On the covered Whirlpool top-load washer, F3 E2, HC means the inlet water temperature reading is wrong, most often because the hot and cold hoses are on the wrong inlets First, trace each hose from the tap to the washer and check red to hot, blue to cold.
Differential
Likely causes of “Whirlpool top-load washer code F3 E2, HC”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
Hot and cold fill hoses connected to the wrong inlets
What separates it F3 E2 or HC appears at the start of a fill, and the water that enters is not the temperature the cycle asked for
How to confirm Trace each hose from its tap to the washer; the hose from the hot tap must land on the hot inlet
- 2
A failed inlet thermistor in the water valve wiring harness
What separates it The hoses are right, but the code returns on every fill
How to confirm With the washer unplugged and the console open, measure the thermistor circuit; the Sears table for the Cabrio says about 50,000 ohms at room temperature
- 3
A damaged harness between the control board and the water valve assembly
What separates it The code comes and goes when the cabinet is moved or the top is lifted
How to confirm Look at the harness for a chafed wire or a loose connector on the board and on the valve
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Whether the display shows F3 E2 or HC
- Whether the code appears on every fill or only on a warm or hot fill
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedWhat to do first
ReversibleTrace each hose from the tap to the washer and check red to hot, blue to cold.
Correct only the documented fault domain
ReversibleSwap reversed hoses; if they are right, test the inlet thermistor in the water valve wiring harness.
Check the hose colors first
ReversibleWhirlpool's page for F3 E2 asks whether the hoses are reversed, and says the code appears when the cold hose is on the hot inlet and the hot hose on the cold inlet. Look at both ends of each hose before doing anything else.
Swap the hoses and run a fill
ReversibleHand-tighten each hose and a quarter turn with pliers, then run a fill and watch for the code. Whirlpool also asks that both taps be fully open, because the washer needs both hoses connected to run.
Test the thermistor with the power off
ReversibleThe Sears table for the Cabrio says to open the console, unplug the washer and check the resistance of the thermistor circuit through the black wires; it should read about 50,000 ohms (50K) at room temperature. A reading far from that means the harness that carries the thermistor needs replacing.
Replace the part the table names
ReversibleOn the Cabrio/belt-drive platform the thermistor is a component of the inlet water valve wiring harness; on the 2015 Cabrio the table calls the sensor a component of the water valve assembly. Replace the harness or valve assembly, not the thermistor alone.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Displayed as
- F3 E2 or HC.
- Meter reading
- About 50,000 ohms across the inlet thermistor at room temperature (Cabrio service table).
- Parts named by the service tables
- Inlet water valve wiring harness with thermistor (Cabrio/belt-drive); water valve assembly (2015 Cabrio).
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !Unplug the washer before you measure anything in the console, because the board and valve terminals carry line voltage
- !Stop if any wire looks burnt or the connector at the board is melted, and have the board looked at by a technician
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Where the manufacturer's article stops. The 50,000 ohm figure is the Cabrio table's own number; it applies at room temperature and is not a spec for other washers.
Exact questions
Common questions
What does F3 E2, HC mean on a Whirlpool top-load washer?+
the inlet water temperature reading is wrong, most often because the hot and cold hoses are on the wrong inlets
What does HC mean?+
Whirlpool groups HC with F3 E2 on this platform, so treat it as the same fault: reversed hoses or an inlet temperature reading that is wrong.
How do I tell the hot hose from the cold?+
Whirlpool's F8 E1 page says red to the hot inlet and blue to the cold inlet. Check both ends, because a hose can be swapped at the wall or at the washer.
What resistance should the thermistor show?+
The Cabrio table says about 50,000 ohms at room temperature, measured on the black wires, with the washer unplugged.