The E14 error code on a Hoover tumble dryer means that the NTC has failed resulting in the machine no longer heating up during the cycle. The NTC is a thermostat that regulates the temperature and cuts the machine out if any overheating is detected.
The NTC can fail for a variety of reasons including overheating. If your tumble dryer has overheated, then it will usually be caused by a blockage somewhere inside the machine that is stopping the air from flowing properly.
Before you go ahead and start to investigate your tumble dryer for any faults or carry out any repairs, you must isolate the appliance from the electrical supply.
Try resetting the rear heater thermostats
The first place to look for a faulty thermostat is at the back of the machine. If you look at the rear of the dryer you will see a silver metal cover which houses the heating element.
Once the cover has been removed you can take a look at the heater assembly which has two thermostats on the top.
One of the thermostats is resettable by pushing the button on the top of it down. If you hear a clicking noise when you press it down, it means that it has tripped out and the thermostat has been reset.
It’s important to remember that if the rear resettable thermostat can be reset, it indicates that there has been some overheating at some point so you will need to investigate this further and make sure the dryer has good airflow.
Test and replace the NTCs
If you have had no luck when testing the rear thermostat, then you should take a look at all of the other NTC thermostats on the machine.
To fix the E14 error code you will usually need to locate the faulty NTC and replace it with a new one. It’s possible to test the thermostats with an electrical multimeter and look for any open circuits. It’s much easier if you have a wiring diagram for your tumble dryer to run these tests.
Here are the most common areas where you will find the thermostats located on a Hoover tumble dryer:
- Next to the exhaust air vent which can be found near the rear fan that helps the air circulate in the dryer
- At the top of the machine when you remove the lid – This will usually be near the front but is only usually found on older dryers
- The front of the machine on the drum support – This is a large plastic plate that helps to keep the drum aligned and can be accessed by removing the front of the dryer
You should go through each thermostat whilst testing and replacing any faulty ones. It’s important to keep in mind that if a thermostat has failed then it might be a sign of your dryer overheating during a cycle.
Make sure that the heating element is working properly
The heating element assembly that you find at the rear of the machine can be the cause of the E14 error code and should be tested if you can’t find any faulty thermostats.
Sometimes the heating element can burn out or have an open circuit which causes a few different error codes. Heaters are also susceptible to having electrical insulation issues and can cause the electricity to trip in your home.
Luckily if you do find that the heating element needs to be replaced on your dryer you can usually pick one up fairly cheaply and it’s a straightforward repair. It’s a case of removing the rear cover and unscrewing the element from the cabinet. You can then swap the cables over and fit the new one.
Hoover tumble dryers are known for having heating element failure so it’s always a good idea to keep that in mind when your dryer has an error code related to the temperature of the machine.
Inspect the control board and the wiring
The final thing that you should do if your dryer has the E14 fault code is to inspect the main printed circuit board and all of the wiring that’s plugged into it.
When a control board fails on an appliance it can cause all kinds of different faults and error codes that sometimes aren’t related to what the fault code actually means.
When you’re inspecting a control board you should be looking out for the following signs of failure:
- Any signs on the printed circuit board that there has been a short circuit such as any burn marks or black scorch marks across the electrical tracks
- Any cable plugs that have melted and burned out – These will need to be changed to new ones
- Any wires that have become unplugged during a cycle – This is typical after a repair has been carried out on an appliance
If you do find that the control board has failed, you should look into the cost of a repair. Sometimes it’s better to replace the machine because the cost of the spare part outweighs the cost of the machine.
Summary
Just to go over everything that we have covered when you’re trying to fix the E14 error code on a Hoover tumble dryer:
- Start off by trying to reset the rear thermostat that is located on the heater – If it does allow you to reset it and it clears the error code you should investigate the reason why your dryer might be overheating
- Check all of the other NTC thermostats that are located inside the dryer – You can look above for the complete list of places you might find a thermostat on your machine
- Try testing and replacing the heating element if you can’t find any faults with the thermostats – If your dryer has been blocked up with lint then it might have burned out the heater assembly
- The final check should be the control board and all of the wiring that goes from the circuit board – Make sure you look out for any signs of failure like burns marks or loose wiring
You should always keep on top of any general maintenance when you own a tumble dryer such as keeping the lint filter and the condenser unit free from any excess lint.
This can extend the life of your machine and reduce the risk of breakdown. Most issues that are caused by overheating problems are usually caused by a lack of maintaining the lint filter.
After every cycle, it’s always a good idea to give both the lint filter at the front of the machine a clean out ready for the next cycle.
Hoover appliances are made by the same manufacturer that Candy appliances are manufactured by which means that most of the error codes for both Hoover and Candy dryers are the same. If you need some more information on error codes for Hoover dryers you can go and check out our Candy tumble dryer error codes list.
