Whirlpool Washing Machine F24 Fix (Water Temperature Sensor Error)

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What This Error Means

F24 means “Water Temperature Sensor Error” on most Whirlpool front-load washers.

The control board is seeing an impossible water temperature reading (sensor open, shorted, or wiring fault), so it stops the wash and throws F24 instead of letting the heater cook your clothes.

Result: cycle stalls, maybe some water left in the drum, and the machine refuses to continue until this is fixed.

Official Fix

Here’s the cleaned-up version of what the service manual tells you to do. Work safe: unplug the washer first.

  • Unplug the washer and turn off the hot and cold water valves.
  • Remove the lower front access panel (usually three Torx or hex screws along the very bottom, then drop the panel down and pull it out).
  • At the bottom front of the outer tub, find the water temperature sensor (NTC thermistor). It’s a small plug-in sensor in the heater housing or tub wall with a two-wire harness on it.
  • Inspect the area: no water leaks, burned spots, or melted plastic. If it’s clearly cooked, plan on replacing the sensor and checking the heater.
  • Check the sensor harness: look for broken, pinched, or rubbed-through wires; make sure the connector is fully seated on the sensor and not corroded.
  • If you have a multimeter, pull the connector off the sensor and measure resistance across the two pins:
    • At room temp (around 68–77°F / 20–25°C) you should typically see roughly 8–15 kΩ (check your tech sheet for the exact spec for your model).
    • Reading 0 Ω (shorted), OL/infinite (open), or something way off spec = bad sensor. Replace it.
  • Remove the top panel (two or three screws at the back, slide the top back, then lift off).
  • Follow the temp sensor harness up to the main control board (CCU). Make sure the connector at the board is fully clicked in, pins straight, and no signs of burning.
  • If the sensor tests good and the wiring from sensor to CCU is clean and solid, the manual’s next step is to replace the CCU (main control board).
  • Reassemble the panels, plug the washer back in, and run a short hot cycle empty to verify the F24 code is gone.

The Technician’s Trick

On a lot of F24 calls, the sensor itself is fine. The real problem is a flaky connection. Here’s the cheap “inside baseball” fix I try before ordering parts.

  • Unplug the washer. Don’t skip this.
  • Drop the lower front panel and locate the temperature sensor and its two-wire connector.
  • Unplug the connector from the sensor, then plug it back in 3–4 times. That scraping action often cleans light oxidation off the pins.
  • Look closely at the female terminals in the connector. If they look spread open, gently pinch them tighter with a small needle‑nose pliers so they grab the sensor pins snugly (do not crush them).
  • If you have contact cleaner, give the connector a short spray and let it dry.
  • Pull the top panel and find the matching harness plug on the CCU. Unplug and re-seat that connector a few times as well.
  • Secure the harness with a zip tie so it’s not dangling and vibrating on sharp metal edges.
  • Button it back up, plug the washer in, and run a hot cycle with no clothes.

If it now runs a full cycle with no F24, you just saved yourself a sensor or control board purchase. If the code pops right back, move on to replacing the temp sensor, then the CCU if needed.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: Washer under about 10–12 years old, works fine otherwise, and you’re looking at a sensor, wiring repair, or connector clean-up (usually $20–$60 in parts).
  • ⚠️ Debatable: F24 shows up along with other control glitches, random shutdowns, or visible board damage; a new CCU can push into the $150–$250 range plus labor.
  • ❌ Replace: Machine is 12–15+ years old with loud bearings, leaks, or rust, and now needs a CCU on top of that—your money is better in a new washer.

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