Maytag Dishwasher F7 Error Code Fix

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What This Error Means

F7 on a Maytag dishwasher = heater fault / no heat.
The control board is not seeing the water heat up to target temperature, so it locks out the heater and throws F7.

Official Fix

What the manual expects you to do:

  • Press Cancel or turn the dishwasher off. Wait about 1 minute. Turn it back on and try a normal cycle to see if F7 returns.
  • Go to the kitchen sink and run the hot tap for 30–60 seconds before starting a load. You want water at least 120°F (very hot to the touch) feeding the dishwasher.
  • Select a hot cycle (High Temp, Sani, etc.). Starting with lukewarm water can make the board think the heater is bad, even if it is fine.
  • Open the door, pull the bottom rack, and clean the filter and sump screen. A clogged filter slows flow, keeps water cooler, and stretches heat time.
  • Spin the spray arms by hand. Clear any blocked holes with a toothpick or small drill bit. Poor circulation = poor heating.
  • Check the door. Make sure it closes firmly and latches with a solid click. A weak latch can interrupt the heater circuit.
  • If F7 keeps coming back after these checks, the official line is: call for service. At that point they assume a failed heater, temp sensor, or control board.

The Technician’s Trick

Here is how a working tech actually attacks F7 on a Maytag dishwasher.

  • Kill power first. Flip the breaker or unplug it. Do not rely on the front panel button.
  • Pull the bottom toe-kick panel. Look underneath where the heating element passes through the tub floor.
  • Check the element and terminals: any cracks in the element, burn marks, or melted plastic around the posts = bad heater or cooked connectors.
  • Slide one wire off each heater terminal and meter it. You want continuity between the two posts (typically around 10–30 ohms) and no continuity from either post to the metal tub/frame. Open = dead heater. Continuity to ground = shorted heater.
  • If the element tests good, look hard at the connectors. Dark, loose, or crispy spade terminals are common. Cut back the burned wire and crimp on new high-temp terminals, do not just squeeze the old ones.
  • Still not it? Then you are usually down to a bad high-limit thermostat or a fried heater relay on the control board.
  • After you fix the actual problem, the board often still remembers the F7 heater fault and keeps the heater disabled. You have to clear it.

Hidden reset the pros use (service diagnostics):

  • Restore power with the door closed.
  • Pick any three buttons (not Start or Cancel). Call them 1, 2, and 3.
  • Press them in this pattern: 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3 (nine presses total) within about 8 seconds. Same three buttons, same order.
  • If you did it right, most or all lights will come on and a long test cycle will start. That is the diagnostic program.
  • Let it run all the way through without opening the door. It will test the heater. If the board now sees proper heating, it clears the stored F7 and re-enables the element.
  • When it finishes, run a normal hot cycle. If dishes come out hot and dry and F7 stays gone, you are done. If F7 returns, you still have a bad heater, thermostat, wiring, or control board.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: Unit under ~10 years old, and testing points to just a heater, thermostat, or a few burnt connectors (usually $30–$180 in parts).
  • ⚠️ Debatable: Dishwasher is 8–12 years old and needs both a control board and heater-related parts; compare total cost to a decent mid-range replacement.
  • ❌ Replace: Tub is rusted/leaking, racks are shot, or you need several big items (control board, pump, heater) adding up to more than half the price of a new machine.

Parts You Might Need

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See also

Chasing other appliance error codes too? These quick guides can save you a service call.