The F08 error code on an Indesit tumble dryer indicates a problem with the heating element or the thermostats at the back of the machine. This might have been caused by poor airflow resulting in the machine overheating.
Most Indesit tumble dryers have thermal overload cutouts located on the heating element which will trip when the machine overheats. This is common with the F08 error code.
Before you start to inspect or try to repair your tumble dryer it’s important that you isolate the machine from the electrical supply so you can work safely.
This is what you should check if your tumble dryer is displaying the F08 error code:
Check the wiring to the heater
The first thing that you should be looking out for is any issues with the wires that go from the control board to the heating element.
These wires can often get burned or melt away due to the high current of electricity that flows through them.
It’s more common to find the connector block at the end of the wires to be melted. If this is the case, you will need to buy a wiring loom for your dryer.
Make sure the wires are properly connected to the control board and to both the heating element and the thermostats on the heater.
Replace the rear thermostats
Most Indesit tumble dryers have two rear thermostats that are located at the top of the heating element which is behind the metal cover at the back of the machine.
One of the thermostats is a one-shot device which will cause the machine to cut power to the heating element if the thermostat detects any overheating.
The other thermostat is a temperature regulating device which reports back to the control board so it can make decisions on how much power to send to the heating element.
The most likely thermostat that causes the F08 error code is the one-shot device. This also means that your tumble dryer might be overheating.
You can usually source both thermostats for your dryer by using the model number on a spare parts website. For most Indesit dryers it will cost under £20 to replace both thermostats.
You might even find that the heating element on your dryer comes with both thermostats which might mean your better off replacing the full heater so you can increase your chances of repairing the error code.
It’s important to remember that if you do narrow down the problem to the thermostat you will have to investigate the overheating issue further which will most likely be caused by a blocked condenser unit or an excess amount of lint inside the machine.
Replace the heating element
If the thermostats seem to be in good working condition, then you should consider replacing the heating element.
The heating element on a tumble dryer is one of the most used parts of the machine and it’s common for them to fail over time.
Indesit dryer heaters are reasonably priced and readily available so it shouldn’t be a problem sourcing and replacing the heater economically.
If you have access to an electrical multimeter you can run tests on the heater to determine if it has failed. You can check the electrical insulation and if there are any open circuits which are the two main reasons a heating element fails.
It’s also possible to diagnose a faulty heater by visually inspecting it. When a heating element fails it sometimes crumbles and falls apart which is why a multimeter would detect an open circuit.
Something to consider is why the heating element would fail on a dryer. It’s common for heating elements to burn out if the temperature is not being reported to the control board correctly.
If the thermostats are reporting a lower temperature inside the drum, then the circuit board will overuse the heating element in order to try and achieve the correct working temperature which can burn out the heater prematurely.
The best course of action to fix the F08 error code would be to replace both the thermostats and the heating element at the same time to maximize the chances of a successful repair.
Summary
Replacing both the heating element and the thermostats will usually fix the F08 error code on your Indesit tumble dryer.
Here is a quick recap of everything you should do to fix this fault:
- Check the wiring that sends power down to the heating element from the printed circuit board – Sometimes the connections at the heating element will burn and melt due to the high current that flows through them
- Test and replace the thermostats that are located on the heating element – Indesit tumble dryer heaters will usually have two thermostats on the heater which can fail – One of them is usually a one-shot device that trips out if the machine overheats
- Replace the heating element if the thermostats are in good working condition – The heating element can suffer from low insulation and open circuits which will cause the machine to display the F08 error code
You have to remember that if the heating element or the thermostats have failed then it might be because the machine is overheating due to poor airflow.
If you have a condenser dryer, then it’s probably because the condenser is blocked and there is excess lint in the machine blocking the airways.
When you fix the error code you should go back over the dryer and make sure that there is good airflow so that the error code doesn’t return again in the future.
If you need any more information on Indesit tumble dryer error codes, then you can go and check out our complete list which includes what you can do to fix each of them.
