Altimo E04 tumble dryer: what it means & what to check

Stop using it for now. Carrying on with this fault risks further damage or a leak. Switch it off at the wall until it has been looked at.

What E04 actually means

The machine has detected more water inside it than there should be, so it has stopped and is trying to protect itself from flooding.

On these Altimo washer-dryers, E04 is the overflow warning. The control board watches the water level, and when it reads above the safe point it shuts the fill off and normally runs the drain pump to get rid of the excess. It is one of only a handful of codes Altimo deliberately show to the end user rather than keeping for service mode, which tells you they expect it to mean something you can act on.

What E04 looks like on a Altimo tumble dryer

Most people find this page having searched for what the machine is doing rather than the code itself. On a Altimo tumble dryer, E04 usually shows up as one or more of these:

Machine not draining
Water left in the drum at the end of the cycle
Stops mid-cycle full of water
Standing water in the bottom
Not filling with water
No water going in
Takes for ever to fill
Stops right at the start of the cycle

Recognise any of those? That is this fault, and the rest of this page explains what causes it and what you can check yourself.

What usually causes it

Water valve leaking through and continuing to fill even when the machine has asked it to stop
A blocked or restricted drain, so water builds up faster than it leaves
Pressure sensor or its level hose giving a false high reading
Too much detergent creating a mass of foam that the level sensing reads as overfilling
Drain hose pushed too far down a standpipe, siphoning water back in

What you can safely check yourself

Work through these in order. Anything beyond this — panels off, testing parts, anything to do with the wiring — is an engineer's job, and not one to attempt with the machine plugged in.

Turn the machine off at the wall for a minute, then back on, and see if the code clears
Turn the cold water tap off at the wall while you are waiting for a decision — if the valve is passing, this stops it filling further
Clean out the pump filter at the front bottom of the machine (have a shallow tray and towels ready, there may be a lot of water)
Check the drain hose is not kinked, crushed behind the machine, or pushed a long way down the standpipe
If you have been using a lot of detergent, cut the dose right back — heavy foam is a common trigger

Which Altimo models show E04

E04 means the same thing on all 4 of these models. If yours is not listed, the explanation above still applies — the code is set by the control board, not the model number.

AWM10142W · AWM6122W · AWM7122WG2 · AWM8142W

Common questions about Altimo E04

What does E04 mean on a Altimo tumble dryer?

The machine has detected more water inside it than there should be, so it has stopped and is trying to protect itself from flooding. On these Altimo washer-dryers, E04 is the overflow warning. The control board watches the water level, and when it reads above the safe point it shuts the fill off and normally runs the drain pump to get rid of the excess. It is one of only a handful of codes Altimo deliberately show to the end user rather than keeping for service mode, which tells you they expect it to mean something you can act on.

Can I fix Altimo E04 myself?

There are 5 checks you can safely do yourself first.

Turn the machine off at the wall for a minute, then back on, and see if the code clears.
Turn the cold water tap off at the wall while you are waiting for a decision — if the valve is passing, this stops it filling further.
Clean out the pump filter at the front bottom of the machine (have a shallow tray and towels ready, there may be a lot of water).
Check the drain hose is not kinked, crushed behind the machine, or pushed a long way down the standpipe.
If you have been using a lot of detergent, cut the dose right back — heavy foam is a common trigger.

This one usually needs an engineer once you have tried them.

How much does it cost to repair Altimo E04?

£66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.

Tried the checks and it's still showing E04?

This one usually needs an engineer once you have tried the checks above. Then it wants someone who can open it up.

What it costs, before you call: the price is the same whatever the fault turns out to be — £66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.

Our own engineers, not a call centre. We cover Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire — most tumble dryer faults are seen same day or next day.

Call 0115 648 0929 Book online — postcode and number is all we need

Outside our area? The explanation above still stands — take it to a local engineer and tell them the code. Knowing it saves them time and you money.

Other Altimo tumble dryer codes

All Altimo fault codes and repairs →

Repairs we cover near you

Written by the engineers at ASAP Repairs, 0115 648 0929. We repair these machines for a living in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.

Altimo E04 error — tumble dryer