What FE actually means
The fridge freezer has lost a reliable temperature reading from one of its internal sensors, so the control board has flagged a fault instead of running normally.
Sharp's control board constantly reads temperature sensors in the freezer, the fridge compartment, the defrost circuit and the evaporator coil. If a reading comes back impossibly high or impossibly low \u2014 outside roughly +50\u00b0C to -50\u00b0C \u2014 the board decides that sensor is short circuited or open circuited and shows FE, usually with a number after it identifying which one (01 freezer, 02 fridge, 03 defrost, 04 coil sensor). Cooling may carry on after a fashion on a fallback pattern, but temperatures are no longer being properly controlled.
What usually causes it
- A failed temperature sensor \u2014 the most common cause by a wide margin
- A damaged or corroded sensor plug or wire inside the cabinet
- Moisture or ice build-up around a sensor after a heavy frosting
- A fault on the control board itself, which is much rarer
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.
- Note the two digits shown after FE \u2014 it tells the engineer which sensor is at fault and saves diagnosis time
- Switch off at the wall for a minute and back on; a genuine sensor fault will return within a short while
- Check the doors are closing and sealing properly, as constant warm air and heavy frosting can bring on sensor problems
- Move any food packed hard against the back wall or air vents
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.