What F04 actually means
The dryer has stopped because it can't get rid of the water it condenses out of your washing — the drain pump or its float switch isn't behaving as expected.
On a Hotpoint condenser dryer, water stripped out of the damp air collects in a sump and is pumped up into the water container in the top of the machine (or out through a drain hose if it's been plumbed in). If the pump doesn't shift that water, or the float that watches the level thinks the tank is full when it isn't, the control board halts the cycle rather than let water build up. You'll usually see it part-way through a drying programme, often with clothes still wet.
What usually causes it
- Water container full or not pushed fully home
- Fluff and lint blocking the pump or sump
- Drain hose kinked or trapped behind the machine (on plumbed-in models)
- Failed drain pump
- Faulty float switch telling the machine the tank is full when it isn't
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.
- Empty the water container and slide it firmly back into place until it seats
- Clean the door filter and the fluff filters thoroughly — lint that gets past them ends up in the sump and pump
- Check the condenser unit at the bottom front is clean and clipped back in properly
- If the dryer drains to a waste pipe, check the hose behind isn't kinked, squashed or pushed too far into the standpipe
- Turn it off at the wall for a minute, then restart a short programme
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.