a fault
🧺 LG washing machine
Can you do it yourself?Instant — it is a button combination, nothing more.
Worth repairing?Nothing is broken and it costs nothing. This is not a fault.
The controls are locked. Nothing is broken.
What to do: Press and hold the Temp and Eco/Rapid buttons together for about three to four seconds to switch the child lock off. On some models the two buttons marked with a small padlock symbol do the same job.
Bosch E15
Water in the base — the flood sensor has tripped
🍽️ Bosch dishwasher
Can you do it yourself?Tilting the machine to drain the tray is easy. Finding the leak itself varies from trivial to awkward.
Worth repairing?Clearing the code is free, but do not ignore what caused it. A slow leak left alone damages the machine and the floor underneath it, and that bill is far larger than the repair.
There is water sitting in the tray under the machine, and the anti-flood float has cut the cycle to stop a leak becoming a flood. The same code appears on Siemens and Neff machines, which share the platform.
What to do: Tilt the machine gently backwards for a few seconds to let the water in the base tray run out, then stand it back up and try a cycle — that clears the code itself. But the water came from somewhere, so the leak still needs finding: the usual sources are a loose hose connection, the door seal, or the salt container lid not screwed down. If it returns quickly, get an engineer before running it again.
Bosch E24
The machine can't drain
🍽️ Bosch dishwasher
Can you do it yourself?Easy — about 20 minutes.
Worth repairing?Fix it. Almost always a blockage, so it costs nothing but your time.
Water is not leaving the machine — nearly always a blockage rather than a broken part. E25 points at the same area.
What to do: Take out the filter at the bottom of the tub and rinse it thoroughly. Then check the drain hose behind the machine for kinks. Listen while it tries to drain: if the pump runs but nothing moves, the check valve is blocked; if it hums without running, the drain pump impeller is jammed — usually by a shard of glass or a fruit stone.
Bosch E22
Blocked filter — water left in the sump
🍽️ Bosch dishwasher
Can you do it yourself?Easy — 10 minutes, no tools.
Worth repairing?Fix it. This is routine maintenance rather than a repair, and skipping it is what caused the code.
The filter is clogged, so water stays standing in the bottom of the machine.
What to do: Open the door, twist out the filter assembly at the bottom of the tub, and wash it under a hot tap with a brush — grease and food residue build up gradually and this is the single most neglected bit of maintenance on a dishwasher. Put it back and make sure it locks into place.
Bosch E09
Heating element fault
🍽️ Bosch dishwasher
Can you do it yourself?Not a DIY job — mains wiring inside a wet appliance.
Worth repairing?Worth fixing on a machine under about seven years old. Bosch dishwashers tend to last, so on a newer one the repair is usually the better call than replacing.
The machine cannot heat the water. Dishes coming out cold and greasy alongside this code confirms it.
What to do: This is not a home repair — the heating element sits on mains wiring inside a wet appliance. Get an engineer to test and replace it.
Whirlpool F05
Drain blockage or pump problem
🧺 Whirlpool washing machine
Can you do it yourself?Easy — about 20 minutes with a bowl and a towel.
Worth repairing?Fix it. Usually just a blocked filter, which costs nothing.
Water is staying in the drum, and often the door will not open because of it.
What to do: Clean the pump filter behind the flap at the front bottom first — have a bowl and towel ready, as water will come out. Then check the drain hose for kinks and blockages. If the filter and hose are clear and the pump makes no sound, the pump itself has failed.
Whirlpool F06
Door lock fault
🧺 Whirlpool washing machine
Can you do it yourself?Moderate — 30 to 45 minutes with a screwdriver.
Worth repairing?Fix it. Door locks are cheap, and this is one of the most common faults on these machines.
The door will not open or close properly, or the machine will not start with the door shut.
What to do: Check nothing is obstructing the lock and that the door closes with a proper click. If the door is clearly shut and the machine still refuses, the door lock needs replacing — it is one of the most common failures on these machines.
Whirlpool F08
Heater fault — the cycle pauses partway
🧺 Whirlpool washing machine
Can you do it yourself?Not a DIY job — the heating circuit is mains wiring inside the machine.
Worth repairing?Get a quote and compare it against the age of the machine. Under about seven years it is usually worth it; much older and you are putting good money into a machine near the end of its life.
The heating circuit has a problem, so the program stops during the wash. People often read this as FOB rather than F08 on the display.
What to do: Switch the machine off at the wall for a couple of minutes and try again, in case it was a one-off. If the code returns, the heating element or its wiring needs testing by an engineer — this is mains wiring inside a wet machine, not a DIY job.
Whirlpool F11
Pump circuit fault
🧺 Whirlpool washing machine
Can you do it yourself?Checking the filter is easy. Electrical diagnosis needs an engineer.
Worth repairing?Check the filter first — that part is free. If the pump itself has gone, it is still worth replacing on most machines.
Water stays in the machine and it will not pump out — similar symptom to F05, but the fault is reported in the pump's electrical circuit rather than a blockage.
What to do: Clean the pump filter and check the drain hose first, since a jam can present this way. Unplug the machine for a couple of minutes to reset it. If it persists, the pump or its wiring needs an engineer.
Whirlpool F03
Temperature sensing fault
🧺 Whirlpool washing machine
Can you do it yourself?Moderate — the sensor sits behind panels.
Worth repairing?Fix it. The sensor is cheap and the rest of the machine is working fine.
The machine cannot read the water temperature, so it will not heat during the wash.
What to do: Unplug the machine for two minutes and try again. If the code stays, the temperature sensor needs testing and replacing — a job for an engineer, since it sits on the heating circuit.