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KitchenAid Refrigerator Flashing F: Reset It the Right Way
When an F starts flashing on a KitchenAid French door display, KitchenAid’s first answer is a timed reset. Here is how to do it, what to check after, and why a code that returns needs a technician.
What a Flashing F Means on a KitchenAid Refrigerator
On many KitchenAid French door bottom-freezer refrigerators, a flashing F is the start of an error code; KitchenAid has separate articles for F8 EC and F8 E8, among others. KitchenAid doesn’t publish what each code means for owners. Its instruction for all of them is the same: cut power for one minute, restore it, make sure the cooling function is on, then watch for one minute. If the code comes back, KitchenAid says to schedule service. Sources: KitchenAid flashing F (opens in a new tab) and KitchenAid F8 EC (opens in a new tab).
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What You May See With a Flashing F
The code often shows up alongside one of these.
What Sits Behind an F Code
KitchenAid leaves the diagnosis to service. These are the systems a technician tests.
KitchenAid’s Reset for a Flashing F
Write the code down first; it helps the technician if it returns.
Cut power for one minute
Unplug the refrigerator, or switch off its breaker, for one full minute. Then restore power.
Confirm cooling is on
After a reset, KitchenAid says to make sure the cooling function is turned on. Check the control panel or your manual to confirm the setting.
Watch for one minute
Keep an eye on the display for a minute to see whether the code reappears, and check temperatures over the next few hours.
When to Call a Technician
Schedule a repair if:
- The F code returns after a reset
- Either section is getting warm
- You see frost on the back wall
- The display goes blank or flickers
More KitchenAid Refrigerator Help
KitchenAid refrigerator repairMore help, including other KitchenAid codes:
Refrigerator repairKitchenAid dishwasher Clean Light guideKitchenAid dishwasher F9E1 error codeAll KitchenAid appliance repairKitchenAid F8 EC articleWritten estimate first
Code Back After the Reset?
We test the sensors, fans, defrost parts and control behind KitchenAid’s F codes and give you a written estimate before any repair.
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KitchenAid Flashing F Questions
KitchenAid lists both as refrigerator error codes but gives owners the same step for each: a one-minute reset, then service if it returns. A technician reads the fault with test equipment.
Check the temperatures. If the refrigerator has been without cooling, FoodSafety.gov says perishables in a refrigerator are safe for about 4 hours (food safety during a power outage (opens in a new tab)).
Cooling can be switched off on some models, and a reset or outage is a good time to confirm it is on. Lights with no cooling can also mean demo mode.
It may be in demo or showroom mode, which KitchenAid says keeps the lights on with cooling disabled. The display may read Demo, Showroom or Shwrm, and your manual has the button sequence to exit it.
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