- Appliances
- Dryers
E13
LG E13 on dryer: drain hose blocked or frozen water
Risk level
Low
Usually safe to check without specialist tools.
Urgency
Medium
Quick answer
Your LG dryer shows E13 because the drain hose is kinked, crushed or clogged, or the water in the sump is frozen. Check the hose along its whole length, remove any extension and press Start/Pause to run it again.
Safety first
Stop and check this first
- Check the hose with the dryer off and without removing panels. Do not open the dryer to look for water: there are mains connected parts inside.
Safe checks you can perform
- Drain hose route
- Hose end and length
- Restart with Start/Pause
Leave these tasks to a qualified professional
- Do not attempt this professional task: Drain system diagnosis
- Do not attempt this professional task: Drain test after repair
What a technician must be able to justify
A technician is coming
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.
Drain system diagnosis
What they doService checks the internal drain and the sump with the dryer unplugged.
They must show youthe fault reproduced with the standard hose correctly routed.
In writingthe cause found, the reference of any replaced part and why.
Drain test after repair
What they doThe technician runs a full cycle to check the water drains without E13.
They must show youthe cycle finished without a code.
In writingthe test result.
Before accepting a part or repair
Nothing has been shown yet. Do not accept a part swap based on the code alone.
Checks and evidence, step by step
Follow the documented order. An error code identifies the affected system, but it does not prove by itself which part has failed.
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Drain hose route
No special tools
Procedure
- Who:
- you, with the dryer off.
- How:
- follow the drain hose from end to end and check it is not kinked, twisted or crushed, as LG instructs.
- Result that matters:
- a straight, clear hose.
- If it was kinked:
- straighten it; that was the likely cause.
- If it is routed well:
- move on to its end and length.
- Evidence to keep:
- a photo of the hose and its route.
Evidence: LG USA dryer error code list
- 2
Hose end and length
No special tools
Procedure
- Who:
- you.
- How:
- check there is no water trapped at the hose end and whether an extension was added; LG recommends only the standard hose.
- Result that matters:
- water able to leave without added resistance.
- If there is an extension:
- remove it and test again with the standard hose.
- If all is fine:
- move on to restarting the programme.
- Evidence to keep:
- a photo of the hose end.
Evidence: LG USA dryer error code list
- 3
Restart with Start/Pause
No special tools
Procedure
- Who:
- you.
- How:
- after checking the hose, press Start/Pause to run the dryer again, as LG instructs.
- Result that matters:
- whether E13 appears again.
- If it does not return:
- the hose was the cause; watch the next cycles.
- If it returns:
- LG refers you to repair; if the dryer is somewhere very cold, tell the technician.
- Evidence to keep:
- a photo of the code and a note of the room temperature.
Evidence: LG USA dryer error code list
Where this code applies
A code is meaningful only inside the right product and version context.
Primary scope
- System
- Appliances
- Brand
- LG
- Product type
- Dryers
Known code variants
- E-13
- error E13 secadora LG
- LG dryer E13 error
- LG E13 dryer
- LG E13 secadora
What it means
LG says E13 only displays on its hybrid condensing dryers. It indicates the drain hose is kinked, crushed or clogged, or that the water in the sump is frozen. LG asks you to check the hose is not kinked, twisted or clogged with water at its end, and warns that extending it increases resistance; it recommends using only the standard LG drain hose. If E13 returns after checking the hose, LG refers you to repair. The code alone does not prove a pump fault.
Warnings and stop conditions
- Loweditorial warning
Check the hose with the dryer off and without removing panels. Do not open the dryer to look for water: there are mains connected parts inside.
Evidence: LG USA dryer error code list
Symptoms and causes
Probable causes · in order
- Kinked or crushed hoseCommon
The drain hose is bent, twisted or crushed behind or under the dryer. You see it by following its route.
Evidence: LG USA dryer error code list
- Clogged or extended hosePossible
Water is trapped at the hose end or an extension was added. LG warns that extending it increases resistance.
Evidence: LG USA dryer error code list
- Frozen water in the sumpPossible
The dryer sits somewhere very cold, such as a garage in winter. LG names frozen sump water as a cause of E13.
Evidence: LG USA dryer error code list
Virtual technician
Does E13 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
LG Electronics · 2025 · official_doc
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