Hotpoint & Indesit F05 error — washing machine won’t drain
✅ Safe to check yourself
This is a common, low-risk check most people can do safely. Always unplug the appliance (or isolate power) before touching internal parts.
F05 on a Hotpoint or Indesit washing machine means the machine’s pressure switch is stuck signalling “full” — it thinks there’s still water in the drum even if there isn’t — usually because water genuinely hasn’t drained away in time.
What to check first
- Unplug the machine, then check the pump filter (bottom-front, behind a small flap on most models) for coins, hair grips, or fluff build-up, exactly as with a drain fault on any brand.
- Check the external drain hose isn’t kinked, and that your sink waste or standpipe it drains into isn’t blocked — try running the tap to confirm the waste drains freely.
- If the drum is genuinely empty and F05 still shows, a blocked pressure tube (a small hose from the drum to the pressure switch) can keep the switch triggered even with no water present — this is a slightly more involved check and borderline DIY depending on your comfort opening the top panel.
Not the same as F11
F05 and F11 both relate to draining, but aren’t identical: F05 is the pressure switch not confirming drainage, while F11 points to a fault with the drain pump circuit itself. If you’ve cleared the filter and hose and still see F11 specifically, that’s more likely to need an engineer than F05.
When to call an engineer
If filter, hose and pressure tube all check out and F05 persists, book an appliance engineer — the drain pump motor or its wiring may have failed.