Daikin E7 fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
The outdoor unit fan did not start within thirty seconds of being told to. Daikin’s checks are the fan motor and the main PCB; what you can check is whether anything is stopping the blades.
Take care
What E7 means
E7 is "OU: Malfunction of outdoor unit fan motor", and the service manual gives the trigger with unusual precision: the fan does not start 15 to 30 seconds after the ON signal. Daikin add a caveat worth knowing — the code can also be triggered while the fan is actually running, if the sensor that reports its rotation gives a faulty signal — so a fan you can see turning does not rule E7 out. The unit stops, and the reset is manual at the user interface.
Daikin’s remedy list is two items long, fan motor then main PCB, and both are inside the outdoor unit. That leaves the owner one legitimate question, which Daikin’s list assumes has already been answered: is anything physically stopping the fan? The outdoor unit’s fan sits behind a guard in the weather, and a blade jammed by ice after a defrost that did not clear, packed leaves, a stick through the grille, a nest or drifted snow will fail to start on cue exactly as a dead motor would. If the blades are free and the guard is clear, the motor or the board that drives it has failed and there is nothing further to do outside.
Two safety points. The unit will try the fan again when it is reset, so the guard is not a place for fingers while the unit is powered. And the coil behind the fan is the refrigerant circuit, thin aluminium fins with R32 pipework through them, so clearing ice means letting it melt, not chipping at it. If E7 arrives with the outdoor unit iced solid, the fan is the symptom and the defrost is the problem; say so when you book.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Fan blades jammed by ice or debris | Not on Daikin’s two-item list because it is assumed checked. Ice after a failed defrost, leaves, a stick or a nest all stop a fan starting on cue. | Common |
| Fan motor failed | Daikin’s first check. DC fan motors on outdoor units fail with age and weather, often after a period of noisy running. | Common |
| Rotation sensor giving a faulty signal | Daikin’s own caveat: the code can appear while the fan is running if the signal reporting its rotation is wrong. The fan looks fine and the code says it is not. | Occasional |
| Main PCB fault | Daikin’s second check. The board that drives the fan, established once the motor tests good. | Occasional |
What to try yourself
Switch the outdoor unit off at its isolator before going near the guard. A reset will try the fan again, and a fan freed of debris starts the moment it can.
Never put anything through the fan guard on a live unit.Look through the guard for what might be stopping the blades: ice, leaves, a stick, a nest, snow. Clear what you can from outside the guard, and clear anything stacked against or growing around the unit.
If the blades are iced, let the ice melt. Do not pour hot water on the unit or chip at the fins; the coil behind the fan is the refrigerant circuit.
Restore power, reset once, and if E7 returns with the blades free, book your installer. The motor and the main PCB are Daikin’s remedies and both are inside the casing.
Get an F-Gas certified heat pump engineer to look at your Daikin E7
We do not pass enquiries to a repair firm, so there is no form here. When you book an F-Gas certified heat pump 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–£600
Time on site
20 minutes
Nothing if the blades were blocked. An installer visit is typically £90 to £180; a replacement fan motor is £250 to £400 fitted, and a main PCB is the expensive end.
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 Daikin fault codes
- Bill has jumpedGet it checkedThe most important heat pump fault has no code. If your electricity cost has stepped up with no change in habits, the backup heater is probably doing the work.Related: same brand
- Ice on the outdoor unitGet it checkedNormal in cold damp weather, and the unit clears it itself. Daikin specifically forbid helping — no hot water, no de-icer, no scraping.Related: same brand
- 7HGet it checkedA water flow problem. The sub-code matters more than the code: 7H-01 clears itself, 7H-04 to 7H-06 need a manual reset, 7H-08 is the pump, and 7H-07 is the unit freeing a stuck pump.Related: same brand
- Water at the tap is too coldGet it checkedDaikin give two causes and a remedy that costs money. Before using it, check what your schedule is actually asking the cylinder to do.Related: same brand
- U0Get it checkedShortage of refrigerant in the Altherma outdoor unit. Daikin’s own checklist ends with a leak test, the circuit is sealed, and on an R32 unit this is F-Gas certified work by law.Related: same brand
- U4Get it checkedIndoor/outdoor unit communication problem. Daikin’s checks start with the power supply and the wiring between the two boards, and the published reset is a power reset at the outdoor unit.Related: same brand
Own a Daikin heat pump? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions about Daikin E7
The fan is turning but the code is showing. How?
Daikin publish exactly this case: the code can be triggered while the fan is running if the sensor reporting its rotation gives a faulty signal. The fan is fine; the feedback is not. It still needs the engineer, but it tells them where to look.
Can I run the heating without the fan?
The heat pump will not, because the fan is how it takes heat from the air. The backup heater may carry the house depending on configuration, at a much higher running cost, so a fan fault in winter is worth a prompt visit rather than a routine one.
Is a fan motor expensive?
Moderately. A replacement outdoor fan motor on an Altherma is typically a few hundred pounds fitted, and it does not involve the refrigerant circuit, so it is a straightforward job for a Daikin engineer or your installer. The main PCB is the dearer outcome.
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 technical and service documentation
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.