On the covered Whirlpool top-load washer, F8 E6, F8 E5, F8 E3 means water is where it should not be: found in the tub with the lid open, no hot water detected because the hoses are reversed, or more water in the tub than the washer should hold First, close the lid and check whether the tub is filling while the washer is off.
Differential
Likely causes of “Whirlpool top-load washer code F8 E6, F8 E5, F8 E3”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The lid was open during the soak step
What separates it F8 E6 appears the moment the lid is lifted in a soak, and closing the lid resumes the cycle
How to confirm Close the lid and see whether the cycle resumes; Whirlpool says one meaning of F8 E6 is a lid open during the soak
- 2
Hot and cold hoses reversed, so no hot water is detected
What separates it The code appears on a cycle that asks for hot or warm, and a cold-only fill is fine
How to confirm Trace the hoses from the taps; the hot hose belongs on the hot inlet
- 3
A leaking water inlet valve that fills the tub while the washer is off
What separates it Water is standing in the tub after the washer sat unused, or the washer displays F8 E6 after the lid sat open past its 10-minute limit
How to confirm Unplug the washer for an hour and see whether the water level rises
- 4
A tub that fills past its capacity (F8 E3)
What separates it The tub is over-full, or the level rises with the washer off, and the code shows F8 E3
How to confirm Unplug the washer and see whether water keeps arriving; the 2015 Cabrio table says a tub that fills while the washer is unplugged means the water valve assembly is leaking
- 5
A drain hose that siphons the fill water out, or a damaged water-level tube (F8 E3)
What separates it The level rises and falls during the fill and the hose sits deep in the standpipe, or the tube looks pinched
How to confirm Check the drain hose against the installation guide and follow the air tube from the tub to the console for a kink or crack
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The exact code and whether the lid was open when it appeared
- Whether the tub had water in it before you started the cycle
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedWhat to do first
ReversibleClose the lid and check whether the tub is filling while the washer is off.
Correct only the documented fault domain
ReversibleSwap reversed hoses; if water fills the tub with the washer unplugged, replace the water inlet valve.
Close the lid and see whether the cycle resumes
ReversibleWhirlpool gives two possible meanings for F8 E6 depending on the model, and the first is a lid left open during the soak. Close the lid and let the cycle continue before you look at the plumbing.
Check the hose colors
ReversibleThe second meaning is no hot water detected because the hoses are reversed. Swap them, run another cycle, and confirm both taps are fully open, which Whirlpool requires for the washer to operate.
Test for a leaking valve
ReversibleThe 2015 Cabrio table says the control raises the water-hazard code when it senses water in the tub with the lid open past a 10-minute limit. Turn the taps off, unplug the washer, wait, then look inside the tub; water that keeps arriving means the valve is leaking.
Deal with an overflow (F8 E3)
ReversibleThe 2015 Cabrio table says F8 E3 means the control senses a water level that exceeds the washer's capacity. Turn off the water and the power, install the drain system as the manual says to prevent siphoning of the fill water, and check the water-level pressure tube for kinks, blockages or air leaks. The Cabrio/belt-drive table adds that if the washer is not actually overflowing, the main electronic control board, which carries the level switch, will usually need replacing.
Replace the inlet valve if it leaks
ReversibleThe service table says to replace the water inlet valve if leaking, and the Cabrio/belt-drive table for F8 E5 says that if the hoses are correct the inlet thermistor, part of the inlet water valve wire harness, is the next part.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Parts named by the service tables
- Water inlet valve; inlet water valve wire harness with thermistor; water-level pressure tube; main electronic control board (F8 E3).
- Tools
- A towel and a bucket for the tub and the hose ends, pliers for the hose clamps.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !Turn both taps off and unplug the washer if the tub keeps filling with the washer off, because a valve that leaks through can flood the floor
- !Unplug the washer before you touch the valve terminals or the harness
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Where the manufacturer's article stops. F8 E5 is on the Cabrio/belt-drive table only; the 2015 Cabrio table has no F8 E5 row.
Exact questions
Common questions
What does F8 E6, F8 E5, F8 E3 mean on a Whirlpool top-load washer?+
water is where it should not be: found in the tub with the lid open, no hot water detected because the hoses are reversed, or more water in the tub than the washer should hold
What does F8 E6 mean on a top-load washer?+
Whirlpool gives two meanings depending on the model: the lid was open during the soak, or no hot water was detected. The Sears table for the 2015 Cabrio calls it a water hazard.
Can a leaking valve trigger it?+
Yes. The 2015 Cabrio table says a leaking water inlet valve fills the tub when the washer is off, and the control raises the code when it finds water with the lid open past its 10-minute limit.
How long can the lid stay open?+
The 2015 Cabrio table says the control senses the water hazard after the lid has been open past a 10-minute limit with water in the tub.
Can I keep using the washer after F8 E3?+
Not until the cause is found, because a valve that leaks through can keep filling the tub. Leave the taps closed between loads meanwhile.
Do Maytag and Amana share this fix?+
Yes. The three brands' top-load washers on this platform use the same table.