Frigidaire Washer Code E1 – Troubleshooting Guide

Washing machines must fill with water before they can begin your selected wash program. Because of that, anything that interrupts that fill stage will prevent the program from starting and washing your laundry.

The E1 error code will be triggered on a Frigidaire washing machine when the fill stage takes more than an hour, even though it should only take a few minutes. The slow filling can be caused by issues with the incoming water supply, a faulty water inlet valve, or a clogged inlet screen. Once the cause is resolved, reset the washer to clear the code and return to regular operation.

In this guide, we’ll look a lot closer at each of those possible reasons and what you can do to resolve them. You’ll be back to washing your laundry in no time.

What The E1 Code Means On A Frigidaire Washer?

Seeing the E1 error code on your Frigidaire washer can be quite alarming, but don’t worry. The code simply means that the washer takes too long to fill itself with water at the beginning of a new wash program.

To be precise, this code is triggered when the washer finds itself continuing to fill with water even though one hour has already passed.

The fill stage of any wash program should only take a few minutes at most. Once there’s enough water in the drum, then the washer can begin cleaning your laundry. As you might imagine, nothing will be cleaned if the washer is stuck at the filling stage of the program.

Possible Causes And Solutions

The prolonged filling that triggers the E1 error code is most likely caused by an issue with your household’s incoming water supply. However, a faulty water inlet valve or clogged water inlet screens can also cause the same problem.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these possible reasons and what you can do to fix them.

Incoming Water Supply Issue

What it is: Your Frigidaire washing machine requires a continual supply of water that comes from your household plumbing. You’ll find that your washer is connected to an incoming water hose that’s controlled by a nearby tap.

Not only must there be a ready supply of water, but that water must also be supplied at the correct pressures.

How it fails: The E1 error code on your Frigidaire washer means that the appliance is taking far too long to fill with the water it needs to start a new wash cycle. One common reason behind this is that the water tap supplying the washer isn’t open all the way.

A half-open tap means that the incoming water flow is not as strong as it should be. As a result, the washer has to wait a lot longer to reach the necessary water levels inside.

Besides that, check that the incoming water hose isn’t clogged or kinked in any way. For example, a buildup of dirt inside the hose might be restricting its water flow, causing your washer to fill too slowly.

Lastly, it’s also crucial to consider that there might be a plumbing issue affecting your household’s water supply as a whole.

How to fix it: The first troubleshooting step you should take in this situation is to check that the tap supplying your washer is open all the way.

Next, check that your household isn’t experiencing any plumbing issues. You can do this by opening up nearby taps and faucets, such as the one in your kitchen, and seeing if there’s water coming out there.

Suppose you have a more significant plumbing issue affecting your house as a whole. In that case, you’ll need to engage a qualified plumber to resolve the issue.

Faulty Water Inlet Valve

What it is: The water inlet valve is a component inside your washer that controls the inflow of water into the machine. The valve is the connecting point between your household water supply and the washer itself.

When the valve is working correctly, it’ll open and allow the washer to fill with water whenever necessary. Once there’s enough water inside, the valve will shut and prevent it from overfilling.

How it fails: The water inlet valve can fail either mechanically or electrically. For example, sediment pollution can cause buildings around the valve’s openings that prevent them from opening fully. As a result, only a small volume of water can flow into the washer, which is why it takes so long to fill.

Besides that, an electrical failure can prevent the valve from opening and closing correctly, despite receiving signals from the washer to do so.

The washer will take too long to fill with water and trigger the E1 error code in both scenarios.

How to fix it: Unfortunately, the water inlet valve must be replaced. You can do so by removing the washer’s back and top panel to locate the valve, which is located towards the back of the machine.

Firstly, disconnect the electrical connectors attached to the water inlet valve. Then, remove all water hoses attached to it as well.

Next, unthread the screws that hold the valve in place. That will allow you to replace it with the new inlet valve before replacing the hoses and electrical connectors the same way with the old one.

Clogged Water Inlet Screens

What it is: At the water inlet valve where you screw the incoming water supply hose, there is a small inlet mesh screen. This small item has a specific purpose: to trap any sediment or dirt from the incoming water supply and prevent it from entering the washer.

How it fails: Over an extended period, the water inlet screens will become saturated with the dirt and sediment it’s designed to trap. As that happens, water flow through the mesh screen will also become restricted.

When left for too long, that water flow will become so restricted that it prevents the washer from filling fast enough, which will trigger the E1 error code.

How to fix it: Fixing this issue is very straightforward. Firstly, detach the incoming water hose from the washer’s water inlet valve. Then, use a pair of needle-nose pliers to pull out the mesh water inlet screens gently.

Take the screens to your kitchen sink and wash them thoroughly, removing any trapped dirt and sediment. Then, replace the screens and reattach the water hose to your washer.

Be sure to also check the screens for any damage, such as tears in the mesh. Damaged screens must be replaced to prevent any other problems later on.

How To Clear The E1 Code On Your Frigidaire Washer?

You can clear the E1 error code on your Frigidaire washer by restoring full water flow to the appliance and ensuring that it can fill quickly. As long as the washer doesn’t take more than an hour to fill, the E1 error code will not persist or return.

Once you’ve fixed the issue triggering the E1 error code, you can then reset the washer to clear the E1 and any other error code that might be active.

How To Reset Your Frigidaire Washing Machine?

Your Frigidaire washer can be reset in just a few easy steps:

• Firstly, take out the washer’s power plug entirely to cut off power to the appliance.
• Then, leave the appliance alone for at least one minute.
• Lastly, you can reconnect the washer to its power supply and continue using it like you usually do.

This process is all it takes to reset your Frigidaire washing machine.

Testing Your Washer After Repairs

Testing your washer after you’ve resolved the issue can be done in one of two ways. Firstly, you can run a regular wash program with your laundry inside to see if it washes as it should.

Besides that, you can also enter the machine’s diagnostic mode to run tests on specific functions of the washer.

Entering Your Washer’s Diagnostic Mode

To enter the diagnostic mode, press these three buttons simultaneously: Power, Extra Rinse, and Soak. You’ll know you’re in diagnostic mode when the washer’s lights start blinking.

Once there, you can choose from five different tests by pressing the corresponding button, such as:

• The Soil Level button starts the wash test.
• The Temp button starts the spin test.
• The Fabric Softener button starts the water valve test.
• The Delay button starts the auto-sensing test.

Throughout the diagnostic mode, you can use the Power button to end one test before starting another one.