On the covered Kenmore 722 series dishwasher, HE means Kenmore's service table lists this code as: heating failure. Measure the water with an accurate thermometer; near 190 degrees points to the board. Unplug the dishwasher and check the wire harness connections at both parts.
Differential
Likely causes of “Kenmore 722 series dishwasher code HE”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A stuck heater relay on the control board keeps the element on and the water overheats
What separates it The HE code appears and the water in the tub is extremely hot
How to confirm Measure the water with an accurate thermometer; near 190 degrees points to the board
- 2
A loose wire on the heating element or the pressure switch
What separates it The water in the tub is not overheated and the element is cold
How to confirm Unplug the dishwasher and check the wire harness connections at both parts
- 3
A failed heating element
What separates it The wiring is fine and the element measures infinite resistance
How to confirm Measure the element; the chart expects about 12 ohms
- 4
A thermistor on the element that is off by more than 10 percent
What separates it The element measures normally but the thermistor reads wrongly
How to confirm Measure the thermistor; the chart expects 11,320 ohms at 75 degrees
- 5
A failed pressure switch or control board
What separates it The element and the thermistor are good and HE persists
How to confirm The chart needs a service technician to perform live voltage checks
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The temperature of the water in the tub, measured with a thermometer
- Whether the element is cold or hot
- The element resistance and the thermistor resistance
- Whether the dishwasher was overheating before the code
Try in this order
0 of 4 completedCorrect only the documented fault domain
ReversibleThis code appears when water isn't heating or when the thermistor (temperature sensor) detects that water temperature is higher than 194 degrees. If water inside the dishwasher tub is extremely hot, measure water temperature using an accurate thermometer. If the thermometer measures water temperature near 190 degrees, then you'll likely need to replace the electronic control board because a stuck heater relay on the control board is causing the heating element to stay on constantly. Unplug the dishwasher to disconnect electrical power before replacing the control board. If water inside the tub doesn't seem to be overheated, then the code likely indicates that the heating element wasn't heating the water.
Unplug the dishwasher and check the wire harness connections on the heating element and pressure switch. The pressure switch detects water flow to the heater and shuts off the heater if water flow is insufficient. A loose wiring connection on the heating element or pressure switch can prevent current from flowing through the heating element. If the wiring connections are okay, unplug the wires from the heating element and measure resistance through the element using a multimeter. The meter should measure about 12 ohms of resistance. Replace the heating element if the meter measures infinite resistance.
If the heating element is good, measure resistance through the thermistor on the heating element. The meter should measure 11,320 ohms at 75 degrees (room temperature). Replace the heating element (which includes the thermistor) if thermistor resistance is off by more than 10 percent because a faulty thermistor could be causing the HE code. If the heating element and thermistor are good, then you may need to replace the pressure switch or the electronic control board. You'll need to have a service technician examine the dishwasher and perform live voltage checks to determine whether the pressure switch or electronic control board is preventing the heating element from heating.
Parts named: heating element, pressure switch, electronic control board.
Check whether the water in the tub is extremely hot and measure it
ReversibleThe code appears when water is not heating or when the thermistor detects a temperature above 194 degrees. Near 190 degrees points to a stuck relay, so unplug the dishwasher and replace the control board.
If the water is not overheated, check the wiring on the heating element and the pressure switch
ReversibleThe pressure switch detects water flow to the heater and shuts off the heater if flow is low.
Measure the element and the thermistor
ReversibleThe element should read about 12 ohms; replace it if infinite. The thermistor should read 11,320 ohms at 75 degrees; if it is off by more than 10 percent, replace the heating element, which includes it. If both are good, a technician checks the pressure switch and board.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Shown as
- HE (722 series table).
- Parts named by the chart
- Heating element, pressure switch and electronic control board.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !Unplug the dishwasher before you touch the control board or the element
- !The final choice between the pressure switch and the control board needs live voltage checks, which the chart leaves to a service technician
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Where the manufacturer's article stops. The 194 degree trigger, the 12 ohm reading and the 10 percent thermistor limit are chart text.
Exact questions
Common questions
What does HE mean on a Kenmore 722 series dishwasher?+
Kenmore's service table lists this code as: heating failure.
What should the heating element measure?+
About 12 ohms; infinite resistance means replace it.
What does the pressure switch do?+
It detects water flow to the heater and shuts off the heater if flow is insufficient.