LG Dryer Add — Add Water
Add belongs to feeder-drawer steam models. Plumbed steam models draw from the house supply and report supply trouble as E05 instead.
What to check first
- Add = fill the steam feeder. A request, not a fault.
- Tap water to the MAX line — never distilled (LG's rule).
- Drawer completely closed before the cycle starts.
- Mid-cycle: pause → fill → power off/on → reselect → Start/Pause.
An Add display is the dryer asking for its steam water: LG's US list says that when you select a steam cycle, an “add” error may be received if the steam feeder is empty — fill it, and the message is answered. The details LG insists on are specific: fill the steam feeder to the MAX line, make sure the drawer is completely closed before starting the cycle, and use tap water — do NOT use distilled water. It also publishes the mid-cycle version owners actually hit: if the message appears during a cycle, pause it, fill the feeder with tap water to the MAX line, power the unit OFF and ON, select the steam cycle again, and press Start/Pause.
Safety first
- Tap water only, per LG — the distilled-water prohibition is in both its lists and is not a suggestion: the feeder's level sensing expects ordinary tap water. Do not substitute additives, scents or softened water experiments either; LG documents tap water and nothing else.
- Stop condition: stop using the machine and unplug it — and do not run it again until it has been checked — if you smell burning, see smoke, find damaged electrics (a scorched plug, a melted or cut cable), or water is leaking in quantity.
Common causes
The steam feeder is empty
LG's whole cause: the feeder that supplies the steam cycles has run dry. Steam options consume the water a little at a time until a cycle request finds the drawer empty — Add is the request for a refill, arriving before the cycle starts rather than failing inside it.
The drawer is not completely closed
LG US lists it as a co-condition: the steam feeder drawer must be completely closed before starting the cycle. A filled drawer left a notch open reads as not-ready — push it fully home.
Step-by-step checks
- Fill the steam feeder to the MAX lineUse tap water — LG is explicit: do NOT use distilled water. Fill to the MAX line, not above it.
- Close the drawer completelyPush the steam feeder drawer fully closed before starting the cycle. (LG US.)
- Mid-cycle Add? Pause, fill, restart the cycleIf the message appears during a steam cycle: pause the cycle, fill the steam feeder with tap water to the MAX line, power OFF the unit and power it back ON, select the steam cycle, and press Start/Pause. (LG US's exact sequence.)
When to call a technician
There is no technician case for Add itself — it is a request, not a fault, and it clears when the feeder is filled and the drawer closed. A steam cycle that still will not run with a full, closed feeder belongs to a different display; quote that code, not Add.
Model differences
| What you have | What changes |
|---|---|
| Plumbed steam model (no feeder drawer) | Your model draws steam water from the house supply; its water display is E05 (tap, inlet hose, inlet filter). Add does not appear on plumbed models. |
| Condensate container also fitted | Two separate water systems: the condensate container collects water OUT (its display is Empty Water); the steam feeder puts water IN. Never pour one into the other. |
One-page checklist — Add
- Feeder filled to the MAX line with tap water (not distilled)
- Drawer pushed completely closed
- Mid-cycle case: pause → fill → power off/on → reselect steam cycle → Start/Pause
- Add cleared and the steam cycle running
Official LG references
Frequently asked questions
Why not distilled water? It is purer.
LG's instruction is unambiguous on both lists: fill the feeder with tap water; do not use distilled water. The feeder's level sensing is designed around ordinary tap water. Follow the MAX line and the tap-water rule and Add clears.
Add appeared in the middle of a steam cycle. Do I start over?
LG US publishes the mid-cycle procedure: pause the cycle, fill the steam feeder with tap water to the MAX line, power the unit OFF and ON, select the steam cycle, and press Start/Pause. You are restarting the cycle selection, not improvising — that sequence is LG's own.
The feeder is full but Add still shows. Fault?
Check LG's co-condition first: the drawer must be completely closed. Push it fully home. Add with a full feeder and a fully closed drawer has left the territory LG documents for Add — if another code replaces it, work that code's page.