What F-6 means on your Dacor dishwasher (dacor dishwasher f-6)
Dacor dishwasher f-6 is the EDW/IDW platform’s leak-detection failure, tied to the Aqua-Stop-style Floor Guard system that watches for water accumulating in the base pan beneath the tub. When the Floor Guard sensor detects water where none should be, the control board flags f-6 and, on many EDW/IDW units, shuts the dishwasher down and closes off the water supply automatically as a safety response. This is one of the highest-severity problems in the whole Legacy EDW/IDW table because the failure mode it protects against, an undetected leak running continuously, can cause real water damage to a kitchen floor and the cabinetry around the dishwasher.
Symptoms
Run your eye down this list and compare it with the dishwasher in front of you, because F-6 shares its symptoms with several other dishwasher problems.
- F-6 appears and the dishwasher stops mid-cycle, sometimes shutting off water supply as well.
- Water is visibly pooled at the base of the dishwasher or on the floor in front of it.
- The cycle will not restart normally while the base pan still contains water.
- A musty smell can develop around the base of the dishwasher if a slow leak has gone unnoticed for a while.
- The floor covering or cabinet toe-kick near the dishwasher may show water staining.
Common causes
The order matters: on a Dacor dishwasher the earlier causes cost nothing to rule out, while the later ones cost a dishwasher part.
- A genuine leak inside the dishwasher — a failed hose, gasket, or fitting is allowing water into the base pan.
- Door seal failure — water escaping around the door during a cycle can accumulate in the base pan and trigger the same sensor.
- Floor Guard sensor failure — the sensor itself is misreading a dry base pan as wet.
- A prior spill or installation issue — residual water from installation or an earlier incident sitting in the base pan.
- Control board failure — less commonly, the board is misinterpreting a healthy sensor signal.
Troubleshooting steps you can try
These are the checks an owner can safely make on a Dacor dishwasher: stop at the first one that asks you to touch live voltage, gas, or a sealed system inside the dishwasher.
- Turn off the water supply to the dishwasher and shut off power at the breaker once f-6 appears, since this is a leak-protection problem.
- Check the floor and cabinet base around the dishwasher for visible water or staining.
- Do not run another cycle until the base pan has been checked and dried out.
- Avoid repeatedly restarting cycles while f-6 is present, since it will not clear with standing water beneath the tub.
- Note whether any water is visible pooling during future attempts, and how quickly it reappears after drying.
Parts a technician may replace
Expect the aqua-stop floor guard leak sensor, base pan, and control board to be checked on your Dacor dishwasher. Replacing more of a dishwasher than the problem requires is how a small dishwasher repair becomes an expensive one, so the failed part is confirmed first.
When to call a technician
F-6 is a leak-safety problem and should be treated as urgent — keep the water supply off and book a technician to find and fix the leak source before running the dishwasher again. With a High-rated problem, continuing to run the dishwasher risks turning a repairable dishwasher into a replaceable one. We hold no affiliation with the manufacturer of your dishwasher; the parts are genuine and the labor is warranted for 30 days.
Related help and Dacor resources
A dishwasher that keeps returning to this state needs eyes on it — book the dishwasher repair, or check whether we cover your area. Specifications for the dishwasher are at www.dacor.com.
