What F10 actually means
The machine isn't seeing water arrive as expected, so it halts rather than carrying on with an empty or under-filled drum.
On Hotpoint (Merloni-built) washers, F10 is a fill fault — either no cold water reaching the drum, or on later boards the pressure switch that measures the water level isn't reporting a rising level. Either way the control board waits a set time for water, doesn't get the signal it wants, and stops the programme, usually early on with the drum still empty or barely wet.
What usually causes it
- Cold tap at the back turned off or only part open
- Kinked, trapped or blocked fill hose
- Blocked filter in the inlet valve where the hose screws on
- Faulty water inlet valve not opening
- Pressure switch or its level hose blocked or split, so the board never sees the water level rise
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.
- Check the cold tap feeding the machine is fully open — if you've had work done nearby, it may have been left off
- Pull the machine out gently and make sure the fill hose isn't kinked or squashed behind it
- Check the drain hose isn't kinked or pushed too far down the standpipe
- Turn the machine off at the wall for a minute, then power up and try a short cycle
- If the mains pressure in the house is low or has been off, run a tap in the kitchen to confirm supply is back
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.
Other Hotpoint washing machine codes
- Hotpoint F01 — The machine's main control board has flagged an electrical f…
- Hotpoint F02 — The machine has stopped because it isn't getting the drum to…
- Hotpoint F03 — The machine can't get a sensible temperature reading from th…
- Hotpoint F04 — The machine hasn't managed to pump the water out in the time…
- Hotpoint F05 — The machine hasn't managed to pump the water out in the time…
- Hotpoint F06 — The machine can't confirm the door is locked, so it refuses …
- Hotpoint F07 — The machine has spotted a fault in the heating side of its c…
- Hotpoint F08 — The machine has a problem with the water heating side "the h…