Willow E02 tumble dryer: what it means & what to check

Stop using it for now. Carrying on with this fault risks further damage or a leak. Switch it off at the wall until it has been looked at.

What E02 actually means

The machine has not taken in the water it was expecting, so it has stopped and flagged a fill problem.

On these Willow machines E02 is the "lack of water" fault — the control board opened the fill valve, waited, and did not see the drum fill to the level it wanted. It halts there rather than carrying on, because running a wash or a wash-dry cycle with too little water would mean poor results and, worse, heating a near-empty drum. It is one of the handful of codes (E01 to E04) that Willow deliberately shows the user rather than keeping to service mode, which tells you it is often something at the water supply end that the owner can put right.

What E02 looks like on a Willow tumble dryer

Most people find this page having searched for what the machine is doing rather than the code itself. On a Willow tumble dryer, E02 usually shows up as one or more of these:

Machine not draining
Water left in the drum at the end of the cycle
Stops mid-cycle full of water
Standing water in the bottom
Not filling with water
No water going in
Takes for ever to fill
Stops right at the start of the cycle

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 tap to the machine turned off or only part open
Inlet hose kinked or crushed behind the machine
Blocked filter mesh in the inlet hose or a furred-up inlet valve
Low mains water pressure, or supply isolated elsewhere in the house
Faulty water inlet valve or the pressure sensor that reads the level

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 tap feeding the machine is fully open — turn it all the way on, not part way.
Run a cold tap at the sink to confirm you have normal mains pressure and nothing has been isolated.
Look behind the machine and make sure the inlet hose is not kinked, trapped or pinched against the wall — pull the machine out gently if you can do it without straining the hoses.
Switch off at the wall for a minute, then power up and restart a short cycle to see whether the code returns straight away or only after it tries to fill.

Which Willow models show E02

E02 means the same thing on all 4 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.

W6120W · W7120W · WWM712BI · WWM814BI

Common questions about Willow E02

What does E02 mean on a Willow tumble dryer?

The machine has not taken in the water it was expecting, so it has stopped and flagged a fill problem. On these Willow machines E02 is the "lack of water" fault — the control board opened the fill valve, waited, and did not see the drum fill to the level it wanted. It halts there rather than carrying on, because running a wash or a wash-dry cycle with too little water would mean poor results and, worse, heating a near-empty drum. It is one of the handful of codes (E01 to E04) that Willow deliberately shows the user rather than keeping to service mode, which tells you it is often something at the water supply end that the owner can put right.

Can I fix Willow E02 myself?

There are 4 checks you can safely do yourself first.

Check the tap feeding the machine is fully open — turn it all the way on, not part way.
Run a cold tap at the sink to confirm you have normal mains pressure and nothing has been isolated.
Look behind the machine and make sure the inlet hose is not kinked, trapped or pinched against the wall — pull the machine out gently if you can do it without straining the hoses.
Switch off at the wall for a minute, then power up and restart a short cycle to see whether the code returns straight away or only after it tries to fill.

This sometimes clears with those checks. If it comes back, it needs looking at properly.

How much does it cost to repair Willow E02?

£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 E02?

This sometimes clears with the checks above. If it comes back, it needs looking at properly. 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 tumble 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 Willow tumble dryer codes

All Willow fault codes and repairs →

What this looks like when it happens

Repairs we cover near you

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

Willow E02 error — tumble dryer