Stoves H fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
Stoves publish H as a residual heat indicator: the glass is still hot. It shows above about 60°C and clears below about 55°C on their documents.
Before you start
How is the H behaving?
The right answer depends on what you can see. Pick the one that matches.
Choose the option on the left that matches what your appliance is doing, and the answer for that case appears here.
How is the H behaving?
Normal, and exactly what Stoves publish. It is a symbol rather than a code, and it clears once the glass falls below approximately 55°C.
Nothing to do. Keep off the glass until it goes out.
How is the H behaving?
Expected. Stoves publish 60°C and 55°C, Belling publish clearance below approximately 45°C and Rangemaster publish 60°C, all as manufacturer documentation.
Use the figure printed in your own guide rather than a figure from another badge.
How is the H behaving?
Outside anything Stoves publish. A symbol that will not clear on glass that is cold to the touch is not described in their documentation.
Use the catch-all: switch the appliance off at the wall for a few minutes, then contact customer care on 0344 815 3740 if it returns.
What H means
H is not a fault code and it is not on the fault table. Stoves list it among the induction display symbols, alongside A for automatic heat-up and P for power boost, and it means the surface of the hotplate glass is still hot after cooking. Their published thresholds are specific: the H will show while the glass surface is above approximately 60°C, and will go out when the glass surface temperature falls below approximately 55°C. The 2022 manual says the same thing in slightly different words — if when the cook zone is switched off the glass surface is above 60°C, H will be displayed in the cook zone display until the glass surface drops below approximately 55°C. Those numbers are Stoves’ numbers and they should be read as applying to Stoves documentation, because this is one of the places where manufacturers openly disagree.
Belling, who are the same manufacturer on the same platform in the same year, publish that their residual heat symbol clears below approximately 45°C. Rangemaster publish 60°C. Nobody is wrong and nothing here averages them; the sensible reading is that a residual heat threshold is a property of a document rather than of the physics, and you should quote the one printed in your own guide.
Stoves add two things that are genuinely useful and that other manufacturers leave out. The first is that the symbol is not purely a warning. Their wording is that the feature not only warns you against hot surfaces but also indicates that there is residual heat which can be used as a temporary warm zone — so a plate of food or a sauce can sit on a zone showing H without the hob being switched on at all. The second is a myth-buster that answers a question a lot of induction owners ask. Stoves publish that the cook zone itself does not heat up, but the ceramic glass does get hot because of the hot pan conducting heat back onto the hob glass. That is the whole explanation for why a hob advertised as heating the pan rather than the surface still leaves you with hot glass afterwards. The heat you can feel came down out of the pan, which is also why H clears faster after a short simmer in a light pan than after an hour of frying in something heavy.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Heat conducted back down from the pan | Stoves’ own explanation. The cook zone does not heat up; the ceramic glass gets hot because the hot pan conducts heat back onto it, and that is what the symbol is reporting. | Common |
| The glass is still above the display threshold | The symbol is threshold driven rather than timed. Stoves publish that it shows above approximately 60°C and goes out below approximately 55°C, so it lingers longest after heavy or prolonged cooking. | Common |
| A heavy pan left standing on the zone after switch-off | A cast-iron or thick-based pan holds a large amount of heat and keeps feeding it into the glass after the zone is off, which keeps the symbol displayed well beyond the cooking itself. | Occasional |
What to try yourself
Treat the zone as hot and keep hands and cloths off the glass until the symbol clears.
Stoves publish the symbol as a warning against hot surfaces. Glass above 60°C will burn on contact even though the hob is off.If you want the heat, use it. Stoves publish that the residual heat can be used as a temporary warm zone, so a plate or a covered pan can stand there with the hob switched off.
Lift heavy pans off if you want the symbol to clear sooner. The pan is the heat source keeping the glass above the threshold.
Wait for it to clear on its own. There is no published way to reset or dismiss it, and it goes out when the glass falls below approximately 55°C.
Get a qualified appliance engineer to look at your Stoves H
We do not pass enquiries to a repair firm, so there is no form here. When you book a qualified appliance 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
A display symbol for normal behaviour. There is nothing to repair and nothing to pay for.
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 Stoves fault codes
- ER03Usually simple to fixStoves publish ER03 as an obstruction indicator that sounds a continuous tone as well as showing on the display. Something is covering the touch controls, or the glass needs cleaning.Related: same brand
- E2Get it checkedStoves publish E2 as an over-heat indicator on current guides and as overheating of the induction coil on the 2022 manual. Remove the pans and let the hob cool for about 30 minutes.Related: same brand
- E8Get it checkedE8 is a 2022-generation Stoves code for a fan blocked or faulty. Their published remedy is to check the fan inlet at the rear of the appliance.Related: same brand
- E6Get it checkedE6 appears only on the 2022-generation Stoves manual, where it is an error on the power board with no power to the power board as the cause. Stoves say call customer care.Related: same brand
- Zeus app no longer availableUsually simple to fixStoves publish that the Zeus Appliance Control App is no longer available to download, and that appliances built from May 2022 onwards were not fitted with the Bluetooth-enabled timer.Related: same brand
Own a Stoves range cooker? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions about Stoves H
At what temperature does H clear on a Stoves induction hob?
Stoves publish that H shows while the glass surface is above approximately 60°C and goes out when it falls below approximately 55°C. Those are Stoves’ figures and they are quoted here as such.
Why does Belling quote a different temperature for the same symbol?
They do, and it is not an error on either side. Belling publish that the symbol clears below approximately 45°C, Rangemaster publish 60°C, and Stoves publish 60°C and 55°C. Belling and Stoves are the same manufacturer on the same platform. The only safe approach is to quote the figure printed in your own guide rather than averaging them.
Can I use a zone showing H?
Stoves say you can, for keeping things warm. Their wording is that the feature not only warns you against hot surfaces but also indicates that there is residual heat which can be used as a temporary warm zone. The zone stays switched off; you are using heat that is already in the glass.
Why is my induction glass hot if induction heats the pan?
Stoves answer this directly: the cook zone itself does not heat up, but the ceramic glass does get hot because of the hot pan conducting heat back onto the hob glass. The heat in the glass came down out of the pan rather than up from the hob.
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.