LG Washing Machine HE Error
Applies to front-load washers on LG's list. HE is the heater code in LG's “temporary error” group, alongside SE and dHE.
What to check first
- Power the washer down and unplug it.
- Let it rest for 10 seconds, restore power and restart the cycle.
- If HE returns, stop — LG directs you to a professional technician; there is no longer home procedure in its documentation.
HE is one of three near-identical entries on LG's front-load list — HE, SE and dHE — each labelled a temporary error, each given the same reset, and each ending at a professional technician if it persists. HE is the heater member of the trio.
This page is deliberately short, because LG's documentation is. Inventing a heater diagnosis beyond LG's reset would be guesswork dressed as guidance; what LG publishes is the reset, and the instruction that a repeating HE is a technician's job.
Safety first
- HE concerns the heating element: unplug the washer for the reset, and do not run heated cycles repeatedly against a returning HE.
- Let water in the tub cool before reaching into the drum after a heated cycle.
- 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 temporary heater fault
LG labels HE a temporary heater error — the class of fault its reset is designed to clear: a one-off condition in the heater circuit that a full power-down and restart resolves.
A heater fault that survives the reset
The other half of LG's entry: a HE that persists after the reset is no longer “temporary” in any useful sense, and LG hands it to a professional technician.
Step-by-step checks
- Power down fullySwitch the washer off and unplug it — LG's procedure starts with a complete power-down, not a pause.
- Rest 10 seconds, restore, restartWait 10 seconds, restore power and restart the cycle. Run a heated cycle so the heater is actually exercised.
- Judge the resultNo HE through a full heated cycle: the temporary fault cleared. HE back on the display: the reset has done all LG asks of you.
When to call a technician
If HE persists after the reset, LG's front-load list directs you to contact a professional technician. Book it as HE — the heater member of the temporary-error trio — and mention whether it appears on every heated cycle or only some.
Model differences that matter
| Machine type | What changes |
|---|---|
| Front load | HE is documented on LG's front-load list: power down, unplug, rest 10 seconds, restore, restart; persistent HE to a professional technician. |
| Washer-dryer combos | The drying-side member of this family is dHE (temporary dry function error) — same reset shape, different system. See the dHE page. |
One-page checklist
- Washer powered down and unplugged
- Rested 10 seconds; power restored; cycle restarted
- Heated cycle run in full
- HE persists — professional technician booked
Official LG references
Questions people ask about HE
What is the difference between HE and tE?
Both concern heating. tE is LG's temperature-sensor/heater error with its own drain-and-restart sequence and model-specific causes. HE is the front-load list's “temporary heater error” — reset once, and a professional technician if it persists. The display on your machine decides which page applies.
Can I keep using cold cycles if HE shows?
LG does not offer that workaround; its instruction for a persistent HE is a professional technician. A single HE that clears with the reset and never returns is the only “carry on” case LG's entry supports.
Why is this page so short?
Because LG's own entry is short: a temporary heater error, one reset, then a technician. Rather than pad it with invented heater diagnostics, this page gives you exactly what LG publishes — and the technician hand-off it specifies.