GE Profile Dishwasher F28 Error Code Fix

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What This Error Means

F28 on a GE Profile dishwasher means a control communication fault.

The main control board and the user interface or sensors lose their handshake, so the dishwasher stops or refuses to start and flashes F28.

Official Fix

This is basically what GE wants you to do:

  • Step 1 – Hard reset it: Turn the dishwasher off at the breaker (or unplug it) for at least 5 minutes. Then restore power and try a short cycle. Sometimes F28 is just a one-time control glitch.
  • Step 2 – If F28 comes back immediately: GE’s service literature calls this an internal control fault. Their official move is to send a tech to check wiring and replace the main control board and/or user interface board.
  • Step 3 – Stop using it until it’s checked: If the code keeps popping up, stop running full cycles. A failing board can stick relays on, overfill, or fail to drain.

If you want to stay 100% inside the manual, this is where you call GE or a local appliance tech.

The Technician’s Trick

Here’s what people who actually fix these in kitchens do before ordering pricey boards.

  • Kill the power properly: Flip the breaker off. Don’t just open the door. You’re about to expose live wiring.
  • Pull the inner door panel: Open the door, remove the screws around the inner edge, then lift the outer panel off. Support it so you don’t yank the wires.
  • Find the communication path: Look for the flat ribbon cable or small harness running from the user interface (buttons) down to the main control board at the bottom right or behind the kick plate.
  • Reseat every connector: Unplug the ribbon and harness plugs one at a time, check for corrosion, burning, or a loose fit, then push them back on firmly. A slightly loose connector is a very common cause of F-series control errors.
  • Check for water damage: If the UI board or connectors look swollen, green, or crusty, you probably have moisture getting past the door gasket. Dry everything thoroughly and plan on a new UI board and possibly a new door gasket.
  • Inspect the door harness: Flex the wire bundle where the door bends. If insulation is cracked or a wire breaks when you tug gently, replace the harness—broken conductors here will throw intermittent F28.
  • Look at the main board itself: Any burned spots, bubbled components, or a burnt-electronics smell means the board is toast. No reset will fix that; it needs replacing.
  • Button it up and test: Reassemble the door, restore power, and run a rinse-only or quick cycle. If F28 is gone and the unit runs cleanly, the issue was almost certainly a bad connection, not a failed board.

If F28 comes back after you’ve reseated connectors and the wiring looks clean, you’re down to parts replacement: main control first, then UI if needed.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: Dishwasher under ~8–10 years old, interior tub in good shape, and you only need one control board or a harness.
  • ⚠️ Debatable: Unit is 8–12 years old, estimate for parts and labor lands around 40–50% of a comparable new dishwasher, or there are minor other issues (noisy pump, worn racks).
  • ❌ Replace: Tub is rusted/cracked, control board plus UI plus labor is near the cost of a mid-range replacement, or the machine is 10+ years old with multiple active problems.

Parts You Might Need

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See also

Chasing other appliance error codes around your house? These guides break them down the same way: