Fault 12 on a Fisher & Paykel washer means the pump could not bring water below flood level in 30 seconds. The manual names stuck valves or a blocked pump.
Model compatibility: Fisher & Paykel reuses codes across series and model years, so 12 / Err 12 may mean something different on another appliance or generation. Confirm this against your model’s documentation and record your full model number before acting.
Plain language
What this code means
Flood protection error: water above flood level that could not be pumped down within 30 seconds, on Phases 1 to 6.
What happens before 12 appears
The Motor Controller module finds the water above the flood level.
The pump runs to remove the excess.
After 30 seconds of pumping, the level is still above flood level.
The washer displays fault 12, flood protection, which the manual lists from Phase 1 up to Phase 6.
The two explanations
As the manual puts it, either the water valves are stuck on, so the intake outpaces the pump, or the pump is obstructed and cannot clear the surplus. A further remark: at an extremely high flow rate, overfilling can happen when the top-up routine runs in agitate.
Checks, in the manual’s order
Source
Action
1. Water valves
Seemingly always on: confirm they shut mechanically once power is removed
2. Pump system
Check the pump for a blockage, and the drain hose for kinks or an incorrect height
3. Motor Controller
Valves driven open electrically: replace the module (on Phase 1, the Display module)
“Pump system” in the manual means the pump together with the drain hose assembly.
Owner steps that make sense
Begin by cutting power at the wall.
If the tub is genuinely filling, cut the water supply instead of waiting.
Look at the drain hose for kinks or an incorrect outlet height; the correct outlet range is under fault 36.
Valve or pump work belongs to service.
Easily confused with
37: level unchanged through more than 3 minutes of draining
An overfull tub or a repeating code calls for (310) 872-1939 in Los Angeles. Report the number on the display and whether water kept coming in with the washer switched off. See the washer repair page as well.
Important safety warning. Do not attempt repairs involving electrical components, gas, water lines, refrigerant or sealed systems. Unplug the appliance if it is safe to reach the outlet, and leave internal diagnostics to a qualified technician.
Seeing this code on your Fisher & Paykel appliance?
Book a specialist visit for a clear estimate and approval before any repair.
