F01 error code on most Hotpoint washing machines means, “motor triac short”. The advice in the technical manual is to, “check motor and module connections”. This is not the type of error code that is helpful to most people. If a triac has shorted out, what’s the point of checking connections? However, maybe wires could have shorted out and damaged the motor triac? If you have this error code, you should probably book an appliance engineer to look at it.
What is a motor triac?
The triac is an electronic component in the control module (PCB) or other printed circuit board. The suggested action of also checking connections implies that it isn’t necessarily a triac short. Clearly there’s an issue with it, but it could have shorted out or have a connection fault somewhere. The problem with this type of fault is that you need to understand electronics to be able to test and repair it. Even domestic appliance engineers don’t understand electronics because it is not part of the job. Engineers are never taught to repair printed circuit boards, only to replace them. However, if you were to replace the main PCB because you had this error, I would say that is a pretty big gamble, that I wouldn’t advise taking.
This error is likely to need an appliance engineer, and maybe a replacement pcb. A determined DIYer may want to check all connections as suggested. Check the motor for continuity and carefully check the connections on the motor connector, and where those wires connect to the main PCB. Electrical components shorting out (if that is what’s happened) could have external causes, like low insulation on another component, which also requires diagnosing.
Get the PCB tested and repaired
A company called QER Electronic Repairs used to be able to repair the PCB, or at least test it if you are prepared to have a go at fixing it yourself. However, they seem hard to get hold of and several times I have linked to them but their website has changed. Note that in the comments below, someone has posted that they tracked down their F01 error code to poor connections in the motor plug. So it’s always worth checking connections first, and it’s a reminder that washing machine error codes can’t always be trusted to be accurate — error codes are they useful or not?
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hotpoint WMF740 16 minutes F-05 error code
remove pump clean out put back together
now showing error code F-01
ANY IDEAS?
derek: I can only assume some motor or pcb connection may have been disturbed or even some water could have got onto something and shorted out a component.
Hotpoint Aquarius 7Kg washing machine – suddenly F-01 error code this morning. Couldn’t cancel or turn off so switched off at fuse board. Back to machine, set it washing and away it went. It completed cycle but because of my wife’s skin condition and the fact that the rinsing is so poor we have to rinse everything twice I set it to do a rinse cycle. Same error code so off at isolator again, no joy. Did this a couple of times and it’s 30 mins into it’s 45 minute rinse cycle at the moment and going strong!! Any ideas anyone other than “Short circuit motor triac”?
Sorry Mike, all my thoughts on the F01 error are in the article. It’s possible there is a connection problem with it being intermittent but all you can do is look for something obvious in the motor and module connectors. If you can’t see anything you need an engineer.
While the error code says S/C Triac in motor – Electronically it is impossible to comeback from that without replacing the Triac!!
I would suggest this fault is computed from power being applied to the motor and there being no response from the feedback device on the motor to say it is turning. (trust me when I say when a Triac goes S/C there is a bang :) ) and it doesn’t start working again..!!!!
Dry joint on PCB module, Poor connection on a multiconnector at the module PCB, check motor brushes if they have them. Check any normally closed thermal protectors/cutouts. Check connectors on any ancillary boards (front panel etc)
A fault that starts out as coming and going is often something listed above, since it implies it is not permanent in nature.
A triac is an electrically operated solid state switch that can turn on high current and a/c voltage with a low trigger voltage from a digital circuit, failure usually leads to the devices physical destruction and occurs when it connects a load that exceeds its design tolerance. I have seen quite a few white goods appliance PCB with the most horrendous power supply circuits, when you check the actual specifications of some components they come down to WILL DEFINATELY FAIL in less than 6yrs and often within 3yrs.
An A/C capacitor a resistor and a smoothing capacitor for a 12V AND 5V supply (Are they kidding) A/C cap always fails and to cap it off they use a type that gives no outward sign of malfunction hahaha.
I started out as a white goods engineer many years ago, mechanical timers then and mechanical thermostats in fridges. Now I am a senior Engineer for a company that runs very large cnc and laser equipment and I maintain and repair them, when my own whites goods fail from time to time I fix them. In doing so I see immediately why its happened, how and omg they design failures into them after certain time frames!!!
Be methodical, write everything down, check each component and its soldering on the mainboard, check all connections and remember fault comes and goes – its going to be something pretty straight forward to the right eye!!
Thanks for that Michael. I agree that the quality of many PCBs in white goods is pathetic. I remember the good old days when the washing machines were controlled by mechanical timers with cogs and small motors. They were generally very reliable. The PCB (or module as we called them) where small, and concerned only with controlling the motors. They were very reliable too.
When they got rid of the timer they said they were moving to PCB controls because they were more reliable. That was only true in theory. No moving parts should make them hardly ever fail. But they just made them poorly and they are now less reliable than the old timers.
As I said in my article though I’m puzzled as to why the manual says check connections when they claim the fault code is caused by the triac shorting. If it’s shorted it should blow.
Hi there!
This morning an F-01 error code appeared on our Hotpoint WMF740 Aquarius + at some point during a 40 degree wash cycle…at this point the door was openable and I simply (as I thought/hoped at the time!), re-set the machine to run another cycle as the washing inside was clearly very wet and I had no idea how far the machine had got through the cycle.
The same error code has now appeared, again I am not aware at what point this was triggered as the whole thing seemed to be running fine although, the washing in the machine is noticeably wetter than it was the first time round so, presumably, the problem arose earlier in the cycle.
I note the discussion on triacs above, but was wondering, rather hopefully perhaps, whether there is anything that I could do to try to get through this function failure please as I have masses of washing to do.
We inherited the machine with the house, so I am unsure of its age although I don’t think it had been used a great deal….reluctant to call an engineer at this point and very reluctant to consider a replacement as, aside from the obvious cost issue, the sink unit would also have to be removed to install a new machine into the space available.
Any suggestions, gratefully received.
Many thanks
Jenny
Hello Jenny. The only thing it could be is the triac blown, or a connection fault on the motor or pcb. I’ve amended my article slightly to give a little more information but it’s not a fault for anyone not experienced in electrical repairs.
Hi,
I have the Hotpoint Aquarius WDD756 washer dryer. It came up with the code F01 and having looked on the various sites, checked the wiring and connections at the motor,heater,pump and connections to the main board, all appeared OK. After removing the board from the machine I opened up the carrier unit to inspect the actual board. I discovered that the was something that had burnt out and was strewn across the end of the board and had totally disintegrated. I have no idea what it was / is as it has completely vaporized and all that was left was a small piece of black burnt residue which just crumbled when I picked it off the board ? I can see where I think it came from and am assuming it’s a capacitor as there are + and – connections on the board where I think it came from – the burny trace led from it to the edge of the board. It has printed on the board where it was “C95” which again I have assumed is for capacitor 95 ??? But that’s it ! I have no idea what the component was and no idea what to replace it with,or why it would blow ?
I had the F01 error code and have managed to fix it. in my case it was a manufacturing error with the crimping of the cables on the motor connector/plug. These cables are crimped (pushed into the plug) and the crimping process had severed the cable just enough for it to work for a while before failing.