What E05 actually means
The machine can't get a sensible reading from the sensor that measures the water temperature, so it won't run the wash.
Hoover washers use an NTC probe sitting in the tub to tell the control board how hot the water is. If that reading comes back as an open or short circuit — or the wiring to it is damaged — the board has no safe way to control the heater, so it halts and shows E05. It often appears early in a cycle, or as soon as the machine would normally start heating.
What usually causes it
- Faulty NTC temperature sensor in the tub
- Corroded or loose connection at the sensor
- Damaged or chafed wiring between sensor and control board
- Water ingress or limescale damage around the sensor
- Less commonly, a fault on the main control 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.
- Turn the machine off at the wall for a minute, then switch back on and start a cycle — occasionally the code clears if it was a one-off glitch
- Try a different programme, including a cold wash, and note whether the code returns at the same point (useful information 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.
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