What F41 Means
WHICH MACHINES THIS APPLIES TO: F41 belongs to the DW90 platform and to the current machines. The two platforms describe it differently, and the difference matters, so read the section that matches your machine. On the older DW20 and DW70 boards the equivalent fault is F1.
DW90 PLATFORM - shown as F:41 in the service menu. The service manual reads "Temp stop fault. Temperature increase less than 5 degrees Celsius in ten minutes. Program continues with the process. Only indicated in service menu." So on a DW90 the machine gives up on heating, finishes the programme anyway and tells the owner nothing. The check list is "Element, thermistor, water level, circulation pump, control unit and cables."
CURRENT DBI, DFI, DSD AND DW60-SERIES MACHINES - shown as F41 on the display, named "Heater fault 1", and handled very differently. Asko's instruction to the owner is: turn off the water supply valve, remove the plug from the power outlet, and contact service. That is a stop-using-it instruction, not a keep-going one, and it is the manufacturer's own wording rather than an interpretation of it.
CLASSIFICATION: fault, on both platforms. What changes between them is what the machine does about it - the DW90 carries on with a cold wash, the current machines ask you to disconnect the appliance.
Common Causes of F41
- Heating element open circuit or failed
- Thermistor reporting the temperature incorrectly
- Water level too low for the element to be covered
- Circulation pump not moving water across the element
- Control unit, connectors or wiring in the heating circuit
🔧 One Safe Check You Can Try
On a current DBI, DFI or DSD machine, follow Asko's published order exactly and stop there: turn off the water supply valve first, then remove the plug from the power outlet, then call for service. Do not run another programme to see whether it clears, because the manufacturer's instruction for this code is to disconnect the appliance rather than to retry it. On a DW90 there is nothing to clear, because the fault lives in the service menu and the machine keeps washing - what helps there is observation: run a hot programme and note whether the door and the load are warm at the end, whether the machine is plumbed to a cold or a hot supply, and whether the detergent has washed out of the dispenser. In neither case should you test the heating element yourself. It sits in the base with its terminals alongside mains wiring, and reaching it means isolating the machine and drawing a built-in appliance out of its cabinet with the plumbing attached.
⚠ Why You Shouldn't Go Further Than That
- On the current machines Asko's own instruction is to shut off the water and unplug the appliance, which means it is not intended to be run again until it has been looked at.
- The element terminals sit in the base next to mains wiring that is live whenever the machine is connected to power.
- A built-in dishwasher has to be unfastened and drawn out before the base is reachable, with the inlet and drain lines 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.