LG Refrigerator Error Codes: What Each Code Means and Costs

An LG refrigerator error code names a circuit, not a broken part. The codes owners see most are the fan codes Er FF and Er IF, the defrost code Er dH and the sealed-system codes CH and CL. OFF is not a fault at all: it is Demo Mode, which switches cooling off. And on LG, CL does not mean child lock; LG documents it as a refrigerant-side cooling fault. Below is every code LG documents for its U.S. refrigerators, what it means, what usually fixes it, and what that repair costs in Bozmanfix job records.

How an LG Refrigerator Shows an Error Code

On models with two temperature displays, LG splits the code across them: the freezer display shows Er or E and the refrigerator display shows the code itself, so Er FF can appear as Er | FF. LG support pages write the same fault several ways, as E FF, F dH, r dH or just FF. Models with analog controls or LED rows show codes as a pattern of lit LEDs instead, which you match against the owner manual.

Two details save a lot of confusion. First, in LG service documentation most codes appear only after the fault has lasted about three hours, so a code that shows up in the morning often started overnight. Second, IF is very often read as 1F; both are the same ice maker fan fault.

LG Refrigerator Error Codes: The Full Table

The last column is the Bozmanfix median total for the repair that code most often leads to, part, labor and service call together, measured on our completed refrigerator jobs. A code points at a circuit, so the actual repair is confirmed by testing before any part is ordered.

Codes That Are Not Faults

A lock icon means the control panel is locked; hold Lock for three seconds until it chimes. If the panel still does not respond after unlocking and a power cycle, the display board or its harness is the next suspect.

Fan Codes: Er FF, Er rF, Er CF and Er IF

Four LG codes report a fan that is not turning: Er FF for the freezer fan, Er rF for the refrigerator fan, Er CF for the condenser fan at the back, and Er IF for the ice maker fan. The board watches each fan for a feedback signal and sets the code when the signal stops.

On the freezer and refrigerator fans, the most common cause is ice, not a dead motor. A door that was left open or a gasket that no longer seals lets humid air in, frost builds around the fan blade, and the blade stops. That is why LG recommends a full manual defrost before anything else: move the food out, lay towels down, unplug the refrigerator and leave both doors open for at least 24 hours. LG says one day in summer and up to three days in winter. Do not use a hair dryer. After restarting, allow 24 to 48 hours for the cabinet to reach temperature.

Sensor Codes: Er FS, Er rS, dS, Er IS, Er HS and Er rt

These codes mean a temperature or humidity sensor reads as shorted or disconnected: Er FS for the freezer sensor, Er rS for the refrigerator sensor, dS for a defrost sensor, Er IS for the ice maker sensor, Er HS for the humidity sensor and Er rt for the room temperature sensor. There is no owner fix beyond a power cycle. The repair is the sensor itself or its connector, and a Bozmanfix temperature sensor or thermostat repair runs a median of 386 dollars across 65 refrigerator repairs.

A sensor code is good news in one way: it is specific. Unlike a refrigerator that is simply warm, the board has already told the technician which circuit to test, so the diagnosis is short and the repair is usually done on the first visit.

Er dH: The Defrost Code

Er dH, shown on some models as F dH or r dH, means a defrost cycle did not reach temperature in time. In LG service documentation the limit is 80 minutes on the freezer side and 50 minutes on the refrigerator side. The causes are ice blocking the drain, a clogged drain hole, an open thermal fuse, an open defrost heater, or the main board.

A manual defrost clears the symptom, and the water should run to the drain pan; if it pools inside instead, the drain is part of the problem. If Er dH returns after the defrost, the cause is a part. A Bozmanfix defrost heater or timer repair runs a median of 395 dollars across 58 refrigerator repairs. Left alone, a defrost fault usually turns into a fan code and then into a refrigerator that is not cooling; see LG refrigerator not cooling for that stage.

Er gF and Er It: Water and Ice Maker Codes

Er gF is a flow meter error or low water pressure. Open the supply valve fully, check the line for kinks and check the water filter; LG specifies a minimum of 20 psi. If the pressure is fine and the code stays, the flow meter or water inlet valve has failed, and a Bozmanfix water inlet valve repair runs a median of 401 dollars across 54 refrigerator repairs.

Er It is an ice maker kit fault, covering the ice maker motor, its gear and its Hall sensor. Check that the ice maker is switched on and the bin is seated properly. Beyond that it is an ice maker assembly repair, which runs a Bozmanfix median of 449 dollars. For ice that stops without a code, see ice maker not making ice.

Er CO: Communication Error

Er CO means the main board and the display board have stopped talking to each other. The cable between them runs through the door hinge, so a loose harness after the doors were removed or the refrigerator was moved is a common cause, along with a power glitch. Unplug the refrigerator for 60 seconds, or switch the breaker off and on. If the code returns, a technician checks the harness first and the boards second; a Bozmanfix refrigerator control board repair runs a median of 564 dollars across 78 repairs, which is why the harness is always ruled out before a board is ordered.

CH and CL: The Sealed-System Codes

Both codes can appear briefly after a door was left open or after unstable power, so LG first recommends switching the breaker off for five minutes. If the code persists, or appears on a refrigerator that was just installed, stop using the unit and book a sealed-system diagnosis. That diagnosis decides between a leak repair and a compressor, and a Bozmanfix refrigerator compressor replacement runs a median of 956 dollars, with built-in and premium units at 1,300 to 1,700 dollars.

LG publishes no separate error code for a failing linear compressor. On LG models built roughly between 2014 and 2019, a failing linear compressor shows up as poor cooling, sometimes together with CH or CL. The full story, including the class actions, is on LG linear compressor failure, and the signs to watch for are on signs of a bad refrigerator compressor.

How to Reset an LG Refrigerator

LG documents three resets, and which one applies depends on the code:

A reset that clears a code is information, not a fix. If the same code comes back within a day or two, the circuit it names has a real fault, and clearing it again only delays the repair while food is at risk. For the temperatures to check while you wait, see refrigerator temperature.

What an LG Refrigerator Repair Costs

Across 474 LG refrigerator repairs where Bozmanfix replaced a part, the median total was 424 dollars, with the middle half of repairs between 306 and 597 dollars. By part, these are the Bozmanfix medians across all refrigerator brands, each including the part, the labor and the service call:

The pattern matters more than any single row. Every repair except the compressor lands between roughly 380 and 560 dollars, because the visit and the labor make most of the bill whatever the part costs. So the real question behind an LG code is simple: is it the sealed system, or anything else? For LG pricing in more depth, see LG refrigerator repair, and for the whole brand, LG appliance repair. Bozmanfix records show LG as the most code-forward brand we service, with 14.3 percent of LG visits booked with a code already on the display.

Medians from completed Bozmanfix work orders where a part was replaced. The 99 dollar diagnostic is waived when you approve the repair; it is 150 dollars on a double unit that has to be pulled from cabinetry.

Related LG and Refrigerator Guides

LG refrigerator not cooling · LG linear compressor failure · LG refrigerator repair costs · LG washer error codes · freezer frost buildup · how long refrigerators last · repair or replace an appliance

Sources

Code meanings, timings and reset steps come from LG documentation: the LG digital and analog error codes help page, the LG service manual for model LFX25991, and LG support pages on Er FF, Er dH, Er CF, Er CO and Demo Mode. Repair totals come from completed Bozmanfix work orders.

LG Refrigerator Error Code FAQ