PF Error Code for Appliances

There is one Error Code that is almost universal to most any appliance. The PF or Power Failure code is usually the same no matter what type of appliance or brand you are working with. Even with the fact that this error code is so common, I still see many questions on www.Fixya.com that are asking what the PF Error Code means.

So now the next question is this.

What causes the appliance to give you the PF error code in the first place?

The most common cause of your appliance giving you the PF error code is a problem with the power coming in from your utility company. Of course if there is an interruption of power, and then the power comes back on you will get the PF code.

Some appliances will give you the PF code also if the power voltage goes low, or goes into a brownout condition. Depending on the sensitivity of the appliance control you may also get the PF code for other reasons such as frequency problems or voltage fluctuations or power spikes.

The other problems that can cause the PF error code can be internal to the appliance.

Loose wires going to the circuit board or the control can also be a cause of the error code. If a wire terminal end happens to get corroded or loose, the vibration from the machine can cause slight power problems and this can cause the PF code to be displayed. Finding the cause of this type of problem is like finding a needle in a haystack. Sometimes you can cause it to be displayed by banging on the side of the appliance or slightly moving the wiring harness, to see if you can get the error code to display.

The bottom line about this power failure error code, is that it is power related. Finding the exact cause can be difficult. If you are continually having to reset the appliance then check to see if all of your appliances are giving the same code. This will indicate utility power problems. If only one appliance is giving the PF code then it is probably internal to the appliance.