Whirlpool Appliance Repair in New Jersey

Whirlpool's reset for a washer is longer than most people try: unplug it, or switch off the breaker, for five minutes. On front load models many codes can also be cleared by pressing Pause or Cancel twice and Power once; on top load models Whirlpool says to press START/PAUSE once to clear an F code and once more to restart.

• F5 E2 on a front loader: the door is not locking. Open it and close it firmly, check that nothing is caught in the seal, then do the five minute reset. F5 E1 is the door switch: the door has to be fully closed with nothing, clothing or leftover shipping material, blocking the switch.
• F8 E1, also shown as Lo FL or LF: the washer is not getting the amount of water it expects. Whirlpool's checklist: both hot and cold faucets fully open and both hoses connected, inlet screens not clogged, hoses not kinked, no anti flood devices on the line. It also names the drain side, because a washer that siphons never fills: the drain hose should go no more than 4.5 inches into the standpipe, and the standpipe should be at least 39 inches tall. F8 E2 is the dispenser: clean the detergent drawer or cartridge.
• F9 E1 on a front loader means the washer cannot drain, and Whirlpool counts a drain longer than eight minutes. Check the drain hose for kinks and depth, use the U shaped hose form, clean the drain pump filter behind the lower front panel, and clear the small drain holes inside the door seal. On a top loader F9 E1 is the same long drain; Whirlpool adds that the hose must not be pushed down into the standpipe past the elbow and must not be taped.
• F7 E1 is a motor speed error. On a new front loader the first thing Whirlpool checks is the four shipping bolts and their plastic spacers: all of them have to come out of the back of the washer before it runs.
• Sud or SD means too many suds. Whirlpool's answer is HE detergent only, measured carefully, and a Clean Washer cycle with affresh or liquid chlorine bleach to remove buildup.
• Top load codes: uL is an off balance load the washer could not correct, redistribute it around the washplate and press START/PAUSE. OFb is an unbalanced load, OL a load too large. HC means the hot and cold hoses are reversed. LdU means the lid cannot unlock, often because a laundry basket is sitting on top. On models without a display, a flashing spin light often means an unbalanced load or a drain hose too far inside the standpipe.
• PF is a power failure, not a fault: press Start to finish the cycle or Cancel to start over. Int means the cycle was interrupted. rL means items were left in the drum during Clean Washer.
• F1 E1, F3 E1 and F6 E1 on a front loader: Whirlpool gives only the five minute reset. If the code comes back, it is a service call, and that is where an out of warranty washer comes to us.

Many Whirlpool dishwashers have no display and report faults by blinking. Whirlpool's reading method: count the first set of rapid flashes, that is the F number; after a pause of one to two seconds count the second set, that is the E number. Seven flashes, a pause and one flash is F7 E1.

• F9 E1 is a long drain. Remove the filter and clean it under running water, check the drain hose, make sure the garbage disposer is clear and that its knockout plug was removed, check the air gap, and use dishwasher detergent, never dish soap. On a newly installed dishwasher that will not drain, Whirlpool calls the knockout plug a common misdiagnosis for a clog. The drain hose needs a high loop or an air gap as local code requires; a hose that sits too low or is kinked lets water flow back into the tub.
• H20 means water was not detected: check that the supply valve is on and the hose is not kinked. F8 E4 means water in the drip tray: empty it and check the float switch and the water connections.
• F7 E2, the wash motor, and F6 E1, the user interface: cut the power, and if the code returns, schedule service.
• A blinking front status light means the cycle is paused, and a flashing Start/Resume light means the cycle or the start was interrupted, usually by opening the door or a power interruption. The Sani light flashes when the dishwasher could not reach sanitizing temperature.
• Dishes not clean: Whirlpool wants incoming hot water at 120°F, checked by running the kitchen faucet for 30 to 60 seconds and measuring a cup with a thermometer. Add a fully open supply valve, rinse aid and pre measured tablets or packs.
• Whirlpool's full reset: press Cancel/Drain and let the pump finish, unplug or switch off the breaker, wait at least one minute, restore power, and check that Control Lock is not on.

Whirlpool publishes its range codes one by one, and the first step is the same for all of them: switch off the breaker for one minute, switch it back on, and watch the oven for a minute. If the code returns, it is a service call. What the codes point at:

• F1 and F2: the oven temperature sensor, the control or the wiring. F3 E0 is the same group. F3 alone is the oven control or its wiring. F2 E0 is the keypad or user interface.
• F5 and F9-1: the door latch, the door lock switch or their wiring, the usual reason an oven will not start or finish a clean cycle.
• F9 and F9 E0 are a different kind of code: Whirlpool says the outlet or the electrical connection to the appliance may be miswired. That is a job for an electrician before it is a job for us.
• Messages that are not faults: PF after a power failure, press Cancel; LOC or Locked is the control lock, released by holding START/ENTER for five seconds; SAb is Sabbath mode, which keeps the oven in Bake until it is turned off; CAL is calibration.
• Oven runs hot or cool: Whirlpool lets you offset the temperature by up to 30°F in either direction, from the settings menu or by holding the temperature down arrow for five seconds on models that support it.
• Electric oven will not heat: switch the breaker off for 30 seconds, and check control lock, demo mode and a delayed start that is still waiting. Gas oven will not heat: the main gas valve must be on, and the cord must go into a grounded 120 volt outlet, never through a two prong adapter. Igniters that click several times before the flame lights are normal.
• Gas burner clicking but not lighting: Whirlpool lists moisture in the ports, a burner cap that does not sit flush on its base with the pins aligned, a closed gas shutoff and the control lockout. Clogged ports are cleaned with a straight pin, without enlarging them.
• AquaLift self clean: 1¾ cups of distilled or filtered water on the floor of the empty oven, the oven below 200°F, about 40 minutes for cleaning and cool down, and no oven cleaners.

Whirlpool sells genuine replacement parts to consumers online, searchable by model number or part number, and asks owners of appliances under warranty to order through Whirlpool instead. The warranty excludes damage caused by non-genuine parts, which matters only while it runs. On the out of warranty appliances we work on, we order by the model and serial number and bring the part when the code names one.

Where Whirlpool puts the model and serial tag: inside the door on the rim of the opening on a front load washer and a dryer, under the lid on the tub rim of a top load washer, on the left side of the tub frame of a built in dishwasher, inside the fresh food section on the left wall of a top freezer, bottom freezer or French door refrigerator and on the right wall of a side by side, on the oven frame or the storage drawer frame of a range, and on the top of the oven cavity of a built in oven.

When you call, have the model number, the serial number, the exact code or blink pattern, and what you have already tried from Whirlpool's article. With a code Whirlpool sends to service, the visit is a repair; with one it gives an owner step for, it may be a phone call.