What F2 Means
WHICH MACHINES THIS APPLIES TO: the single-character F2 belongs to the DW20 platform (the US 3000 and 5000 Series) and the DW70 platform. Current DBI, DFI, DSD and DW60-series dishwashers do not use it; on those, overfilling is F10 or F54, which are separate entries.
DW20 AND DW70 PLATFORM - WHAT F2 MEANS: the service manual reads "Overfilling. Too much water in the machine (pressure sensor) or float activated. If the water has not been evacuated within 60 seconds, the programme will be interrupted (drain pump activated)." So there are two ways to arrive here. Either the pressure sensor reports a water level above what the programme called for, or the float in the base has lifted, which means water is sitting where it should not be.
WHAT THE MACHINE DOES NEXT: it runs the drain pump and gives itself 60 seconds to get the level back down. If it cannot, the programme stops. Unlike most of the older F-codes, this one is shown to the owner. On the DW20.4 and DW20.5 text displays the same fault appears in words, and Asko's consumer wording is blunt: "Overfilling - Too much water has entered the dishwasher. Call a service technician."
CLASSIFICATION: fault, and one with a water-escape risk attached, because the float path is exactly what activates when water has collected in the base tray.
THE DW70.C ANOMALY: Asko's DW70 service manual lists fault code F2 for the overfilling fault and, on the same panel, for the temperature stop fault. That looks like a mistake in the manufacturer's own table. On a DW70.C showing F2, check the water level before assuming a heating problem.
Common Causes of F2
- Drain pump blocked or a blockage in the drain hoses, so water is not leaving
- Water leaking into the base tray and lifting the float
- Inlet valve passing water when it should be shut
- Flow sensor miscounting the water taken in
- Pressure sensor reporting a level that is not really there
- Damaged wiring between the sensors and the control unit
🔧 One Safe Check You Can Try
Close the water supply tap to the dishwasher first, before you do anything else, and leave it closed. A machine that has already taken in more water than the programme asked for can keep taking more, and the tap is the only control over that which is outside the appliance. With the tap closed, open the door and look at the water level: if it is above the filters, the drain side has not cleared it, and there may also be water under the machine. Take a torch and look at the floor of the cabinet in front of and beneath the dishwasher for a wet patch - that tells a technician immediately whether the float tripped on a real leak. That is the end of the useful owner checks. Asko's own consumer instruction for overfilling is to call a service technician, and it is the right instruction: everything on the manual's check list is behind the base panel.
⚠ Why You Shouldn't Go Further Than That
- The float and the base tray sit underneath the wash tub, reachable only with the dishwasher isolated from power, unfastened from the cabinet and drawn out, with the water supply already shut off.
- Water that has reached the base tray is sitting next to the pump motors and the mains wiring, which is why the supply tap comes first and the power comes off before anything is moved.
- Tilting or tipping a built-in dishwasher to pour water out moves that water across components that were dry, and puts the inlet and drain connections under load while they are still attached.
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.