What SENSOR Means
WHICH MACHINES THIS APPLIES TO: the T761 and T781, which show faults as words in an LCD window rather than as codes. The Use and Care Guide covering the T711, T721, T731, T761 and T781 carries the table, introduced with "Error messages will display in the LCD window if a fault occurs while a program is in progress."
WHAT ASKO PRINTS FOR THIS MESSAGE, IN FULL: "This can appear if there are dry clothes in the drum when the unit is started. Cancel the error message by opening the door or turning the power off then on." That is the whole entry, and it is unusual among error messages because the explanation Asko leads with is not a failure at all.
WHY DRY LAUNDRY PRODUCES A SENSOR MESSAGE: an automatic drying programme does not run for a set time. It runs until the laundry stops conducting electricity between two metal contacts in the drum, because wet fabric conducts and dry fabric does not. If the load is already dry when the programme starts, the control asks for a reading that says "wet", receives one that says "nothing here", and reports the sensor rather than the load. The same thing happens with an empty drum, and with a load so small that it rarely touches the contacts as it tumbles.
WHEN IT IS A REAL FAULT: if the message appears with a genuinely wet load, the sensor or its circuit is the explanation rather than the laundry. The equivalent code on the numeric machines in the same family is F5, and the Asko documents for those give the same underlying meaning.
CLASSIFICATION: usually normal behaviour with a documented cause the owner controls. It becomes a fault only when it happens with wet laundry in the machine.
Common Causes of SENSOR
- Automatic programme started with dry laundry, a very small load or an empty drum
- Sensor contacts in the drum coated with fabric softener or detergent residue
- Moisture sensor or its wiring open or short circuit
- Connector between the sensor and the control board
- Control board fault
🔧 One Safe Check You Can Try
Deal with the likely explanation first. If the load was already dry, very small, or the drum was empty, the message is the expected result. Clear it the way Asko says - open the door, or turn the power off and then on - and choose a timed programme instead of an automatic one for dry or nearly dry laundry, because a timed programme does not consult the sensor at all. Then test it properly: put in a genuinely damp load and run the automatic programme. If the message does not come back, nothing is wrong with the machine. If it does, there is one more thing worth doing before anyone is called. With the dryer switched off at the wall or the breaker and the drum cool, look inside the drum for the sensor contacts, which are usually two metal strips near the front opening. Fabric softener and detergent leave a film across them that insulates them and produces the same reading as dry laundry. Wipe them with a damp cloth and a little vinegar, let them dry, and run the damp load again. If the message still appears, the sensor circuit or the control is at fault and that is the end of the owner work.
⚠ Why You Shouldn't Go Further Than That
- Wiping the sensor contacts is ordinary cleaning, but the dryer is switched off at the wall or the breaker and the drum is left to cool first, since it is hot at the end of a cycle.
- The sensor wiring and the control board are behind panels that also carry the heater supply, which is live whenever the machine is connected to power.
Opening a panel to inspect or repair something yourself doesn't automatically cancel your manufacturer's warranty — but it can risk accidental damage, and some manufacturers do have specific service conditions. Check your product's warranty terms, or ask us, before deciding.