Candy F2 fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
The drain pump or the water level switch. Before you assume the worst, note that a full tank is a separate message on these machines and not this code.
Take care
Get a qualified appliance engineer to look at your Candy F2
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 F2 means
Candy give this as "The drain pump malfunction or the water level switch malfunction", with the usual instruction to contact customer service. Two components in one code, and they do different jobs. The pump lifts the water condensed out of your washing up into the container in the top of the machine, or out through a hose if you have plumbed it in.
The level switch is what tells the machine how much water is where. A fault in either stops the cycle, because a dryer that cannot manage its own condensate has nowhere to put the moisture it is removing. The reason this page is worth reading rather than just booking someone is a distinction Candy make clearly and most owners miss.
On these machines a full water container is not a code at all. It is a separate line at the top of the same table, reading "The water tank is full please empty it", with the solution "Empty the tank." So if your machine has stopped and the display is asking you to empty something, that is housekeeping. F2 is different: it means the machine tried to move the water and could not, which is a mechanical or electrical fault rather than a chore.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| The drain pump is blocked with lint | Fibre carried into the condensate circuit collects in the pump over years until the impeller cannot turn freely. The machine commands the pump, nothing moves, and the fault is logged. | Common |
| The water level switch has failed or stuck | Usually a float held up by scale or fluff, reporting water present when the tank is empty. The machine behaves as though it cannot drain when in fact it never had anything to drain. | Common |
| The drain hose is kinked or blocked | Only on plumbed-in machines. A crushed hose behind the appliance or a loop holding standing water gives the pump something it cannot push against, which looks identical to a failed pump. | Occasional |
| The pump has failed electrically | Motors in wet environments do eventually fail. This is the version where nothing is blocked, everything is clean, and the part simply needs replacing. | Occasional |
Can you fix it yourself?
Stop — this needs an engineer
What it costs to fix
Typical repair cost
£80–£200
Time on site
10 minutes
A drain pump with labour is the usual outcome, and a level switch is cheaper. Candy publish no call-out charge, so treat any figure as an independent market estimate.
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 Candy fault codes
- Safety noticeStop — call an engineerA live UK fire recall covers built-in heat pump dryers under eight badges including Candy and Hoover. Machines modified before August 2025 are still at risk, and the manufacturers do not say so.Related: same brand
- F4Stop — call an engineerCandy word this one as "Abnormal heating" and give no owner check at all. On a dryer that is the code least worth ignoring.Related: same brand
- F7Get it checkedThe motor has faulted, and Candy narrow it usefully: the driver board has either overloaded or overheated.Related: same brand
- F32Get it checkedThe temperature sensor at the condenser outlet has failed. Worth getting right, because F33 is one digit away and is a different sensor in a different place.Related: same brand
- E7Get it checkedFilters clogged, on the Hoover-badged models that use E codes. One of only two codes in that system with an owner fix — and it names a filter most people miss.Related: same brand
- FHUsually simple to fixNot an appliance fault at all — the dryer failed to join your wi-fi. Candy tell you to ring customer service for it, which you almost certainly do not need to do.Related: same brand
Own a Candy tumble dryer? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions about Candy F2
My display is telling me to empty the tank. Is that F2?
No, and it is good news. Candy list "The water tank is full please empty it" as a separate row at the top of their fault table, with the solution "Empty the tank." That is a prompt rather than a fault. F2 means the machine tried to shift the water and failed.
Can I not just clean the pump myself?
On many appliances you could, and on a washing machine there is usually a filter flap at the front for exactly that. Candy provide no such access on these dryers and publish no owner check — their entire remedy is to contact customer service. Getting to the pump means opening the machine, which is not an owner job.
It is plumbed into a waste pipe. Anything worth checking?
Yes, and it is the one thing you can do. Follow the hose from the back of the machine and look for a kink, a crush point where the machine has been pushed back, or a loop sitting full of water. That is outside the appliance and entirely fair game.
Does this affect Hoover machines too?
Identically. This code appears word for word in all sixteen Haier-platform manuals we examined, across both badges. Candy and Hoover dryers on this platform are the same machine.
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.