Willow E15 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 E15 actually means

The machine has detected that the drying air is getting too hot, and it has shut the cycle down to protect itself.

E15 is a high temperature error. During the drying part of the programme the control board watches the temperature in the heating and air path, and if the reading climbs past the safe limit — or climbs far quicker than it should — it cuts the heater and stops with this code. It normally appears part-way through a drying cycle rather than at the start, and on the washer-dryer models (the WWM series) you'll usually get a normal wash and then a failure once it switches over to drying.

What E15 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, E15 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
Not drying
Blowing cold air
Clothes still damp at the end
Takes hours to dry

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

Blocked or dirty filter restricting airflow
Restricted air path or the machine boxed in with no room to breathe
A heavily overloaded or very wet drum load
Faulty temperature sensor giving a false high reading
Heater or control board fault leaving the heating on when it should switch off

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 back on, and turn the knob to the off position for three seconds to clear the fault
Let it cool down fully before trying another cycle — a hot machine will often trip again straight away
Clean out the filter and any fluff you can reach by hand
Check the cold water supply is fully on and the inlet hose isn't kinked or trapped behind the machine
Make sure there's a gap around and behind the machine so warm air isn't being recirculated
Try a smaller, well-spun load rather than a full drum of soaking washing

Which Willow models show E15

E15 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 E15

What does E15 mean on a Willow tumble dryer?

The machine has detected that the drying air is getting too hot, and it has shut the cycle down to protect itself. E15 is a high temperature error. During the drying part of the programme the control board watches the temperature in the heating and air path, and if the reading climbs past the safe limit — or climbs far quicker than it should — it cuts the heater and stops with this code. It normally appears part-way through a drying cycle rather than at the start, and on the washer-dryer models (the WWM series) you'll usually get a normal wash and then a failure once it switches over to drying.

Can I fix Willow E15 myself?

There are 6 checks you can safely do yourself first.

Turn the machine off at the wall for a minute, then back on, and turn the knob to the off position for three seconds to clear the fault.
Let it cool down fully before trying another cycle — a hot machine will often trip again straight away.
Clean out the filter and any fluff you can reach by hand.
Check the cold water supply is fully on and the inlet hose isn't kinked or trapped behind the machine.
Make sure there's a gap around and behind the machine so warm air isn't being recirculated.
Try a smaller, well-spun load rather than a full drum of soaking washing.

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

How much does it cost to repair Willow E15?

£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 E15?

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 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 E15 error — tumble dryer