Hisense F51 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 F51 actually means

The dryer has lost a sensible reading from one of its sensors and has shut the cycle down rather than carry on drying blind.

Hisense group F50 and F51 together as an abnormal sensor fault. The control board expects a steady signal telling it how hot or how damp things are inside; when that signal is missing, out of range or wildly inconsistent, the machine stops the programme and shows the code instead of running the heater without feedback. The manual gives no owner remedy for it at all \u2013 it points straight at after-sales service, which tells you it is a hardware fault rather than something you have done.

What F51 looks like on a Hisense tumble dryer

Most people find this page having searched for what the machine is doing rather than the code itself. On a Hisense tumble dryer, F51 usually shows up as one or more of these:

Not drying
Blowing cold air
Clothes still damp at the end
Takes hours to dry
Stops after a few minutes
Finishes far too early
Keeps saying empty the water container
Water container light stays on

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

A failed temperature or moisture sensor inside the machine
A loose or corroded plug on the sensor's wiring
Damaged wiring between the sensor and the control board
A fault on the control board itself, so the reading never arrives

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 back up and start a programme again \u2013 if it was a one-off glitch it will clear
Clean the lint filter and, on a condenser model, rinse the condenser filter; a heavily blocked airway can push temperatures around and is worth ruling out before an engineer attends
Make sure the dryer is not boxed into a hot, unventilated cupboard, as the sensors read the air passing through it

Which Hisense models show F51

F51 means the same thing on all 2 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.

DH5I104BBAB · DH5I104BWAB

Common questions about Hisense F51

What does F51 mean on a Hisense tumble dryer?

The dryer has lost a sensible reading from one of its sensors and has shut the cycle down rather than carry on drying blind. Hisense group F50 and F51 together as an abnormal sensor fault. The control board expects a steady signal telling it how hot or how damp things are inside; when that signal is missing, out of range or wildly inconsistent, the machine stops the programme and shows the code instead of running the heater without feedback. The manual gives no owner remedy for it at all \u2013 it points straight at after-sales service, which tells you it is a hardware fault rather than something you have done.

Can I fix Hisense F51 myself?

There are 3 checks you can safely do yourself first.

Turn the dryer off at the wall for a minute, then power it back up and start a programme again \u2013 if it was a one-off glitch it will clear.
Clean the lint filter and, on a condenser model, rinse the condenser filter; a heavily blocked airway can push temperatures around and is worth ruling out before an engineer attends.
Make sure the dryer is not boxed into a hot, unventilated cupboard, as the sensors read the air passing through it.

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

How much does it cost to repair Hisense F51?

£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 F51?

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 Hisense tumble dryer codes

All Hisense fault codes and repairs →

What this looks like when it happens

tumble dryer not heating

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.

Hisense F51 error — tumble dryer