Whirlpool Energy Smart Water Heater Codes: E01 to E71

By Ray Bennett · Updated 2 October 2026 · 6 min read · Checked against the maker’s manual

Whirlpool Energy Smart Water Heater Codes: E01 to E71

Short answer

A Whirlpool Energy Smart electric water heater shows E and two digits with a flashing alert icon. E01 means it was powered before the tank was full, E02 means the 180 degree safety limit tripped, which a red reset button behind the panel clears, and E04 or E05 is an upper or lower element circuit while the other element keeps heating.

A Whirlpool Energy Smart electric water heater has two controls. The touch panel on the front is what Whirlpool calls the Energy Smart Module, and behind it sits an electronic thermostat. When something is wrong, the front shows E and a two digit number with the alert icon flashing, and the thermostat flashes the same number in red.

Everything on this page comes from Whirlpool’s installation instructions and use and care guide 318686-001 for its Energy Smart electric water heaters. Whirlpool writes its fixes for a qualified person, so this page marks which steps are simple and which are not.

Before you start

What to carry: a torch, and a multimeter if you will test an element. Fifteen minutes.

Gas or electric? Electric, on a 240 volt circuit, with an upper and a lower element.

Two places to read it. The code shows on the front panel. The same code flashes in red on a small light on the electronic thermostat behind it.

After power comes on. Whirlpool says the heater runs a system diagnostic that typically takes eight minutes. Wait for it before you judge anything.

Breaker off first. Whirlpool’s steps start at the breaker. Almost every fix in its chart begins with turning the power off at the breaker. Do not remove the plastic guard over the wiring, and do not touch the wiring.

Never run it open. Whirlpool says running the heater with the access doors or insulation off can make the water much hotter than the set point.

Water in the controls. If the sensors, the control board or the insulation have been wet, Whirlpool says do not run the heater. A heater whose thermostat or sensors were under water in a flood needs replacing entirely.

The codes with a first step

Whirlpool's codes with a first step. E02 has a reset button, and E08 still leaves you hot water.

Check 1Free, fifteen minutes

Work the first steps

E01: dry fire. The power came on before the tank was completely full. Turn the breaker off and fill the tank, opening a hot tap until the air is out. Then turn the breaker back on.

E02: over the high limit. The water got too hot and the ECO, the safety limit, cut the power. Whirlpool says it trips above 180°F. Turn the breaker off, press the red reset button on the electronic thermostat firmly, and turn the breaker back on.

E02 again. If it returns, Whirlpool says call a technician: why a water heater reset button keeps tripping.

E06: the thermostat’s processor. Turn the power off, then on. If the code clears, that was it. If not, Whirlpool says the electronic thermostat needs replacing.

No light on the thermostat. Whirlpool lists a blown fuse or a tripped breaker first. If the power is there, the light itself may have burned out, which means a new electronic thermostat.

Hot water with a broken front panel

Check 2Free, ten minutes

Use the thermostat knob

E08: the front panel has failed. Whirlpool says to check the wires at the panel for damage, and replace the panel if the code continues.

Meanwhile. Whirlpool says the heater still makes hot water without it. With the power off, unplug the front panel from the electronic thermostat, and use the thermostat’s set point knob instead.

Keep it unplugged. Whirlpool says a knob setting only stays in charge while the front panel is not plugged back in.

Element and sensor codes

The light behind the front panel: green blinks show which element is on, and a count of red flashes is the code.

Check 3

Check the elements

E04: the upper element circuit. The lower element still works, so you get some hot water, slowly. Whirlpool’s chart sends slow recovery to E04.

E05: the lower element circuit. The upper element still works. Whirlpool’s chart sends not enough hot water to E05.

The test. With the breaker off, Whirlpool checks each element circuit for 5 to 25 ohms and replaces an element that fails. It then checks the wires at the elements and at the thermostat. If the code stays, the electronic thermostat is replaced: how to test a water heater element.

E03 and E07: the sensors. E03 is the upper sensor, which is part of the electronic thermostat, so Whirlpool replaces the thermostat. E07 is the lower sensor: check its connection at the thermostat, then replace the sensor.

Every code in Whirlpool’s chart

Code	Red flashes	What Whirlpool says
E01	1	Dry fire, powered with the tank not full
E02	2	Water temperature over the high limit
E03	3	Upper sensor, part of the electronic thermostat
E04	4	Upper element circuit, lower still works
E05	5	Lower element circuit, upper still works
E06	6	Electronic thermostat processor
E07	7	Lower sensor
E08	8	Front panel failure
E09 to E12	9 to 12	Electronic thermostat error
E51	Front panel only	Front panel cannot talk to the thermostat
E52	Front panel only	Front panel is getting the wrong data
E71	Front panel only	Front panel’s own sensor

Modes that change the heat

Check 4Free, two minutes

Check the mode

Energy Smart mode. Whirlpool says it watches how you use hot water and adjusts the set point to match. You can still change the set point.

Standard. The set point is exactly what you choose, from 80°F to 150°F. Whirlpool’s preferred starting point is 120°F: what temperature a water heater should be.

Vacation. Whirlpool says it holds the water at about 60°F. Whirlpool reminds you to set it back to your normal mode when you come home.

Lock. Holding the lock button for more than 3 seconds locks or unlocks the panel, and Lock shows on the display.

When it needs a technician

Check 5A service call and a part

Know when to stop

E02 that keeps coming back. Whirlpool says to call a technician if the ECO keeps shutting the heater off.

E03, E06 that stays, and E09 to E12. The electronic thermostat.

E51, E52 and E71. Wiring between the front panel and the thermostat, the panel itself, or its sensor.

E71 again. Whirlpool says call a service technician if it returns after a power off and on.

Questions people ask

What does E02 mean on a Whirlpool water heater?

The water went over the high limit and the safety cut the power. Turn the breaker off, press the red reset button on the electronic thermostat, and turn it back on. If it returns, call a technician.

Where is the reset button?

On the electronic thermostat, behind the front panel. Whirlpool calls it the ECO reset button, and it is red. Turn the breaker off before you reach for it.

What does E01 mean?

Dry fire: the heater was powered before the tank was completely full. Power off, fill it until a hot tap runs without air, then power on.

Why do I still get some hot water with E05?

E05 is the lower element circuit. Whirlpool says the upper element still works, so the heater makes less hot water until it is fixed.

What does the green light mean?

Normal operation. Whirlpool says it blinks twice a second while the upper element heats, and four times a second while the lower one does.

Can I use the heater with a broken front panel?

Yes. Whirlpool says to unplug the panel from the electronic thermostat and set the temperature with the thermostat’s knob.

Sources: Whirlpool installation instructions and use and care guide 318686-001 for Energy Smart residential electric water heaters