GE Oven F44 Error Code Fix Guide

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What This Error Means

F44 on a GE oven = Cooling fan fault.

The control board isn’t seeing the cooling/blower fan spinning at the right speed, so it kills the heat to avoid cooking the electronics.

Official Fix

Here’s what the manual and GE phone support tell you to do:

  • Press CLEAR/OFF to cancel everything and wait 1–2 minutes. If F44 disappears and doesn’t come back, it was a glitch.
  • If F44 pops back up, shut the oven off at the breaker (or unplug the range) for at least 5 minutes to hard-reset the control board.
  • Turn power back on and run a quick test: Bake at 350°F for 10–15 minutes.
  • If F44 returns, the official line is: stop using the oven and call for service. A GE tech will:
    • Test the cooling/blower fan motor.
    • Check wiring and connectors between the fan and the control board.
    • Replace the failed cooling fan and/or the main control board (ERC/clock).

That’s the manufacturer playbook: reset it, and if it comes back, replace parts.

The Technician’s Trick

What a real appliance tech actually does before ordering pricey parts:

  • Kill power first. Flip the breaker off and make sure the display is dead. Don’t touch anything inside while it’s live.
  • Expose the cooling fan.
    • Wall oven: pull it out of the cabinet a foot or so and support it solidly, then remove the top/back metal cover.
    • Freestanding range: slide it away from the wall and remove the rear panel.
  • Spin the fan by hand. It should spin freely and coast. If it’s stiff, gritty, or scraping the housing, that’s likely your F44.
    • Clear any foil, insulation, or junk stuck in the blades.
    • Gently bend back any metal shroud that’s rubbing the fan.
    • If the shaft wobbles badly or feels “crunchy,” the motor is shot.
  • Reseat the connectors. Unplug the fan’s connector and plug it back in firmly. Do the same where that harness meets the control board.
    • Look for burnt pins, melted plastic, or crispy wires. Any of that can trigger F44.
  • Reassemble and test. Put the panels back on, restore power, and run Bake 350°F again.
    • If the fan now runs strong and F44 stays gone, it was a sticky fan or loose connection.
    • If the fan never comes on, or runs weak and F44 returns, the hardware is bad.
  • How techs usually call it:
    • Free-spinning fan that never powers up = usually the control board.
    • Barely spinning, noisy, or locked-up fan = usually the cooling/blower motor.

If pulling the oven or popping panels sounds sketchy, stop at the breaker reset and get a pro. F44 won’t stay gone if the fan or board is actually failing.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: Oven under about 10–12 years old, cabinet and door are solid, and it just needs a cooling fan or a single control board.
  • ⚠️ Debatable: Higher-end wall oven needing both fan and main board, or if labor to pull/reinstall the unit is expensive in your area.
  • ❌ Replace: Basic old unit (15+ years), other issues like rusted cavity or bad door hinges, or repair quotes over ~40–50% of a similar new oven.

Parts You Might Need

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See also

Sorting out other error codes around the house? These guides can save you time: