Fault Code Database is a diagnostic reference, and the value of a diagnostic reference is entirely in whether it is right. A wrong code meaning sends you chasing the wrong part; a wrong fix step can mean working on a live 240-volt circuit, a gas valve, or a sealed refrigerant system that should never be opened by hand. This page explains exactly how we research, source, verify, and date every code entry so you can judge how far to trust what you read here.
How we research a code
The unit of content here is one code on one brand and appliance — “Bosch dishwasher E15”, “Whirlpool washer F21”. For each, we work from the manufacturer’s own definition of what the control board is reporting, then map the failure to the components in that circuit and order the likely causes by how often they are actually the culprit — cheapest and most probable first, board replacement last. Fix steps are written in that same probability order, with the parts each step implicates named explicitly. Nothing is published as a “typical cause” unless it is a documented failure mode for that model family.
The sources we use
- Manufacturer service literature — service manuals, tech sheets, and the official error/fault-code tables published by Whirlpool, LG, Samsung, Bosch, GE, Maytag, Frigidaire and the other brands we cover. This is the primary authority for what a code means.
- Established appliance-repair references — the diagnostic and parts documentation used by the repair trade — to corroborate the ranked causes and the components each step involves.
- Cross-checking across model families, because a single code (for example an “OE” drain fault) can carry slightly different implications on different platforms; we note where behavior varies rather than flattening it.
What we don’t rely on
We do not build entries out of other content sites, and we treat unverified forum posts and video comments as leads to confirm, never as facts to publish. Parts-retailer pages are useful for identifying components but are written to sell parts, so we do not take their “most common cause” claims at face value. If we cannot substantiate a cause or a part against service literature, it does not go in the entry.
Verification, dating, and safety boundaries
Every code page carries a visible “last verified” date so you can see how current it is. Because appliance repair is lightly safety-critical, we keep guidance conservative and clearly bounded: any step involving gas, high-voltage components, or a sealed refrigerant system carries an explicit “stop and call a licensed technician” boundary, and a standing safety disclaimer sits on every entry. We would rather tell you plainly that a job is beyond a typical DIY repair than walk you into a hazard.
Corrections
If a code meaning, cause, or step looks wrong — or your model behaves differently — please tell us through the contact page. Accuracy is the entire point of this database; a well-documented correction is one of the most valuable things you can send us, and we re-verify and re-date the page when we act on one.
A note on how these pages are produced
Our entries are produced with the help of AI research and drafting tools, working against the sources above. That speeds up the work; it does not get the final say on facts. Every code meaning, ranked cause, and fix step is checked by a human-supervised process against manufacturer service literature before it is published, and safety boundaries are set conservatively by hand. We say this plainly because a diagnostic reference only earns trust by being honest about how it is made.
Fault Code Database is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any appliance manufacturer. Brand names are used only to identify the equipment a code applies to.