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Modern washing machines can be fairly complicated appliances, and they contain a lot of components that can potentially fail. To make it easier to determine when something within your washer has gone bad, many washers are programmed to display an error code when this happens. Of course, you have to be able to understand these codes to get anything useful from them.
In a Whirlpool washer, an F22 error code indicates that there’s a problem with the door lock assembly. If the door tries and fails more than six times to lock itself, the washer will display this error code.
Today, we’ll be going over the reasons that your Whirlpool washer might be giving you an F22 error code and explaining why these problems happen and what you can do to solve them.
Causes of an F22 Error Code
There are several issues that can cause your Whirlpool washer to display an F22 error, but the good news is that many of these issues aren’t caused by any kind of mechanical failure and can be resolved pretty easily. Let’s take a look at the most common causes of an F22 error code now.
Door Isn’t Closed Properly
This may seem obvious, but because it’s so obvious it may be easy for you to overlook it. If the washer door isn’t closed properly then the latch might not be fully secured, and if you try to start the washer in this state, you’ll be presented with the F22 error code.
Fixing this issue is easy, however, as all you need to do is make sure the door is closed properly. The next time you shut the door, make sure you shut it firmly, and listen for the sound of the latch clicking into place.
A Buildup of Detergent Around Door Lock
Laundry detergent can sometimes leave behind a residue, especially if you are using too much detergent in a high-efficiency washing machine. If you don’t regularly clean out the inside of your washer, this residue can build up over time.
If this residue happens to build up on the door latch, it can prevent the door from closing properly. This residue might also come from other cleaning agents you frequently use in your washer, like fabric softener.
To solve this problem, take a look at your door latch and see if there’s any residue visibly built up around it. If so, wet a rag and use it to clean away anything you find.
Overloaded Washer Tub
This is another fairly obvious example that you might not think to consider right away because of how simple it is. If you fill up your laundry tub with too many clothes, it might prevent you from being able to fully close your washer’s door.
Not only this, but overloading your washer lowers its efficiency and inhibits its ability to fully clean your clothes during a normal wash cycle. In general, you should always try and avoid overfilling your washing machine, if possible.
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If you suspect that an overfilled tub is the cause of your F22 error code, try removing some of the clothes from the tub and see if that fixes the problem. If it does, make sure you don’t fill your washer up that full in the future.
Bad Electrical Connection
Since your washer is obviously an electrical appliance, it contains a ton of connections that transmit electrical signals across your washer’s various components. If one of these connections happens to go bad, your washer door might fail to latch properly but the washer itself might still be working normally otherwise.
To check for a bad electrical connection, you’ll have to open your washer up and examine the wires inside. Be on the lookout for any wires that appear melted, broken, or otherwise damaged. If you do find any such wires, replace them and test your washer out to see if that solves it.
Control Board Is Faulty
Within your washing machine is a control board, which is a circuit board that controls many of your washer’s functions and is responsible for allowing the various components in your washer to communicate with each other. It’s not very common for the control board to fail, but if it does it can result in a variety of issues, including an F22 error code.
You should only consider your control board as the source of the problem if you’ve eliminated every other possibility. If you want to test your control board, you can do so by opening up your washer to access it and checking its continuity with a multimeter.
If it turns out that your control board has indeed gone bad, you’ll have to replace it with a new one.
Door Latch Assembly Is Bad
If your door latch is free from obstructions and you’re sure that the door is closed properly and that you haven’t overfilled the washer, it could be that the door latch assembly itself has broken. The door latch assembly contains several plastic components, which may eventually break due to wear and tear.
If the door latch assembly is broken, you’ll have to replace it with a new one. Since this can be a complicated procedure to carry out, we’ve included a separate section in this article explaining how to do so, which is coming up next.
How to Replace the Door Latch Assembly on Your Whirlpool Washer
Replacing your door latch assembly is a little more involved than most of the fixes we’ve talked about so far, although it something that anyone should be capable of doing if they have the right instructions.
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Before starting your repairs, make sure to disconnect your washer from its power source to avoid any danger when swapping out the door latch assembly. Once you’ve done that, here’s what you need to do to replace the door latch assembly on a Whirlpool front-load washer:
- First, remove the rubber boot seal around the door opening. The seal is held in place with a clamp that runs around the seal’s edge; you can use a pair of needlenose pliers to pull the clamp off.
- With the clamp off, you can now pull the seal off the lip of the front panel. You don’t need to entirely remove the seal from the front panel, but you at least need to move it away from where it runs closest to the door latch assembly.
- Unscrew the two screws on the front panel that hold the door latch assembly in place. You’ll likely need a screwdriver with a Torx T20 bit for this, so make sure you have one on hand before you begin.
- Once the screws are out, disconnect the wiring harness connecting the door latch assembly to the washer, and remove the assembly entirely.
- Grab your replacement door latch assembly and reconnect it to the washer’s wiring harness. Then, put the new door latch assembly in place and secure it with the screws.
- Realign the boot seal on the lip of the front panel, and replace the clamp keeping it in place.
- Restore power to the washer and test your repairs to see if they’ve worked.
How to Reset Your Whirlpool Washer
If your washer gives you an error code, it’s often a good idea to reset your washer first and see if that resolves the issue. There are two ways you can reset a Whirlpool washer; either way is fine to use, so just use whichever one is more convenient for you.
The first way is to reset the washer via the control panel. Locate the “Pause/Cancel” button and press it twice, and the washer should reset itself. Once you start the washer up again after resetting it, it may begin a drain cycle that can’t be interrupted. This is normal, however, so no cause for alarm.
The other method of resetting your washer is to unplug it and let it rest for at least 30 seconds. If it’s not convenient for you to unplug it, you can also disconnect it from its source of power by flipping the circuit breaker connected to the washer.
How to Put Your Whirlpool Washer Into Diagnostic Mode
The diagnostic mode for your Whirlpool washer is a handy feature, as it can make it a lot easier for you to diagnose problems with your washer by allowing you to test your washer’s individual components. The diagnostic mode also makes the washer pull up the four most recent error codes logged in the system.
Before you can put your washer into diagnostic mode, make sure that the door is properly closed. Then, press any one of the buttons on the control panel, aside from either the “Control Lock” button or the “Pause/Cancel” button.
To activate the diagnostic mode, you need to press and release the button you’ve chosen in a specific pattern. Start by pressing and holding the button down for 2-5 seconds, then release the button for the same amount of time, then press and hold it again, release it again, and then press and hold it one last time.
After pressing and holding the button for the third and final time, the washer should then enter diagnostic mode, as indicated by the flashing control panel lights. When you’re done using the diagnostic mode, you can turn it off by pressing the power button two times.
