What E02 actually means
The machine isn't getting enough water in the time it expects, so it has stopped and shown E02.
E02 is the "no water" fault. The machine opens its inlet valve and waits for the drum to fill to the expected level; if that doesn't happen quickly enough, it halts the programme rather than run dry. The cause is usually something restricting the water supply, though it can also be the inlet valve or the sensor that measures the water level.
What usually causes it
- Tap to the machine turned off or only part open
- Kinked, trapped or crushed fill hose
- Blocked filter in the fill hose connection
- Low mains water pressure, or supply temporarily off
- Faulty inlet valve or water level sensor inside the machine
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 water tap behind or under the machine is fully open
- Run another cold tap in the house to confirm you have mains water
- Look along the fill hose for kinks or where it may be squashed against the wall
- With the tap turned off, unscrew the fill hose at the tap end and rinse the small mesh filter, then refit hand-tight
- Turn the machine off at the wall for a minute, switch back on and restart the 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.
Other Sharp washing machine codes
- Sharp E01 — The machine can't confirm the door is shut and locked, so it…
- Sharp E05 — The machine can't read the water temperature properly, or th…
- Sharp E06 — The machine has lost proper control or feedback from its dru…
- Sharp E08 — The machine has spotted a fault in the electronics that cont…
- Sharp E10 — The machine can't get a sensible reading from the sensor tha…
- Sharp F02 — The machine has tried to pump the water out and it hasn't go…
- Sharp F09 — The machine can't tell where the water-diverter (the part th…