Sharp E17 washer dryer: what it means & what to check

What E17 actually means

The washer dryer has lost a reliable reading from the flowmeter — the small sensor that counts how much water is going into the drum.

E17 is a flowmeter fault. The machine measures its fill by counting pulses from a flowmeter on the water inlet, and if those pulses stop, don't add up, or never start once the valve opens, it abandons the fill rather than guess how much water is in the drum. Worth knowing: E17 is one of the codes listed as appearing during the service autotest rather than one of the handful Sharp expects the end user to see (E01, E02, E03, E04 and E09), so if it has come up on the display it is likely to have been reached through a test mode or a genuine sensor or wiring fault.

What E17 looks like on a Sharp washer dryer

Most people find this page having searched for what the machine is doing rather than the code itself. On a Sharp washer dryer, E17 usually shows up as one or more of these:

Not filling with water
No water going in
Takes for ever to fill
Stops right at the start of the cycle
No function at all
Dead — nothing lights up
Lights flashing and nothing happening
Programme won't start

Recognise any of those? That is this fault, and the rest of this page explains what causes it and what you can check yourself.

What usually causes it

Water supply restricted — tap not fully open, or mains pressure too low for the flowmeter to register flow
Blocked filter in the inlet hose connection or a kinked fill hose
Flowmeter itself sticking or failed, so no pulses are sent
Loose or damaged connection between the flowmeter and the main control board
Control board not reading the signal correctly

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 water tap fully on and check you get a decent flow from it
Check the fill hose behind the machine isn't kinked, trapped or crushed against the wall
Switch off at the wall for a minute, then power up and start a short cycle to see if the code returns
If the machine has recently been moved or plumbed in, confirm the hose is on the right tap and the supply isn't a low-pressure feed

Which Sharp models show E17

E17 means the same thing on all 2 of these models. If yours is not listed, the explanation above still applies — the code is set by the control board, not the model number.

ES-GDD9144W0-EN · ES-GDF964W

Common questions about Sharp E17

What does E17 mean on a Sharp washer dryer?

The washer dryer has lost a reliable reading from the flowmeter — the small sensor that counts how much water is going into the drum. E17 is a flowmeter fault. The machine measures its fill by counting pulses from a flowmeter on the water inlet, and if those pulses stop, don't add up, or never start once the valve opens, it abandons the fill rather than guess how much water is in the drum. Worth knowing: E17 is one of the codes listed as appearing during the service autotest rather than one of the handful Sharp expects the end user to see (E01, E02, E03, E04 and E09), so if it has come up on the display it is likely to have been reached through a test mode or a genuine sensor or wiring fault.

Can I fix Sharp E17 myself?

There are 4 checks you can safely do yourself first.

Turn the water tap fully on and check you get a decent flow from it.
Check the fill hose behind the machine isn't kinked, trapped or crushed against the wall.
Switch off at the wall for a minute, then power up and start a short cycle to see if the code returns.
If the machine has recently been moved or plumbed in, confirm the hose is on the right tap and the supply isn't a low-pressure feed.

This one usually needs an engineer once you have tried them.

How much does it cost to repair Sharp E17?

£66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.

Tried the checks and it's still showing E17?

This one usually needs an engineer once you have tried the checks above. Then it wants someone who can open it up.

What it costs, before you call: the price is the same whatever the fault turns out to be — £66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.

Our own engineers, not a call centre. We cover Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire — most washer dryer faults are seen same day or next day.

Call 0115 648 0929 Book online — postcode and number is all we need

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 washer dryer codes

All Sharp fault codes and repairs →

What this looks like when it happens

washer dryer not drying

Written by the engineers at ASAP Repairs, 0115 648 0929. We repair these machines for a living in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.

Sharp E17 error — washer dryer