Whirlpool Dryer Error Codes: The 1 Minute and 5 Minute Reset Split

Nearly every Whirlpool dryer code starts with the same instruction, turn the breaker off and back on, but the duration is not the same for all of them. Most codes get one minute. A specific group gets five minutes. Whirlpool does not explain why, and no code list we found separates them, so people cut the power for a minute, see the code return, and assume the dryer is dead.

The five minute group is E1, E2, E3, F3 E4, 0E, 0g, 3E and 6E. Everything else on Whirlpool's list is one minute.

Below is every dryer code Whirlpool publishes, what it says each one means, and which handful you can actually act on yourself.

The reset Whirlpool asks for, in full

The four steps are the same regardless of duration, and the last one matters:

1. Turn off the circuit breakers for one minute, or five minutes for the codes listed above.
2. Turn the circuit breakers back on.
3. Start a timed dry cycle.
4. "Monitor the dryer for one minute to ensure the error code does not reappear."

Step three is the one people skip. Whirlpool asks for a timed dry heated cycle specifically, because that is what loads the heater and the airflow enough to bring the fault back if it is still there. Restarting on an automatic sensor cycle can look like success.

The codes you can usually fix yourself

Code	What Whirlpool says	What to do
AF or Check Vent	Restricted air flow. Whirlpool says it "indicates that the lint screen or vent is clogged" and that the vent "may be crushed, kinked, or have too many turns."	Clean the lint screen, check the vent run to the wall for crushing and kinks, clear the exterior exhaust hood, and confirm the run length and number of elbows match the installation instructions.
F4 E3	The same restricted air flow condition as AF, in code form.	Same checks as AF. Whirlpool adds that home venting "must be cleaned every one to two years or as needed when dry performance has decreased."
L2	Low or no line voltage, which Whirlpool says keeps the heater from turning on.	Check the breakers and the power cord. See the wiring section below. Whirlpool's index notes this error "will only show during the initial installation."
F4 E4	Also low or no line voltage, same stated cause as L2.	Same checks. Whirlpool says to "Check with a qualified electrician."
F3 E2 and F3 E5	Moisture sensor. Whirlpool says the code "occurs when five consecutive loads are dried without registering moisture sensor data."	Press Power to clear it. Check the dryer is level, and try larger loads or an automatic cycle rather than timed dry.
ERR	The door "has not been completely closed and latched; the dryer will not run unless the door is closed."	Push the door until the latch engages. Whirlpool notes some models have both an upper and a lower latch.
Loc	Control Lock is enabled, so "the dryer will not start or operate."	Press and hold the Control Lock key for 3 seconds. The display counts down 3, 2, 1.
PF	A power failure interrupted the cycle.	Touch and hold Start to resume, or press Power to clear. See the ten second note below.

The two codes that are about your house, not your dryer

L2 and F4 E4 share the same stated cause: low or no line voltage keeping the heater from turning on. A dryer that tumbles but never heats, showing one of these, is pointing at the supply.

Whirlpool gives two specifics worth knowing before anyone opens the machine. Electric dryers "require a separate 30-amp circuit fused on both sides of the line," and they "require a 240-volt power supply." An electric dryer running on half its supply, because one of the two legs has tripped or a fuse has gone, will tumble happily and never get warm. That is the classic version of this fault.

Whirlpool's instruction on both pages is to check with a qualified electrician. Its index adds that L2 tends to appear during the initial installation, which fits: a miswired or part connected outlet shows up the first time the dryer asks for heat.

Airflow is the one code with a real test

AF and F4 E3 are worth separating from the rest because Whirlpool gives you a way to measure the problem instead of guessing.

Run the dryer for 5 to 10 minutes, then hold your hand under the outside exhaust hood. Whirlpool's benchmark: "If the air movement is less than a hair dryer on high speed, clean the lint from the entire length of the system and the exhaust hood."

That is a usable standard. Most people have no sense of what adequate dryer exhaust feels like, and a hair dryer on high is a reference everyone has to hand. If the flow fails that test, the vent run is the problem and no part on the dryer will fix it. Whirlpool also mentions that a dryer vent test, part number W11224254, is available for all of its dryer platforms, and that if the message persists after cleaning you should have the whole home venting run cleaned by a venting specialist.

One more detail: Whirlpool notes the Check Vent light "will come on if a blocked vent or low airflow issue is detected," and that the dryer keeps running while the condition is present. So an unaddressed AF is not a machine that stops, it is a machine that quietly takes longer and runs hotter every load.

The ten second rule behind a false PF

If PF keeps appearing and there has been no outage, there is a specific cause. Whirlpool says that "if any keys were pressed before the 10-second delay interval on power-up, this could cause the PF Error Code to appear."

So pressing buttons the moment the breaker goes back on can create the very code you are trying to clear. After restoring power, wait ten seconds before touching anything.

The service codes, and what Whirlpool actually says about them

Whirlpool's dryer index is blunt about the F and E family: "If a code beginning with an F appears in the display, alternating between F# and E#, the dryer control has detected a problem that requires service."

Several pages do name the part involved, which is useful for understanding a quote even if you are not doing the work:

• F4 E1, heater system. "There may be a problem with the Heater or Heater Relays."
• F6 E1, communication. "There may be a problem with the Main Control Board, the User Interface (Touchpad), or the associated wiring."
• F7 E1, motor system. "There may be a problem with the motor, control, or the associated wiring."
• F1 E3, F1 E4 and F1 E5, the control unit or its wiring.
• F2 E4 and F2 E5, the user interface or its wiring. F2 E1 is headed keypad, F2 E2 keypad or control.
• F3 E1 is headed exhaust thermistor and F3 E3 inlet thermistor.

For F1 E3, F1 E5 and F2 E4 Whirlpool gives a different first step rather than a breaker reset: touch Power, select a cycle, then hold Start or Pause to start the dryer, and unplug the dryer if that does not work.

Codes Whirlpool lists with the power cycle and no stated cause at all: E1, E2, E3, F1 E1, F3 E4, F6 E2, F6 E3, F9 E2, FC E1, 0E, 0g, 3E, 6E, and a display showing only dashes.

Compact heat pump dryers use a different list

If your dryer is a compact heat pump model, most of the list above does not apply to it. Whirlpool documents a separate family, and the resets are different in kind rather than just in duration.

Code	What Whirlpool says	What to do
F01 to F04	No stated cause.	"Touch and hold the Power button for at least 3 seconds while dryer is on to clear the code," then restart and watch for 5 minutes.
F05 to F09	No stated cause, but the remedy is a cool down.	Unplug it, open the door and remove the laundry so heat can escape, confirm the room is between 41F and 95F, then after about an hour reload and restart.
F10 to F24	No stated cause.	Turn off and unplug, wait about half an hour, plug in and restart.
FE	"The FE Error Code occurs due to a power source problem."	Verify the unit is on a properly grounded three or four prong outlet.
dC	"typically from a door circuit failure," and Whirlpool says most causes "will require service."	This is a service code.
do	Running the dryer with the door open or ajar.	Confirm the door is fully closed and latched.
hE	"a heating error. The temperature could either be too low or too high."	On vented models Whirlpool points at a clogged lint screen or a blocked vent. Confirm the outside vent is clean.
Water tank symbol	"the water tank is full of water."	Empty it and push it back in until it seats properly.
Door filter symbol	The lint screen is blocked.	Remove and clean it, then reinsert it properly. Whirlpool warns not to run the dryer with the lint screen loose, damaged, blocked or missing.

Note the ambient temperature range on F05 to F09. A heat pump dryer in an unheated garage or a hot laundry room can throw a code purely because of the room it is standing in, which is not something a vented dryer does.

Frequently asked questions

How do I reset a Whirlpool dryer?

Turn off the circuit breakers for one minute, turn them back on, start a timed dry cycle, and watch for one minute to see whether the code returns. For E1, E2, E3, F3 E4, 0E, 0g, 3E and 6E, Whirlpool asks for five minutes off instead of one.

What does AF mean on a Whirlpool dryer?

Restricted air flow. Whirlpool attributes it to a clogged lint screen or vent, or a vent that is crushed, kinked or has too many turns. Run the dryer 5 to 10 minutes and feel the outside exhaust hood: if the flow is weaker than a hair dryer on high, clean the entire vent run.

Why does my Whirlpool dryer tumble but not heat?

If it shows L2 or F4 E4, Whirlpool's stated cause is low or no line voltage preventing the heater from coming on. Electric dryers need a separate 30-amp circuit fused on both sides of the line and a 240-volt supply, so losing one leg gives you tumbling without heat. Whirlpool says to check with a qualified electrician.

What is F3 E2 on a Whirlpool dryer?

A moisture sensor code that appears when five consecutive loads are dried without registering moisture sensor data. Press Power to clear it, check the dryer is level, and try larger loads or an automatic cycle instead of timed dry. Very small loads are a common trigger.

Why does PF keep coming back when there was no power cut?

Pressing any key during the ten second delay after power is restored can produce PF by itself. Restore power, wait ten seconds, then use the controls.

Does Whirlpool say what the F and E numbers mean on a dryer?

No. None of Whirlpool's dryer pages defines the digits. The index only says that an alternating F# and E# display means the control has detected a problem requiring service. Whirlpool does define the structure on the dishwasher side, where the first number is the Function and the second the Error.

Sources: Whirlpool's dryer error codes index and its error codes in dryers page, plus the individual code pages linked from them. Codes vary by model, so your owner's manual is the final word.

Related guides: Whirlpool washer error codes, Whirlpool dishwasher error codes, dryer taking too long to dry, and dryer will not start.