What do Hotpoint Aquarius lights flashing mean?
Hotpoint Aquarius washing machines without a digital display indicate faults through flashing LED lights rather than text error codes. This guide covers the flashing light error codes for models including WMA30, WMA31, WMA32, and WMA33. The same codes may apply to other Aquarius models using LED indicators.
This guide applies to basic Aquarius models with LED indicator lights only. Aquarius models with a digital display show text codes such as F1 through F15 and are not covered here.
Quick Reference: Flashing Light Error Codes
| Flashing light | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Door lock light | Door not properly shut, or door lock fault | Check door is fully closed. If still flashing, door lock may need attention. |
| Wash light | Programme selector dial moved after cycle started | Do not touch the dial during a cycle. Light should clear at end of programme. |
| Pre-wash light | Water fill fault | Check tap is on, hoses are not kinked, and water supply is normal. |
| End light | Machine has been paused | Press Start/Cancel to resume. If unresponsive, cancel programme and restart. |
| Final spin light | Out of balance – spin aborted | Redistribute the load and restart the spin cycle. |
| All lights | Critical error – cycle abandoned | If a one-off, try restarting. If recurring, call an engineer. |
Door Lock Light Flashing
If the door lock indicator light is flashing, the first check is whether the door is fully closed. Push it firmly shut and see if the light clears. If the door is properly closed but the light continues to flash, there may be a fault with the door lock mechanism itself.
When the door closes correctly, the door catch engages the lock and activates it. If the catch is not operating the lock properly – due to a worn catch, a misaligned door, or a faulty interlock – the machine will not start. See the full guide: how does a washing machine door lock work?
Wash Light Flashing
The wash light flashes if the programme selector dial is turned after a wash cycle has already started. This is a common occurrence when the dial is accidentally knocked, or if someone – particularly a child – moves it during a cycle. The machine registers the unexpected dial position as an error.
The light should stop flashing and the machine should continue or complete the programme without further intervention. Avoid turning the programme dial while a cycle is running.
Pre-Wash Light Flashing
A flashing pre-wash light indicates a water fill fault. The machine’s software has detected that the correct amount of water did not enter the drum within the maximum allowed time.
The first checks are straightforward: confirm the cold tap supplying the machine is fully open, and that the inlet hose is not kinked, twisted, or blocked. Low water pressure or a blocked inlet filter can also cause fill faults.
For full diagnostics: washing machine not filling with water.
End Light Flashing
The end-of-cycle light flashes when the machine has been paused. Press the Start/Cancel button to resume the cycle. If the machine does not respond, try cancelling the programme entirely and starting a new cycle from the beginning.
Final Spin Light Flashing
A flashing spin light means the out-of-balance detection system has intervened and aborted the spin cycle. This is not a mechanical fault – the machine has detected that the load inside is unbalanced and has stopped spinning to avoid excessive vibration or drum movement.
The laundry will be very wet as a result. Open the door, redistribute the laundry evenly around the drum, and restart the spin cycle. This should only happen occasionally. If it happens consistently, the loading pattern may need adjustment.
See the full guide: why is the spin light flashing at the end of the cycle?
All Lights Flashing
All lights flashing together indicates a critical error. The wash cycle has been abandoned. This is one of the less specific fault indications – the technical manual lists a range of potential causes including faults on the motor, pump, drain hose, pressure switch, and pressure chamber, as well as various wiring and connection issues.
If this is a one-off occurrence, unplug the machine for a few minutes, then plug it back in and try a new cycle. If the fault repeats, an engineer will be needed to diagnose the specific cause. See: book an appliance repair engineer.
Need further help?
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a flashing pre-wash light mean on a Hotpoint Aquarius?
A flashing pre-wash light indicates a water fill fault. The machine has not received the correct amount of water within the allowed time. Check that the cold tap supplying the machine is fully open, that the inlet hose is not kinked or blocked, and that the water pressure is normal. See: washing machine not filling with water.
The spin light is flashing and the laundry is still wet – what do I do?
The machine’s out-of-balance system has detected an unevenly distributed load and stopped the spin cycle to prevent excessive vibration. Open the door, redistribute the laundry as evenly as possible around the drum, and restart the spin cycle. This is not a mechanical fault.
All the lights are flashing on my Hotpoint Aquarius – what does this mean?
All lights flashing together is a critical error indicating the wash cycle has been abandoned. Potential causes include faults on the motor, pump, drain system, pressure switch, or wiring. If it is a one-off occurrence, unplug the machine for a few minutes and try restarting. If the fault repeats, an engineer will be needed to diagnose the specific cause.
Why is the door lock light flashing when the door is closed?
If the door is fully closed but the door lock light continues to flash, there may be a fault with the door lock mechanism itself, or the door catch may not be engaging the lock correctly. This could be caused by a worn catch, a misaligned door, or a faulty interlock. See: how does a washing machine door lock work?
Does the Hotpoint Aquarius WMA30 use the same error codes as WMA31, WMA32, and WMA33?
Yes – the flashing light error codes described in this guide apply to WMA30, WMA31, WMA32, and WMA33 models, and may also apply to other Aquarius models using LED indicator lights rather than a digital display. Models with a digital display use text codes such as F1 through F15 instead.
15 Comments
Grouped into 10 comment threads.
3 replies Hi, My Hotpoint washer drier door handle broke which I replaced along with the interlock which broke while forcibly opening the door initially. It all appears to work fine except the lock light flashes and won't start the cycle, do you have any ideas? Thanks
1 reply Hi i have hotpoint washing machine i changed the lock and now machine will not start cycle. When i press to start cycle it will flash the lock symbol 3 times and beep 3 times can some help what could this be
Hi i have hotpoint washing machine i changed the lock and now machine will not start cycle. When i press to start cycle it will flash the lock symbol 3 times and beep 3 times can some help what could this be
Hello John. Normally if the door lock symbol flashes, it means the door is not closed properly. If the door is closed properly, then maybe it’s just not activating the door lock properly because the catch on the door is badly worn or the spring has broken. Sometimes if the door seal is not fixed properly onto the door room can prevent the door from closing properly.
The next suspect is the door lock is faulty. If the door lock has just been replaced, then assuming it’s the correct door lock, you have to check that it’s been fitted correctly.
If you replaced the door lock for the same symptoms, then maybe it’s nothing to do with the door lock and there could be a fault somewhere on the wiring or inside the PCB. Have a read of the paragraph at the top of this article entitled, “The door locked light is flashing”, and also the link at the bottom of paragraph describing exactly how the door lock works.
1 reply My husband has tried pump and filter still the same, it’s doing a wash but won’t empty or rinse or spin can you help please we’ve just got a new pressure switch so going to try that.
My husband has tried pump and filter still the same, it’s doing a wash but won’t empty or rinse or spin can you help please we’ve just got a new pressure switch so going to try that.
Likely replying to Edith
Hello Edith. A pressure switch fault can’t cause washing machine to not empty the water out. if it won’t empty this is the article washing machine won’t empty It’s a long article but covers all possibilities including what if the pump is running and you can’t find a blockage but it still won’t empty the water.
0 replies Hi, I think I've read all the comments above about flashing lights but mine doesn't come up. When I turn on the machine all the lights flash for a long time. I f I wait, and this period seems vary up to about twenty minutes, the flashing stops and the constant ready light remains on so I can then start the wash which seems to function normally. This has happened for possibly the last five washes. Does this indicate something specific? Model WF541.
Hi, I think I’ve read all the comments above about flashing lights but mine doesn’t come up. When I turn on the machine all the lights flash for a long time. I f I wait, and this period seems vary up to about twenty minutes, the flashing stops and the constant ready light remains on so I can then start the wash which seems to function normally. This has happened for possibly the last five washes. Does this indicate something specific? Model WF541.
0 replies My Aquarius is stopping in the middle of the drying program with all lights flashing. After reading the above suggestions I attempted to check the drain filter but found the cap to be completely solid and unable to undo! I'm concerned that it might break causing more problems if I force it.
My Aquarius is stopping in the middle of the drying program with all lights flashing. After reading the above suggestions I attempted to check the drain filter but found the cap to be completely solid and unable to undo! I’m concerned that it might break causing more problems if I force it.
0 replies Ooh thanks for that was just googling new washing machines!!
Ooh thanks for that was just googling new washing machines!!
0 replies My Hotpoint Aquarius machine led lights, not of wash cycle but others like reduce crease etc ones and start / off lights flashing after washing up finished. Couldn't open the door, couldn't switch off the machine? So switched off from the mains then could open the door and take out the washed clothes. Haven't tried to switch on the machine again? Is it safe to restart NOW?
My Hotpoint Aquarius machine led lights, not of wash cycle but others like reduce crease etc ones and start / off lights flashing after washing up finished. Couldn’t open the door, couldn’t switch off the machine? So switched off from the mains then could open the door and take out the washed clothes. Haven’t tried to switch on the machine again? Is it safe to restart NOW?
0 replies Hi, in regards to the flashing lights on my machine, I checked the waste pipe to find it blocked I did as previous comment did cleared it hey presto washing machine works thank you for the advice Dave richardson
Hi, in regards to the flashing lights on my machine, I checked the waste pipe to find it blocked I did as previous comment did cleared it hey presto washing machine works thank you for the advice
Dave richardson
0 replies Thanks for this info as worth checking before I have to pay an engineer
Thanks for this info as worth checking before I have to pay an engineer
0 replies Hi, Just a comment about the all lights flashing error: that happened to me and clearing the waste pipe of gunge fixed it. I think the machine thought it was in an error state because the gunge has blocked the pipe so much that it had created a vacuum between the waste pipe and the wider pipe it goes into. Fairly disgusting to clean but so far no more flashing lights.
Hi,
Just a comment about the all lights flashing error: that happened to me and clearing the waste pipe of gunge fixed it. I think the machine thought it was in an error state because the gunge has blocked the pipe so much that it had created a vacuum between the waste pipe and the wider pipe it goes into. Fairly disgusting to clean but so far no more flashing lights.
Hi, My Hotpoint washer drier door handle broke which I replaced along with the interlock which broke while forcibly opening the door initially.
It all appears to work fine except the lock light flashes and won’t start the cycle, do you have any ideas?
Thanks
Likely replying to Chris Loukes
Hello Chris. I can’t really say anything differently to what I say in the actual article under the heading, “The door locked light is flashing”. Unless by any chance the door lock flashing is different for your washing machine (checking instruction manual if possible) then the door lock light flashing usually means that the door is not closed. If it obviously is closed, then something is causing the door lock to not register the fact that it’s closed. The first main suspects are either the door latch is not fitted correctly and is not operating the door lock, or the door is not fitted correctly somehow.
Likely replying to Andy Trigg (Whitegoodshelp)
Hi Andy Trigg, I have a Hotpoint WF210 wash machine and the wash cycle starts and runs for a while then suddenly stops midcycle always with the (from the top going down – vertical led lights) flashing:
*top light – Energy Save light
*Third light down – Rinse hold light both flashing slowly at same time and the on/off light flashing fast.
I have to run separate rinse and spin cycles to get my clothes rinsed and spin dry , Please help
Likely replying to Michael
Hello Michael. On WF washing machines if lights 1 and 3 flash it’s “Pressure switch not sensing”. Faults on pressure system could be various things though a blockage is the most common. For more detials see Faults on pressure system