DD/DS603 F1 Code: Some things to check
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"F1" is an indicator of a leak or a flood condition. Seeing this code is a clear indicator that water has made it's way down to the "Mains Filter Board" located at the base of the machine under the bottom drawer (or on single drawer units, under the single drawer)
On the DD/DS603 dishdrawers, the lid is controlled by two motors that pull the lid down onto the top of the drawer in order to provide a seal. If, for some reason, the lid either does not come down on one or both sides, or something is interfering with the lid's mechanical operation, the machine will leak, and the flood sensor will trip. The machine will appear to "go on by itself" and run the drain pump constantly. On double-drawers, the F1 code will show on both drawers and both drain pumps will run regardless of which drawer has experienced a problem.
Many people try to "solve" this issue by attempting to use a hair-dryer to blow-dry the board, as other websites suggest as a "fix" for this F1 condition. However, all you do by drying out the board is stop the machine from trying to tell you something is wrong with it. There is a reason why the board got wet in the first place. You won't cure anything by simply drying it out if there is an underlying condition causing a leak.
The proper solution is to determine what happened.
Some possible reasons as to what caused your F1 code:
Improper loading:
When someone places a tall dish, utensil, etc in the wrong position, it will "prop" the lid ajar when the lid comes down. A gap of even 1/4" can cause a leak. It is in cases such as this that drying out the mains filter board (yes it is called mains plural) will restore machine operation, as it was a temporary issue that caused the leak (More on this later).
Soapsuds in one or both drawers:
As you are probably well aware, "Dishwasher Detergent" and "Dish Washing Soap" are two very different animals! The detergent you put in an automatic dishwasher does not create suds. It is a surfactant that makes the water feel "slippery" and allows food to be blasted off the dishes and glasses by the force of the water sprayed by the wash arm(s). The kind of soap you use to wash dishes in the sink is just that- SOAP. If even the slightest amount of dish soap gets into an automatic dishwasher, when the wash cycle begins, there will be a TREMENDOUS amount of soapsuds produced from the spray action of the pump. Older readers may recall episodes of "Leave it to Beaver" or "The Brady Bunch" where too much soap was put in the washer and the result was a laundry room full of soapsuds.
Well, think of what happens inside a dishwasher if soap gets in there! The entire drawer will quickly fill with sudsy soap bubbles. Even if the lid is sealed, the bubbles will run up and out the vent in the back of the drawer and run down all over the base of the machine, and the suds will settle into liquid and trip the flood sensor.
Ok, so you're reading this thinking "Who puts dish soap in a dishwasher??"
It happens all the time and is usually not because someone took the bottle of detergent off the counter and squirted a healthy dose into the dishwasher (although kids, husbands and foreign housekeepers have been known to do this!!) What usually happens, is that people will "prewash" dishes in the sink with a scrubber filled with dishsoap or will put a little soap in a pot or pan to pre-soak it, and forget to rinse the soap off before they place it in the dishwasher. When the machine starts, the soap gets washed off the item and into the water stream and the result is a soapy mess.
We also have seen where people will not pay attention and actually fill the rinse agent dispenser with detergent and this will really cause a problem. Regardless, if you allow sudsy-soap to get into your dishdrawer, you will likely trigger an F1. And you will have to flush out the soap before you can use the machine again. We will put the machine in diagnostic mode to run the drain pump, and add fresh water via the sink sprayer hose or a pitcher and flush it out until the water is clear. The mess of course has to cleaned up under the drawer before the machine can be used again. In some cases, the mains board can be damaged by excessive soapsuds and will have to be replaced. (See below on ordering this part)
Broken hose link support strap:
On older model 603's, there is a nylon strap that guides the hoses and wiring harness as you open and close the drawer. Over time, this strap can break right in the middle. What happens next, is when the drawer is closed, the strap gets caught between the lid and the drawer's edge, causing a leak. This is easy to see if you dis-engage the tub clips on the drawer rails and slide the drawer forward enough to see the strap behind the drawer. In a case such as this you can blow-dry that board all you want; it's not going to do much good, as the machine will leak again as soon as that strap gets caught in the lid. The fix is to replace the broken link support with the updated kit from Fisher Paykel, which is a part number 528437. This kit totally replaces that older nylon strap with a metal arm and pivot point that will not break. You can purchase them here:
On double-drawer machines, we always replace both straps, even if only one is broken.
Worn or inoperative lid actuator/motor:
As mentioned previously, the lid is motorized. There are two motors, one on each side of the drawer. They can become worn mechanically, or they can fail electrically or fail to operate because that mains filter board is not sending the signal to one or both motors. The machine's main control board (the one where you select cycles) can also cause a problem.
There should be a detailed tech sheet behind the drawer (lower drawer on double units) that has instructions on how to put the machine in diagnostic mode and you can run the lid motors with the drawer open and check if one is not coming down. On older DD/DS603 models, the lid motors can stop working correctly. If they are tan in color, replace them with the new style, which are black in color and have rubber boots over the arms to keep water from running down the shafts and into the motor. They also are smoother in operation and more durable than the originals. Part numbers are 528112 and 528113 and are always changed as a pair. Lid motors can be obtained here:
Bad or damaged Mains Filter Board:
This needs to be read over carefully.
Examine the underside of the mains filter board in the area of the flood sensor. Over time, calcified deposits build up around the edge of the board on the side where the flood sensor protrudes. These deposits can cause a "phantom F1' condition where the machine thinks there is a leak but there isn't one. Whenever I speak to a customer on our techline who says "I am sure there is no leak but the F1 is activated" I tell them to examine the underside of the Mains Board for these deposits. The other thing to be aware of with regard to "blow drying" the board, is that excessive heat by putting the blow dryer too close to the board can cause the board to warp and sag in the center and this can break the tiny solder joints and cause all kinds of problems for you. You can order the mains filter board here:
You will need to clear the water under the bottom drawer in the base panel.
To remove the bottom drawer you need to depress the rectangular shaped clips on either side of the drawer at the front, lift the drawer slightly and slide the clip/runner towards the cabinet. You can then lift the drawer off the runners and access the base panel and flood protection switch contact. This newer dishdrawer uses a metal connector that is housed under the wiring cover to detect water. Just mop up any water and then dry out the base with a hairdryer. Pull the runners 3/4 way out and sit the drawer on them then slide the runner/clip forward until it locks in place. Turn on the power and enjoy !