Hotpoint Washer Dryer E15 Error Code: Water Will Not Pump Out

What the code means

E15 is an E-series code from older Hotpoint machines, not the F-codes on Hotpoint's current UK list (on newer machines a drain fault shows as F05). The Hotpoint WD72/WDM73 washer dryer manual lists E15 as "Water will not pump out" and sends you to its "My machine does not pump out water (E15)" checks: has the drain hose been fitted correctly, are the drainage unit, standpipe or under-sink connection free from blockage, and has Rinse Hold been pressed (its light flashes until the button is pressed again). If the machine was just connected to a sink waste, Hotpoint also says to check the blanking end of the under-sink connection has actually been cut off. Hotpoint's WMA series service manual (as summarised by MyPros+) defines E15 as the machine failing to empty within the allowed time and starts the diagnosis at the pump, sump, pressure switch, pressure chamber and outlet hose. Owners of the WD72 report that the blockage is very often a sock, hair clips, a small plastic bag or a shoelace caught in the sump hose behind the machine or wrapped around the pump blades. Neighbouring codes in the same manual help narrow things down: E10, E11 and E13 are fill problems, E16 is a high water level, and E17 means the door isn't closed properly.

Likely causes

• Rinse Hold has been pressed, so the machine is holding the water on purpose (Hotpoint's first check)
• Drain hose fitted wrongly, kinked or pushed too far down the standpipe
• Blocked standpipe, sink trap or under-sink spigot
• New sink waste connection whose blanking end was never cut off
• A sock, hair clip, plastic bag or shoelace blocking the sump hose or jamming the pump
• Failed drain pump, or a pressure switch or pressure chamber fault (later steps in Hotpoint's service diagnosis)

Safe DIY checks

1. Check whether Rinse Hold is on. If its light is flashing, press the button again and the machine should drain and carry on.
2. Look behind the machine: make sure the drain hose isn't kinked or squashed and is fitted the way the installation section of your manual shows.
3. Check the drain itself. Pour a jug of water down the standpipe or sink to see if it backs up, and clear the sink trap if it does. If the machine was just plumbed into a sink waste, make sure the blanking end of the spigot was cut off.
4. Unplug the machine and empty the water before going further. Put towels down and use a shallow tray, since a full drum holds a lot of water.
5. If your model has a pump filter behind a panel at the front, unscrew it slowly into the tray, clean it and check the pump impeller turns. On older models without a front filter, owners report the debris collects in the sump hose at the back or bottom of the machine, near the pump.
6. Refit everything, plug in and run a spin or drain programme. If E15 comes back and you can't hear the pump running, or it only hums, the pump has probably failed.

Parts that commonly fix it

Always match the part number to your exact model.

Related codes

• F01 Hotpoint Washer F01
• F02 Hotpoint Washer F02
• F03 Hotpoint Washer F03
• F05 Hotpoint Washer F05
• F06 Hotpoint Washer F06

All Hotpoint codes →

Sources

1. Hotpoint WD72/WDM73 washer dryer instructions for installation and use: error codes (E15 water will not pump out; E10/11/13 fill, E16 high water level, E17 door) and troubleshooting 'My machine does not pump out water (E15)' (drain hose, standpipe, under-sink connection, Rinse Hold, blanking end)
2. MyPros+: Hotpoint washer error code E15 (machine failed to drain within the allowed time; first step from the Hotpoint WMA series service manual p.76: check pump, sump, pressure switch, pressure chamber, outlet hose)
3. HowToMendIt: Hotpoint WD72 washer dryer E15 owner reports (socks, hair clips, a plastic bag and a shoelace found in the sump hose and pump)
4. Hotpoint UK washing machine error codes (current F-code list; F05 is the drain fault on newer machines)