Hotpoint F13 fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
A washer dryer only code. The drying half cannot read its own temperature, so the machine washes normally and will not dry.
Take care
Get a qualified appliance engineer to look at your Hotpoint F13
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 F13 means
F13 is one of two codes Hotpoint scope explicitly to a subset of machines, and the scope is the first thing to establish. Their own title is "Dryer temperature sensing fault (washer dryers only)", and the symptom is that the washer dryer is not drying clothes.
If your machine is a washing machine with no drying function, F13 is not your code and something has gone wrong in how you read the display or the lights. A washer dryer has a second heating and sensing circuit that has nothing to do with washing: a heater and a fan that push warm air through the drum, and a sensor that tells the board how hot that air is.
F13 is that sensor, not the wash thermistor. The consequence is a machine that behaves perfectly well for two thirds of its job. It fills, heats, washes and spins, then stops at the point where it should start blowing warm air. People often describe this as the machine finishing early rather than as a fault, which is why the code matters more than the symptom. Hotpoint offer no owner steps, though there is one thing worth doing first that is not a repair at all.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Dryer air temperature sensor failed | The sensor in the drying air path rather than the one in the tub. The code names this circuit specifically and it is the usual answer. | Common |
| Restricted airflow through the condenser | Lint and scale in the condensing channel make the sensed temperature nonsense. Worth eliminating because it is maintenance rather than a part. | Occasional |
| Wiring in the dryer circuit | The dryer harness runs to hotter parts of the cabinet than the wash harness and it ages accordingly. | Occasional |
Can you fix it yourself?
Stop — this needs an engineer
What it costs to fix
Typical repair cost
£90–£190
Sensor and labour typically run £90 to £190. A blocked condenser channel cleared on the same visit costs the call-out and no part, which is the best outcome available here.
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 Hotpoint fault codes
- F08Get it checkedA heater fault that stops the programme part way through. Hotpoint offer nothing to try at home and send this one straight to an engineer.Related: heating and temperature
- F03Get it checkedThe machine cannot read the water temperature, so it stops rather than guess. Washing comes out cold or the dryer side will not run.Related: heating and temperature
- F07Get it checkedA dual-titled fault with one very distinctive symptom: the programme stalls and the pump keeps running. Hotpoint give no owner steps.Related: heating and temperature
- F15Get it checkedA heater control fault. Hotpoint scope this one to both washing machines and washer dryers, and either half can be the one that stalls.Related: heating and temperature
- F05Get it checkedThe machine cannot pump out, so the door stays locked with water inside. Hotpoint treat it as an owner job, and two of their own documents agree on the causes.Related: same brand
- F06Get it checkedA door lock fault — and the one code on this machine with an open safety recall behind it. If yours was built between October 2014 and February 2018, check the recall before anything else.Related: same brand
Own a Hotpoint washing machine? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions about Hotpoint F13
My machine does not dry at all. Can I still wash in it?
Yes, in almost every case. F13 is scoped to the drying circuit and the washing side is untouched, so the machine will fill, heat, wash and spin normally. Treat it as a washing machine until it is fixed and dry the load on a rack, rather than repeatedly restarting a drying programme that will stop in the same place.
Is there anything to try before booking?
One thing, and it is worth the ten minutes. A washer dryer condenses moisture rather than venting it, and the channel that does that silts up with lint and scale. Check whatever your handbook says is user-accessible on the drying side, and run the drum empty on the shortest drying programme to see whether the machine gets further with nothing in it. Neither fixes a dead sensor, but both are free.
What is the difference between F13 and F03?
Which circuit is being sensed. F03 is the wash thermistor and produces cold washing on any machine. F13 is the drying air sensor and only exists on washer dryers, where the wash comes out hot and the drying never starts. Same class of part, two different circuits, and Hotpoint scope the codes accordingly.
Does F13 mean the whole drying system needs replacing?
No. The code names sensing rather than heating. Where the drying heater itself has failed Hotpoint publish separate codes for the heating circuit, so a sensing code pointing at a sensor is the likelier and cheaper outcome. Ask the engineer to confirm which they are quoting for before parts are ordered.
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.