- Appliances
- Dishwashers
F03
Hotpoint F03 on a dishwasher: water not draining in time
Risk level
Medium
Proceed carefully and stop if the check is unclear.
Urgency
Medium
Quick answer
On a Hotpoint dishwasher, F03 means a drain failure or drain timeout. Unplug it and check the drain hose is not kinked and the sink drain under the worktop is not blocked before booking an engineer.
Safety first
Stop and check this first
- Water and electricity: unplug the dishwasher before touching water left in the tub or the hose, and never with a wet plug.
- If your sink has a waste disposer or the hose was connected recently, tell the engineer: it changes where the blockage may be.
Safe checks you can perform
- Sink drain
- Drain hose
- Code repeat after the checks
Leave these tasks to a qualified professional
- Do not attempt this professional task: Internal drain circuit check
- Do not attempt this professional task: Drain test after the repair
What a technician must be able to justify
Technician visit
These are the steps they must carry out and show you. Tick them as they work: if steps are skipped, do not accept a part swap.
These are not instructions for opening or handling the equipment yourself. They are the checks that should support a technical conclusion.
Internal drain circuit check
What they doWith the appliance disconnected from the mains, the engineer checks the tub outlet, the drain pump and its connection to the hose, and tests that the pump turns and receives voltage.
They must show youthe blockage found or the pump test, with the measured value against the manufacturer's specification.
In writingwhich section was checked, what was cleaned or replaced with its part number and why.
Drain test after the repair
What they doThe engineer runs a full programme and checks the tub is empty at the end and F03 does not appear.
They must show youan empty tub at the end of the programme and no code on the panel.
In writingthe programme tested, the result and the date.
Before accepting a part or repair
Nothing has been shown yet. Do not accept a part swap based on the code alone.
Follow these steps
Note: Follow the documented order. An error code identifies the affected system, but it does not prove by itself which part has failed.
Sink drain
- Who:
- you, no tools.
- How:
- with the dishwasher unplugged, run water in the sink for a minute and see whether it drains normally.
- Result that matters:
- whether the sink empties without water building up.
- If the sink drains slowly or fills:
- the blockage is in the shared pipe; clear it or call a plumber before blaming the dishwasher.
- If it drains well:
- rules out a general kitchen drain blockage; move on to the hose.
- Evidence to keep:
- a note of whether the sink drained well or not and what you did.
Evidence: Hotpoint Dishwasher Error Codes - Hotpoint
Drain hose
- Who:
- you, without opening the appliance.
- How:
- in the sink cupboard, follow the drain hose from the trap towards the dishwasher and look for kinks, crushing or objects on top.
- Result that matters:
- whether the hose runs free and unkinked along the visible length.
- If it was kinked or crushed:
- free it and run a short programme; if F03 does not return, that was the cause.
- If it runs free:
- the blockage is not in the visible length; do not pull the hose or slide out a built-in appliance.
- Evidence to keep:
- a photo of the hose before and after repositioning it.
Evidence: Hotpoint Dishwasher Error Codes - Hotpoint
Code repeat after the checks
- Who:
- you to watch; an engineer for the rest.
- How:
- with sink and hose checked, run a short programme and see whether F03 appears and whether water is left in the tub at the end.
- Result that matters:
- whether the code returns and at what point in the programme.
- If it does not return:
- confirms the problem was in the plumbing or the hose.
- If it returns with water in the tub:
- the fault is inside the drain circuit; unplug and book the visit, as the manufacturer says.
- Evidence to keep:
- a photo of the code and of the water left in the tub, with the time.
Evidence: Hotpoint Dishwasher Error Codes - Hotpoint
Still not solved
If the error persists, stop here. See what the technician must do and show you.
Where this code applies
A code is meaningful only inside the right product and version context.
Primary scope
- System
- Appliances
- Brand
- Hotpoint
- Product type
- Dishwashers
Known code variants
- error F03 Hisense
- error F03 lavavajillas Hotpoint
- error F03 lavavajillas Indesit
- error F03 lavavajillas Whirlpool
- F 03
- F3
- F:03
- Hisense F03 error
- Hisense lavadora F03
- Hisense washer F03
- Hisense washing machine F03 not draining
- Hotpoint dishwasher F03
- Hotpoint dishwasher F03 not draining
- Hotpoint dishwasher F3
- Hotpoint F03 error dishwasher
- Hotpoint F03 lavavajillas
- Hotpoint lavavajillas F3
- Indesit dishwasher F03
- Indesit dishwasher F03 not draining
- Indesit dishwasher F3
- Indesit F03 error dishwasher
- Indesit F03 lavavajillas
- Indesit lavavajillas F3
- lavadora Hisense F03 no desagua
- lavavajillas Hotpoint F03 no desagua
- lavavajillas Indesit F03 no desagua
- lavavajillas Whirlpool F03 no desagua
- Whirlpool dishwasher F03
- Whirlpool dishwasher F03 not draining
- Whirlpool dishwasher F3
- Whirlpool F03 error dishwasher
- Whirlpool F03 lavavajillas
- Whirlpool lavavajillas F3
What it means
Hotpoint defines F03 as a water drain failure or drain timeout: the control tried to empty the tub and the water did not leave in the expected time. Water goes through the drain pump, the hose and the trap or pipe under the sink, so the blockage may be outside the appliance. The code does not tell a blocked pipe from a pump that is not working; Hotpoint asks you to check the hose and plumbing first and call if the fault continues. The table comes from the Hotpoint UK service site; check your model's manual to confirm the code means the same.
Warnings and stop conditions
- Mediumeditorial warning
Water and electricity: unplug the dishwasher before touching water left in the tub or the hose, and never with a wet plug.
Evidence: Hotpoint Dishwasher Error Codes - Hotpoint
- Loweditorial warning
If your sink has a waste disposer or the hose was connected recently, tell the engineer: it changes where the blockage may be.
Evidence: Hotpoint Dishwasher Error Codes - Hotpoint
Symptoms and causes
Probable causes · in order
- Blocked sink drainCommon
Fits if the sink also drains slowly. It is the cause you can check most easily and the first the manufacturer names.
Evidence: Hotpoint Dishwasher Error Codes - Hotpoint
- Kinked or blocked drain hosePossible
Fits after moving the dishwasher or storing things in the sink cupboard. Shows in the reachable part of the hose.
Evidence: Hotpoint Dishwasher Error Codes - Hotpoint
- Fault inside the drain circuitPossible
If plumbing and hose are fine and F03 returns, the problem is inside the appliance, for example the pump, and it is the engineer's job.
Evidence: Hotpoint Dishwasher Error Codes - Hotpoint
Virtual technician
Does F03 still appear after these checks?
Answer a few questions to narrow down the likely cause and the safest next action. Guidance only - it never replaces a professional.
Sources and technical references
- 1
Hotpoint Dishwasher Error Codes - Hotpoint
Hotpoint (Whirlpool UK) · official_doc
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