What F44 Means
WHICH MACHINES THIS APPLIES TO: F44, printed as F:44 on the DW90.1 display, is a DW90 platform code. The DW20 and DW70 boards call the same fault FA, and it is not among the codes the current DBI, DFI and DSD user manuals publish.
DW90 PLATFORM - WHAT F44 MEANS: the service manual reads "Turbidity sensor fault. Only indicated in service menu. The machine assumes high turbidity in case of 'uncertainty' in the auto program." The turbidity sensor judges how dirty the wash water is by how much light gets through it, and the automatic programme uses that to decide how long to wash and how much to rinse. With the sensor unreliable, the control stops asking and assumes the worst. Asko's check list is "Water quality, filters, turbidity sensor and drain system."
WHAT THE MACHINE DOES NEXT: it washes, and it washes long. Because it assumes high turbidity, the automatic programme takes its longest route on every load regardless of what is in it. The owner sees no code, only a cycle that used to finish in an hour and now takes two and a half.
A NOTE ON WHAT YOU MAY READ ELSEWHERE: some parts retailers list F44 as a communication error. Asko's own service manual says turbidity sensor. Use the manual's wording.
CLASSIFICATION: fault. Results are unaffected; time, water and electricity are not.
Common Causes of F44
- Turbidity sensor window fouled with grease, scale or detergent residue
- Turbidity sensor failed electrically
- Filters blocked, keeping the water permanently cloudy
- Drain system not clearing dirty water between stages
- Incoming water quality poor enough to confuse the reading
🔧 One Safe Check You Can Try
Two of the four items on Asko's check list are within reach without opening the machine, so start there. Switch the dishwasher off at the outlet or the breaker, let the water and the element cool, then lift out the coarse and fine filters and clean them properly - a greasy film across the sensor window reads as permanently dirty water and produces exactly this behaviour. While they are out, look at the sump for standing residue, which points at the drain system, the fourth item on the list. Then consider the water itself: a machine in a hard-water area running with an empty salt reservoir, or one fed from a supply that runs cloudy after works in the street, gives the sensor an unusually hard job. If the filters are clean, the salt is topped up and the automatic programme still runs to its maximum every time, the sensor itself is the remaining explanation, and it sits in the sump under the tub where a technician reaches it.
⚠ Why You Shouldn't Go Further Than That
- The sensor sits in the sump beneath the filters and is reached by isolating the machine and drawing it out of the cabinet, not through the tub.
- Wash water and the element stay hot after a cycle, so the machine has to cool before anything is lifted out of the sump.
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.