LG Refrigerator dH Error
This page also carries the defrost-family forms LG's Er FAQ groups with Er dH — d1, d2, d, H1 and H2 ('ice formed on the cooling plate') — because LG publishes no separate entries for them.
What to check first
- Read the form exactly: F dH (freezer) / r dH (refrigerator) / Er dH — and d1, d2, d, H1, H2 belong to this family per LG's Er FAQ.
- Food first: if you're worried about the stored food, LG's route is a service technician instead of the melt.
- Ice scenarios: unplug, doors wide open — 1 day (summer) to 3 days (winter); grouped forms: empty, towels down, ≥12 hours open.
- Code returns → technician: LG's remaining causes (fuse, heater, PCB) are not owner repairs.
dH is a defrost failure, and LG's analog list defines it as a measured test, not a vague warning: the code appears when the temperature of the defrost sensor did not rise by more than 5 degrees within 80 minutes after the defrost started. LG's per-code article splits the display by compartment — F dH for the freezer, r dH for the refrigerator — and lists its causes. LG's Er FAQ separately groups d1, d2, d, H1 and H2 with Er dH, explaining all of them as ice formed on the cooling plate (evaporator) — those five forms are covered on this page, because LG gives them this home and no other.
Safety first
- Defrost heaters, fuses and the drainage system are internal parts around mains power. LG's melt procedures are done unplugged with the doors open — never work on a plugged-in cabinet, and never chip ice with a metal tool near the evaporator.
- LG's Er guide carries a warning that belongs on every Er page: "Do not disassemble the refrigerator or replace internal parts yourself. Doing so may cause fire, electric shock, serious injury, or death."
- 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
Ice (frost) accumulated around the defrost sensor or other parts
LG's per-code article's first listed cause (its F dH list): so much ice around the sensor or related parts that the defrost heat cannot register — the sensor's temperature simply does not rise.
Drainage hole blocked by ice
The article's second cause: the hole that drains defrost water away is blocked by ice. This is the scenario LG's doors-open melt procedure (in the steps) is written for.
Temperature fuse disconnected
Third on LG's list: the temperature fuse — defrost's safety cut-out — is disconnected. A disconnected fuse is not an owner repair; it is listed here because LG lists it, and it is one reason a melt that doesn't cure dH ends in service.
Heater disconnected, or main PCB failure
The rest of LG's F dH list: the defrost heater itself disconnected, or the main PCB failed. Both are diagnosis-and-replacement work — the article's own route for them is a service technician.
Step-by-step checks
- Read the form: F dH, r dH, Er dH — or a grouped formF dH = freezer defrost, r dH = refrigerator defrost (LG US article). Er dH is the Er guide's rendering. d1, d2, d, H1 and H2 are grouped with Er dH by LG's Er FAQ — same family, same page.
- Decide about the food firstLG's article offers two doors: if you are concerned about the food stored inside, have the product checked by a service technician instead of melting. The melt below empties the refrigerator's cold for a long stretch.
- The LG melt (for the ice / drainage scenarios)Unplug the power cord. Open the refrigerator/freezer compartment door wide, and wait for the ice (frost) to melt — one day during summer, three days during winter (LG US article durations). LG's Er FAQ gives the grouped forms a shorter temporary measure in the same spirit: empty the fridge, place dry towels on the floor (melting ice can leak), unplug, and open the doors for at least 12 hours.
- Know what the melt can and cannot cureThe melt treats ice — around the sensor, or in the drainage hole. It cannot reconnect a fuse or heater, or repair a PCB. LG's Er FAQ adds the cost of leaving the family untreated: frequent errors decrease the refrigerator's cooling performance and may affect food quality.
- If dH returns, stop and book serviceLG's article ends where this page does: if the same symptom and the same inspection code repeat, it is necessary to have it checked by an LG service technician for an accurate diagnosis.
When to call a technician
dH is a split code: the ice scenarios have a real owner procedure (LG's melt, above), and the electrical causes on LG's own list — fuse, heater, PCB — are a technician's. Quote the exact form (F dH / r dH / d1 / H1…) and whether a full melt was done; that pairing tells the technician which half of LG's cause list to start from.
Model differences
| What you have | What changes |
|---|---|
| F dH vs r dH | Freezer defrost vs refrigerator defrost — LG's article gives both forms the same cause list. |
| d1, d2, d, H1, H2 | Grouped with Er dH by LG's Er FAQ (ice on the cooling plate). Note: a bare H1 with no Er prefix can also be the HI ambient warning's segment form — prefix and context decide. |
| dH vs dS | dH is the defrost cycle failing its 5 °C / 80-minute test. dS is the defrost temperature sensor itself. |
One-page checklist — dH
- Form read exactly (F dH / r dH / Er dH / d1 / d2 / d / H1 / H2)
- Food decision made (service instead, or protected before the melt)
- Full melt done unplugged, doors wide open (1 day summer / 3 days winter; ≥12 h temporary measure for grouped forms)
- Code returned → LG service technician (fuse / heater / PCB are not owner repairs)
Official LG references
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between F dH and r dH?
The compartment: F dH is the freezer's defrost error, r dH the refrigerator's (LG US article). LG gives both the same cause list and the same procedures.
My display shows d1 (or H1). Why is it on the dH page?
Because LG's Er FAQ puts it there: it groups d1, d2, d, H1 and H2 with Er dH and explains them the same way — ice formed on the cooling plate — with the same temporary measure. LG publishes no separate entries for those forms anywhere in the sources used. (One caution: a bare H1 can also be the segment form of the HI ambient warning — check for an Er prefix.)
Why do the two LG melt durations differ (12 hours vs 1–3 days)?
They come from two different LG documents answering two scenarios: the Er FAQ's "at least 12 hours" is a temporary measure for the grouped ice-on-the-plate forms; the US per-code article's 1 day (summer) to 3 days (winter) is the full melt for the F dH / r dH drainage-and-sensor ice cases. Both are printed as published, in their own steps.
Is my food safe while dH keeps recurring?
LG's Er FAQ states the risk in its own words: frequent errors decrease the refrigerator's cooling performance and may affect food quality. That is LG's published food note for this family — this page adds no temperature rules of its own.