Whether your GE washer has suffered a power cut, stopped mid-cycle, or left on pause for over 24 hours, there are multiple reasons why you might need to do a quick reset.
To reset your GE washing machine, turn it off at the mains power for 2-3 minutes, then turn the dial to any position EXCEPT ‘final spin’. You can then power the machine back on.
However, a reset is rarely going to help. You first need to fix the source of the error to get your washer back up and running.
But don’t worry, I’ll walk you through the steps you need to take for the most common problems.
Resetting Your GE Washing Machine
If you’re resetting the machine due to an error code – take note of the code and check what it means before you reset your GE washer.
A reset only erases the code and tries again, but if the code is telling you that water can’t get into or out of the machine – simply resetting the washer is not going to solve the problem.
However, if you have fixed the fault – resetting will let you clear the error and restart the machine to try again.
When Resetting Doesn’t Work
In most cases resetting your GE washing machine is unlikely to help. You do need to fix the source of the error to get your machine back up and running.
Have a look to see what your error code means – I’ve included some below – and then the guidance on how to fix that specific problem.
Water level problems, or a Leak
Error codes: OE. FE
There might be water or moisture somewhere it shouldn’t be… OR the moisture sensor could be broken and sending off faulty signals.
If you see FE – this is essentially the worst-case scenario, and you need to turn off the water supply immediately to prevent long-term damage to the machine.
How to Fix
- Have a look around the machine for any rogue water drops. If you find any, tighten up the hoses and connections nearby.
- Check that all your hoses are free-flowing, with no kinks or obvious blockages.
- Remove everything from the washer – prepping the floor with towels if the washing machine is full of water – and run it on a completely empty cycle with no clothes or detergent. If soapy suds appear, it’s likely you’ve used too much detergent at some point. The only way to fix this is to keep running empty cycles until the soap is all cleared out.
Drainage Problems
Error code: E
If your machine got the water in – but can’t get it back out, there might be a blockage somewhere, or a kink in the drainage hose.
How to Fix
- Check the filter – especially if you wear PPE masks, hair bobbles, or trainer socks as these are the most common culprits in my house. You’ll need to look out 3-4 large towels to prevent a minor flood as when you remove the filter, you’re also going to release all the water from the machine.
- Check all your hoses at the back for any obvious kinks or blockages. If there’s nothing glaring, try either removing the drainage hose completely to flush it through or disconnecting one end and checking for a blockage.
Water Supply Issues
Error codes: 7E, H2O SUPPLY, IE, Wash & Rinse (blinking)
Your machine might not be able to get the water in; this is most common if you’ve just plugged in the appliance, or if you’re experiencing low water pressure due to a burst pipe in the area.
How to Fix
- If your appliance has been plugged in and worked before, check that there’s not something wrong with the water in the rest of your house – just run a cold water tap and see whether the pressure is what you think is normal. If the tap is dry or trickling, it’s more likely a problem with the local water supply than the machine. Hang fire until the supply is back to normal, then try starting the washing machine again.
- If your appliance is new, double-check all the supply hoses, make sure hot-hot and cold-cold lines match up where needed, that there are no kinks in the lines, and that all the water valves are open.
Reversed Hot & Cold Supplies
Error codes: Unconfirmed
If the water coming from the cold supply is too hot to be deemed ‘cold’, this is likely due to a mix-up with the lines.
How to Fix
Double-check your supply lines, and make sure the cold (C) supply is matched to the cold (C) inlet and the hot (H) supply is matched to the hot (H) inlet.
Here’s a video on how to diagnose and fix the problem:
Power & Voltage Problems
Error codes: Unconfirmed
If you’ve had a power cut mid-cycle, your machine might throw an error because of the irregular electricity supply.
How to Fix
Once the power is back on, check the circuit breaker and electric panel within your house to make sure nothing’s tripped, then reset the machine by turning off at the mains for 3-5 minutes – then turn it back on.
The Door or Lid Isn’t Closed, or Won’t Lock
Error codes: dE, Lid, Lid Locked
If the machine doesn’t believe that the door is closed – either because it’s not, or because there’s a problem with the door or latch mechanism, then there might be an error code, or the machine just might not start.
How to Fix
Check that the door is closed, and the latch is securely fixed with no rogue socks stuck in the door jam. If it’s nothing obvious, you will need to check the seal and latch, and potentially replace one or both.
Unbalanced Load
Error codes: UE, Spin (blinking), Spin & Rinse (blinking)
If the load is somehow unbalanced, either because heavy items have become tangled, or the machine’s just slightly overloaded, you might think a reset would help – but try this first!
How to Fix
Try to untangle and rearrange the load if you can so that it’s more balanced, then restart the machine. If this doesn’t work, remove a few items and try again.
Sticky Buttons
If you’ve got an older appliance or kids with sticky fingers, one of the buttons on your washer might be stuck in / jammed / constantly depressed.
How to Fix
Quite a quick fix for this one – turn the machine off, then give the buttons a good clean. Press them individually until you find the stuck one, then give that some extra attention. A small cocktail stick or interdental brush might help you release it if it’s proving tricky.
FAQs
How do I force my GE washer to reset?
To reset your GE washer, simply turn it off at the mains power for 2-3 minutes, then turn the dial to any position EXCEPT ‘final spin’. You can then power the machine back on, and fingers crossed it’ll be back to normal!
Where is the GE washing machine reset button?
There is no reset button on a GE washing machine because you just use the main dial. Unlike other tech though – Washers rarely have a reset button, as they are [generally] more stable and less temperamental.
How do I reset my GE washer WiFi?
Press the power button to wake the washer, then immediately press and hold the Temp button (if you have a “WI-FI” button, press that instead). Keep holding the bottom until the unit powers off, and just the Wi-Fi indicator blinks.
If you press the power button and don’t press and hold the Temp button (or “WI-FI bottom, if available”) quickly enough (i.e. the Wi-Fi indicator starts blinking before you get to the Temp button), the washer will just keep trying to connect to the old router and pressing/holding the Temp button won’t work then.
Related: How to Reset Maytag Washing Machine
