Indesit tumble dryer F04 error code
What F04 means on an Indesit tumble dryer
Heater fault, such as an open circuit heating element.
Meaning checked by NAC's engineers, 9 November 2026.
What our engineers say
When an Indesit tumble dryer shows F04, it is reporting a fault with the heater, such as a break in the heating element. You will usually notice that the dryer is not heating, and the code can appear a few minutes into a cycle, sometimes with all the lights flashing, leaving the washing still damp.
No single cause has yet been seen often enough to rank, but engineers sometimes find that the heater assembly itself has failed. On these dryers the heating element comes as part of a kit that also carries its temperature sensors, and that whole assembly is what gets replaced.
An engineer will usually check that power is reaching the heater and then test the heater on its own to see whether it has broken. They may also check that the dryer is draining properly and look over the main control board to rule those out. Once the heater is confirmed as faulty, a new heater assembly is fitted and the dryer is run to make sure it heats without the code coming back. The new heater often has to be ordered, so it is commonly fitted at a second visit.
Written by our engineers from NAC's own jobs.
Faults this code turns up with
What our engineers found and fixed for each, from NAC's own repair records.
What we fixed. We'll add what our engineers found, the parts they fitted and what customers typically paid once enough of these repairs are confirmed. How we work out our figures.
Before you check anything yourself
- Switch the tumble dryer off and unplug it, or turn it off at the isolator switch, before you touch anything. Our guide to safely isolating an appliance walks you through it.
- An error code tells you where to look, not that it's safe to take the tumble dryer apart. Don't remove panels or covers to get at the parts it points to: that's an engineer's job.
- If it involves the mains supply, sealed parts, or you're not confident at any point, stop and book a qualified engineer rather than risk injury or further damage.
Rather leave it to us?
- Fixed-price quote before any work starts
- Same or next-day visits where available
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