What F03 actually means
The machine can't get the water out fast enough, so it has stopped and put F03 on the display.
F03 is ElectriQ's drainage warning. The machine expects the drum to be empty within a set time after it starts pumping out; when the water level doesn't drop, it halts the cycle rather than carrying on into the spin. You'll usually find the drum still holding water and the door locked until the level falls.
What usually causes it
- Drain hose kinked, trapped behind the machine or pushed too far into the standpipe
- Blocked pump filter — coins, hair grips, buttons or fluff
- Blocked or slow household waste pipe or sink trap the hose feeds into
- Debris jammed in the drain pump itself
- Failed drain pump or level sensor
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 power it back up and try a drain or spin programme.
- Pull the machine forward gently and check the drain hose isn't kinked, squashed against the wall or crushed by the machine's own weight.
- Empty and clean the pump filter at the bottom front (put a shallow tray and towels down first — expect a lot of water), and check nothing is caught in it.
- If the hose empties into a sink waste or standpipe, check that isn't blocked — run the kitchen tap and see if it drains away freely.
- Make sure the hose end isn't sitting too low or pushed too far down the standpipe, which can siphon or restrict flow.
When to call someone
This sometimes clears with the checks above. If it comes back, it needs looking at properly. We cover Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire, and it's £66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it — £84 in total if it's repaired on the visit with no parts needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.
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 ElectriQ washing machine codes
- ElectriQ E00 — E00 isn't a fault — it's the machine telling you there are n…
- ElectriQ E02 — The machine isn't getting water in, so it has stopped and sh…
- ElectriQ E10 — The machine has opened its water valves but not enough water…
- ElectriQ E12 — The machine has decided there is too much water in the drum,…
- ElectriQ E20 — The machine has tried to drain and the water level hasn't mo…
- ElectriQ E21 — The machine has tried to empty the drum and the water level …
- ElectriQ E30 — The machine cannot lock its door, so it refuses to start fil…
- ElectriQ E31 — The machine has tried to release the door lock and failed, s…