What F13 actually means
On a Hotpoint washer dryer, F13 means the machine can't get a sensible temperature reading from the drying circuit, so it abandons the dry.
The control board relies on a temperature sensor to tell it how hot the air in the drying circuit is getting. If that reading is missing, out of range or implausible, the board shuts the drying phase down as a precaution rather than running a heater blind. The wash side will often still work normally — the usual complaint is clothes coming out wet at the end of a wash-and-dry.
What usually causes it
- Faulty dryer temperature sensor (NTC)
- A loose or corroded connection in the drying circuit
- Fault in the drying heater circuit itself
- Control board fault on the heating side
- On some older Hotpoint models F13 instead points to a water supply or inlet valve problem — worth mentioning to whoever attends
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 power it back up and try a short dry — occasional one-off readings do clear.
- Clean the fluff filter and make sure the drain hose isn't kinked or pushed too far down the standpipe; poor airflow and poor drainage both upset drying.
- Give it room to breathe — a machine boxed in tightly with no ventilation runs hot and can throw temperature faults.
- Try a wash-only programme. If the wash completes fine, that confirms the fault is on the drying side and saves the engineer time.
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 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…