LG gF fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
The water flow sensor. LG break their own request-service rule here too, and all three of their named causes are outside the appliance.
Take care
What gF means
gF is the flow sensor error, and LG describe it as a malfunction in the appliance's water flow sensor that could be caused by a closed water tap, a kinked hose or incorrect water pressure. Notice that all three of those are outside the fridge. This is the second of only two codes on LG's fault list where they abandon their blanket request-service instruction and give owner steps, and the reason is that most of the time the appliance is reporting the plumbing rather than itself. The flow sensor exists because a fridge with a water dispenser or a plumbed ice maker needs to know whether water is actually arriving when it opens the valve.
If it opens the valve and sees nothing moving, it has no way of telling the difference between a broken sensor and a tap somebody turned off, so it reports what it can measure. LG's published steps start with the same power sequence they use elsewhere: unplug, wait sixty seconds, and plug back into a direct socket. They then add a timing note that is worth heeding because it stops people concluding too early — wait until the appliance has completely restarted, which may take up to five minutes. After that their checks are the water supply itself: ensure the tap is fully open and the hose is not kinked, and check the water pressure.
Two practical points that fall out of this. A fridge that has recently been moved, even a few inches to clean behind it, is the classic case, because the water hose gets pushed into a tight bend against the wall and stays there. And a tap that is partly open behaves worse than one that is fully closed, because intermittent flow produces an intermittent fault that is much harder to pin down. If the tap is fully open, the hose runs without a kink and the pressure is reasonable, then the sensor itself is the likely answer, and that is a service call. Worth remembering throughout that the prefix is noise on LG appliances — E, r or Er in front of the two characters changes nothing.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| The water tap is closed or only partly open | LG’s first named cause. Often turned off during other work and never turned back on, and a partly open tap produces an intermittent version that is harder to spot. | Common |
| A kinked water hose | The classic consequence of moving the appliance. Pushing a fridge back into place folds the hose against the wall and it stays folded. | Common |
| Water pressure too low | LG name incorrect water pressure specifically. A dispenser needs a reasonable supply to work, and a property on low pressure can be marginal. | Occasional |
| The flow sensor has failed | The case where the supply checks out. At that point the appliance is reporting itself rather than the plumbing, and it needs an engineer. | Occasional |
What to try yourself
Check the water tap feeding the fridge is fully open. Partly open is worse than closed for diagnosis, because it produces an intermittent fault.
Look behind the appliance at the hose. If the fridge has been moved recently, the likeliest thing is a fold pressed against the wall.
Unplug the appliance, wait sixty seconds, and plug it back into a direct socket. That is LG’s published sequence for this code.
Give it up to five minutes to restart completely. LG publish that timing, and judging it sooner will mislead you.
Test the water pressure by running the nearest cold tap. A weak flow there points at the supply rather than the appliance.
If the tap is open, the hose is clear and the pressure is fine and the code stays, book an engineer. The sensor itself is the remaining answer.
Get a qualified refrigeration engineer to look at your LG gF
We do not pass enquiries to a repair firm, so there is no form here. When you book a qualified refrigeration engineer, tell them the make, the model and the exact code or message on the display, and ask whether they carry parts for this make — that is what turns one visit into a repair rather than a quote.
What it costs to fix
Typical repair cost
£0–£200
Time on site
30 minutes
Nothing if it is a tap, a hose or the pressure, which is most of the time. A flow sensor or valve with labour if the supply checks out.
Typical UK prices including parts and labour, updated September 2026. Your quote may differ.
Own this appliance and had this code? . Nothing is published until a person has read it.
Related LG fault codes
- OFFGet it checkedShop mode. LG publish how it gets switched on by accident at home, and give two ways out — including a ten second power cycle that does work on LG.Related: same brand
- FFGet it checkedFreezer fan. LG’s master list says request service, but their own dedicated article gives owner steps, and the usual cause is frost around the motor.Related: same brand
- dHGet it checkedThe defrost cycle ran and the temperature did not rise. LG give the exact test it failed, and their own per-code articles give a reset and a long manual defrost before the service call.Related: same brand
- Beeping with the door closedUsually simple to fixLG publish seven causes and a door switch test you can do with a finger. The fridge thinks a door is open, and usually something is holding it.Related: same brand
- FUGet it checkedThe freezer did not get cold enough in the time allowed. LG give real owner steps for this one, including a paper test for the door seals.Related: same brand
- CHGet it checkedLG’s master list calls this a refrigerant leak. Their per-code article is more careful: a cooling-power inspection code that can be temporary in use, with a five minute reset before the service call.Related: same brand
Own a LG fridge or freezer? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions about LG gF
The fridge still cools. Is this urgent?
No. This is the water side rather than the cooling side, so the food is not at risk and nothing is deteriorating. It stops the dispenser and the plumbed ice maker working, which is inconvenient rather than serious.
It started after I cleaned behind the fridge.
That is the commonest version of this code. Sliding the appliance back into place folds the water hose against the wall, and LG name a kinked hose as one of their three causes. Pull the fridge out again and look at the run of the hose rather than at the fridge.
Why does LG give steps for this one when most of their codes say request service?
Because all three causes they name — a closed tap, a kinked hose, incorrect water pressure — are things an owner can check in a few minutes and none of them is inside the appliance. gF and the freezer cycle error are the only two on their fault list where they publish owner steps.
Technical review
Not reviewed by an engineer
No engineer has read this page. Severity follows what the manufacturer publishes, and we would rather tell you that than let a byline imply a sign-off.
Sources and how we verified this
We establish the facts from the sources below and then write the explanation ourselves. We do not copy manufacturer wording and we do not host their manuals.
- Manufacturer support portal
This page has not been reviewed by an engineer, and we would rather tell you that than imply otherwise. The severity rating follows what the manufacturer publishes: where they say isolate the appliance and call someone, so do we.