LG Washing Machine FF Error
Applies to front-load and top-load washers in cold conditions. On front-load displays FF can also show as u51. LG's lists agree: while FF shows, the controls stay disabled until the machine's temperature rises above 4 °C.
What to check first
- Do not force a start — LG disables the controls until the machine warms above 4 °C; that lockout is the machine protecting its pump and hoses.
- Thaw it with warm water (50–60 °C) in the drum, door closed, and 1–2 hours of patience — never boiling water.
- Drain the melt water through the front access tube, then run a Rinse cycle; if IE appears next, the inlet hoses and taps need thawing too (the procedure is below).
- FF in weather that is not cold is a different signal — LG says request service.
FF is the code LG reserves for a frozen machine. Water left in the drain pump, the hoses or the tub has turned to ice, and rather than let the pump tear itself apart against a frozen load, the washer refuses to run: LG's front-load list says the unit will not start, with all controls disabled, until the machine's temperature rises above 4 °C.
The thaw procedure below combines LG's front-load and top-load guidance — they describe the same warm-water method, with the front-load list adding the drain-tube drain-down and the inlet thaw for the IE code that often follows.
Safety first
- Warm water means 50–60 °C — never boiling. LG warns boiling water is a burn risk, and it is also a shock to frozen plastic and rubber.
- Allow hot water to cool before opening the residual drain hose or pump filter.
- Melt water goes on the floor if you rush the drain step: shallow container, towels down, and open the drain-tube cap slowly.
- 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
A frozen drain pump and hoses
The working parts of the fault: residual water in the pump and drain hose freezes first, and the washer detects a machine too cold to operate safely.
A machine installed or stored where temperatures fall below freezing
Garages, unheated utility rooms and holiday homes are the settings LG's prevention advice is aimed at — a washer that sits full of residual water in sub-zero air will freeze.
FF when the weather is not cold
LG's front-load list separates this case out: if FF is displayed when the weather is not cold, it is not a freeze at all — request service.
Step-by-step checks
- Warm the drumRemove any laundry. Pour warm water (50–60 °C) into the drum, close the door and wait 1–2 hours for the drain pump and hoses to thaw.
- Drain the melt water (front loaders)Open the access cover at the lower front of the washer, take the cap off the drain tube and let the water run into a container. If no water comes out, the ice has not fully melted — recap and wait longer. When it has drained, recap the tube.
- Run a Rinse cycleRun Rinse once. Success sounds boring: the machine fills, rinses and drains like any normal day.
- If IE appears, thaw the inlet sideA frozen supply is the usual sequel. LG's method: wrap the taps with a cloth soaked in hot water for about 5 minutes, and soak the removed inlet hoses in warm water below 50–60 °C. Reconnect and test with Rinse and Spin.
- Prevent the repeatBefore winter storage or a cold snap in an unheated space, drain the washer's residual water through the drain tube, hold the drain hose downward so nothing pools in it, keep the hose unbent, and empty the inlet hoses after closing the taps.
When to call a technician
Request service in the case LG names: FF displayed when the weather is not cold. Also stop and book service if a full, patient thaw — drum warmed, melt water drained, inlets thawed — still leaves the machine locked or the code returning in mild weather.
If freezing has split a hose or the pump housing, that damage shows up as a leak on the first thawed cycle: stay with the machine for its first full run after a freeze.
Model differences that matter
| Machine type | What changes |
|---|---|
| Front load | FF also shows as u51. The full procedure applies, including the drain-tube drain-down at the lower-front access cover and the inlet thaw if IE follows. Controls stay disabled until the machine is above 4 °C. |
| Top load | The same warm-water thaw: water out of the tub, warm water in, lid closed, 1–2 hours, then a Spin or Rinse test. Prevention is the same — drain residual water before the machine sits in freezing air. |
One-page checklist
- Laundry removed, warm water (50–60 °C) in the drum, door closed
- Waited 1–2 hours for the thaw
- Front loaders: melt water drained via the drain tube and cap replaced
- Rinse run; if IE appeared, taps and inlet hoses thawed
- Test Rinse and Spin completed
- Residual water drained before any winter storage
Official LG references
Questions people ask about FF
Will FF clear by itself if I just wait?
Only when the machine warms up: LG says the unit will not start until its temperature rises above 4 °C. In a heated room that may happen on its own; the warm-water procedure is how you get there deliberately instead of hoping the room does it.
FF is showing but it is not cold here. Is the machine frozen?
Almost certainly not — and LG treats that case separately: if FF is displayed when the weather is not cold, request service. The display is then a sensor or control problem wearing a freeze costume.
Can freezing damage the washer?
Ice is why the machine locks itself out rather than run. The practical risk LG's prevention steps address is water left sitting in the pump and hoses; drain residual water before cold storage and the code — and the strain — never happens.