What F21 actually means
The control panel you press the buttons on has lost contact with the main power board inside the machine, so the wash stops.
Your Hisense washer has two circuit boards that talk to each other: the display/touch panel at the front and the main power board that actually runs the motor, valves and heater. When the display stops receiving a reply from the power board, the machine halts and shows this code. Hisense's own fault-finding chart points first at the communication plug on the back of the display board being loose or unseated. The code clears itself the moment normal communication resumes, which is why a full power-off sometimes brings it back to life.
What usually causes it
- A loose or partly unplugged ribbon/plug between the front panel and the main board
- A one-off electronic glitch or brief power interruption
- Damp or corrosion on the connector behind the control panel
- A failed display/touch panel
- A failed main power board
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.
- Switch the machine off at the wall socket, leave it a minute, then switch back on and press start/pause again
- Select a fresh programme and start it rather than resuming the interrupted one
- Note whether the code returns straight away or only part-way into a cycle — useful for the engineer
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 Hisense washing machine codes
- Hisense F01 — The machine isn't getting enough water in the time it expect…
- Hisense F02 — The machine has detected too much water inside the drum and …
- Hisense F03 — The machine can't get the water out, so it has stopped mid-c…
- Hisense F04 — The washing machine's control electronics have reported a fa…
- Hisense F05 — The washing machine's control board has flagged a fault it c…
- Hisense F06 — The machine's control electronics have flagged a fault and s…
- Hisense F07 — The washing machine's control board has reported an internal…
- Hisense F08 — The machine has detected the motor drawing too much current …