What E51 actually means
The dryer has found a fault in the electrical switch on the control board that powers the drum motor, and has stopped the cycle.
On these Electrolux boards, the motor is switched by a component called a triac. E51 means that triac has short-circuited o cannot control the motor properly, so the machine halts rather than run the drum uncontrolled. It can also appear after a run of E52 faults the motor overheating and cutting out repeatedly for around 35 minutes at which point the board escalates it to E51.
What usually causes it
- Failed motor triac on the control board
- Drum motor itself faulty or drawing too much current
- Damaged or chafed wiring between board and motor
- Motor start capacitor on its way out usually with a humming noise and no drum movement
- Repeated motor overheating cut-outs escalating into this code
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 dryer off at the wall for a minute, then power it up and try a cycle again if it clears, note whether it comes back
- Take out an overloaded drum heavy, tightly packed loads make the motor work harder
- Clean the lint filter and, on heat pump models, the condenser filter, since restricted airflow makes the motor and heater work harder
When to call someone
This one usually needs an engineer once you have tried the checks above. 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 Electrolux tumble dryer codes
- Electrolux C00 — This isn't a fault at all othing is stored in the dryer's e…
- Electrolux C06 — The dryer has been running an automatic (sensor) drying prog…
- Electrolux C07 — The dryer isn't getting hot — it checked for a rise in air t…
- Electrolux C08 — The dryer has stopped because its temperature sensor is givi…
- Electrolux C10 — C10 isn't a fault at all — it's one of the service test posi…
- Electrolux E20 — The dryer has stopped mid-cycle because the fan that cools t…
- Electrolux E21 — The dryer has lost control of the pump that moves condensed …
- Electrolux E22 — The dryer's control board can no longer tell whether the wat…