LG Washing Machine AE Error
Read the half that matches your machine. The front-load and top-load meanings share nothing but the letters.
What to check first
- Front loaders: check the inlet hose for loose connections or cuts, then unplug the washer, wait 60 seconds and restart.
- Top loaders: check between the wash plate and the drum for a coin or foreign object, and remove it with tweezers if you find one.
- Either type: if AE persists after these checks, LG directs you to service.
Same letters, two unrelated faults — AE is the LG code where machine type matters most, so this page is built in two halves. On LG's front-load list, AE belongs to the leak-protection system: water has been detected where it should not be, and a safety switch has activated to prevent flooding. On the top-load list, AE is mechanical: it sits in the LE family as a rotation error, where the gears responsible for rotating the drum cannot operate properly.
Start with the half that matches your washer, and do not borrow checks from the other half — a front loader has no wash plate gap to check, and a top loader has no leak safety switch of this kind.
Safety first
- Front loaders: a leak code means assume water near electrics. Unplug the washer before inspecting hoses, and do not restart it into an active, visible leak.
- Top loaders: unplug before reaching into the tub with tweezers — and never reach between the wash plate and drum while the machine is powered.
- Mop up standing water before using the outlet again; a leak that has reached the socket is an electrician's job, not a laundry retry.
- 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
Water leakage inside the appliance (front load)
LG's first named cause: water escaping somewhere inside the machine, detected by the leak system.
A damaged inlet hose (front load)
A cut, split or badly seated inlet hose is on LG's checklist for this code — loose connections count as much as visible damage.
A faulty safety switch (front load)
The switch that reports the leak can itself be the fault; LG lists it as the third possibility, which is why a dry machine with a repeating AE still goes to service.
A foreign object in the gear path (top load)
A coin or similar object caught between the wash plate and the drum can interfere with the gears and motor — LG's named mechanism for the top-load rotation error.
A gear or motor problem (top load)
If there is no object but rotation is affected and abnormal noise is present, LG's top-load guidance points to the gear/motor side — and to service.
Step-by-step checks
- Front loaders: inspect the inlet hoseCheck the inlet hose end to end for loose connections and cuts — at the tap, at the machine, and along its run. Tighten what is loose; a cut hose gets replaced, not taped.
- Front loaders: reset onceUnplug the washer, wait 60 seconds, plug it back in and restart. If the leak has stopped and AE does not return, the hose was the story.
- Top loaders: hunt for the objectUnplug the washer. Look and feel carefully around the gap between the wash plate and the drum for coins or other foreign objects. Remove anything you find with tweezers.
- Top loaders: listen on the retryRun a cycle and listen. LG's distinction: if no object was found but abnormal noise continues and rotation is affected, the fault is in the gear/motor side — that is service, not another search.
When to call a technician
On front loaders, an AE that persists after the hose check and the reset goes to a service request on LG's list — the remaining causes are internal leakage or the safety switch itself. On top loaders, AE with continuing noise and affected rotation after the object check is likewise a service case.
Tell the technician which type of AE you have — leak or rotation. Booking it as the wrong fault wastes the visit.
Model differences that matter
| Machine type | What changes |
|---|---|
| Front load | Leak detected inside the appliance; safety switch activated. Causes: internal leakage, damaged inlet hose, faulty safety switch. Checks: hose inspection, 60-second reset, then service. |
| Top load | Rotation error, grouped with LE and LE1. A foreign object between wash plate and drum is the home check (remove with tweezers); continuing noise plus affected rotation means service. |
One-page checklist
- Machine type identified — leak AE (front) or rotation AE (top)
- Front loaders: inlet hose checked for looseness and cuts; reset done
- Top loaders: wash plate gap checked; any object removed with tweezers
- Retry listened to — noise or rotation still wrong means service
- AE persists — service booked, with the type stated
Official LG references
Questions people ask about AE
How do I know which AE I have?
By machine type, not by the display — the letters are identical. Front loader: it is the leak code. Top loader: it is the rotation code in the LE family. Your model manual confirms which system your machine carries.
Is the front-load AE urgent?
Treat it as stop-and-check: the machine is reporting water where it should not be, and its safety switch has already intervened. Unplug, inspect the inlet hose, and do not restart into a visible leak.
Can a coin really stop a top loader?
Yes — on LG's top-load account, a coin or foreign object between the wash plate and the drum interferes with the gears that rotate it. That is why the object hunt with tweezers is LG's first check for this code.