LG Refrigerator FF Error
LG's article splits this code into two cases with two different owner procedures: an electrical case (reset) and an ice-locked fan case (a full doors-open melt). Both are printed in the steps, in LG's order.
What to check first
- Read the code exactly: FF / Er FF = freezer fan fault (or a fan locked by ice).
- First, LG's power reset: unplug or trip the breaker, reuse after about 5 minutes.
- Ice-lock case: unplug, doors wide open — 1 day (summer) to 3 days (winter) melt; protect the food or choose service instead.
- Same code repeated → LG service technician for an accurate diagnosis.
An FF code (written ER(E) FF in LG's per-code article) is a freezer fan fault. LG's analog list defines the fan's job: it circulates cold air throughout the freezer compartment, and if the fan is blocked the compressor overworks, internal temperature rises and performance drops. The per-code article gives the two concrete causes: the freezer fan motor does not operate normally — or the fan motor is locked due to ice (frost) around the fan motor. The article's procedures match those two causes exactly, which is why this page keeps them separate.
Safety first
- Work with the power disconnected for any melt procedure — LG's own steps start with unplugging. Never chip ice off a fan or evaporator with a tool; LG's method is time and open doors, nothing sharper.
- 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 fan motor does not operate normally
LG's first stated cause — an electrical/mechanical motor fault. The article's response is a power reset; a code that repeats after it goes to a technician.
The fan motor is locked by ice (frost)
LG's second stated cause: frost builds around the fan motor until it cannot turn. The article's response is not a reset but a melt — unplugged, doors wide open, a day in summer or three days in winter.
Blocked airflow, rising temperatures
LG's list describes the consequence side: a blocked freezer fan makes the compressor overwork to hold temperature, internal temperature increases, and the appliance's performance is reduced — the warm-freezer symptom that usually brings the owner to the display.
Step-by-step checks
- Do LG's power reset firstUnplug the power cord, or trip the exclusive circuit breaker, to reset the power — then use the refrigerator again after about 5 minutes (LG US article).
- If the code returns and ice-lock is plausible, do the full meltUnplug the power cord, open the freezer/refrigerator compartment door wide, and wait for the ice (frost) around the fan motor to melt: one day during summer, three days during winter (LG's durations, not ours). If you are concerned about the food stored inside, LG's advice instead is to have the product checked by a service technician.
- If the same code repeats after that, stopLG's line: if the same symptom and the same inspection code are repeated, it is necessary to have it checked by an LG service technician for an accurate diagnosis.
When to call a technician
FF earns one reset and, for the ice case, one melt — both LG's. Beyond that it is a technician's diagnosis of the fan motor and its circuit. Quote the exact code (FF / Er FF) and which of LG's two cases you treated: reset-only, or the full melt.
Model differences
| What you have | What changes |
|---|---|
| Er / E prefix forms | The same code appears as FF, E FF or Er FF depending on the display — LG's article writes it ER(E) FF. |
| FF vs FU | FF is the freezer fan. FU is a freezer temperature (cycle) fault with no fan named — different page, different procedure. |
One-page checklist — FF
- Code read exactly (FF / Er FF)
- One power reset done (unplug or breaker, about 5 minutes)
- Ice case: full doors-open melt done (1 day summer / 3 days winter), food protected
- Code repeated → LG service technician
Official LG references
Frequently asked questions
Is FF a breakdown?
It is a real fault code with two LG-documented causes. One of them — a fan locked by frost — has a genuine owner fix (the melt in the steps). The other — the motor not operating normally — is a technician's diagnosis after LG's reset.
Why does LG say a day in summer but three days in winter?
Those are LG's own durations for melting the ice around the fan motor with the doors open — ambient temperature decides how fast an unplugged cabinet thaws. They are printed here exactly as LG's article gives them.
Can I defrost just the fan area with a hair dryer?
LG does not publish that method for this code, and this page does not add it. LG's published melt is unplugged, doors wide open, and time.