KitchenAid Refrigerator PO — What It Means & How to Fix It
Also shown as PO Error Code on some models.
PO appears after a power outage — the freezer warmed to about 18°F (-8°C) or higher, and the fridge is asking you to confirm the food is safe.
What this code means
After a power interruption long enough to warm the freezer, the refrigerator shows PO with a blinking CONFIRM prompt — your cue to check the food and acknowledge the alert.
PO appears on KitchenAid French-door and select side-by-side refrigerators with the Whirlpool-family electronics platform. The clear key (here MEASURED FILL under CONFIRM) can be labeled differently on other models — your manual is the reference.
Most likely causes
| Cause | How likely | DIY-fixable? |
|---|---|---|
| Power outage long enough to warm the freezer to about 18°F or higher | Very common | Check food, press Confirm |
| A brief outage or flicker that still triggered the alert | Occasional | Press Confirm to clear |
What you can try yourself
- Check the frozen food: if items show signs of thawing, discard anything that reached an unsafe temperature.
- When you are satisfied the food is still cold and solidly frozen, press MEASURED FILL — the key under the blinking CONFIRM — to clear the alert.
- The three-tone alert stops once you confirm, and the display returns to normal.
- If food was compromised, let the unit run until it is cold again before restocking.
When to call a technician
- Food is soft, thawed, or above freezer-safe temperature
- The alert persists after pressing CONFIRM
- Power is still unstable — wait for the outage to end before confirming
Typical professional repair cost: $0
Frequently asked questions
What does PO stand for?
Power outage. It is the refrigerator's way of telling you power was off long enough to warm the freezer into the alert range.
Why do I have to press a key to clear it?
The fridge wants a human to confirm the food was checked — that is the point of the blinking CONFIRM prompt. Pressing the key tells it everything is fine.
About how long does the power need to be out to trigger PO?
It varies with the unit and start temperature, but the alert fires when the freezer reaches about 18°F (-8°C) — treat that as the signal to check the food.
Sources checked
Error meanings can vary by model. This guide was checked against the documentation above; use the manual for the model number on your own appliance when it differs.
Related KitchenAid codes
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- KitchenAid Refrigerator Temperature Alarm The temperature alarm sounds if the fridge or freezer ran too warm for a stretch — usually because a door was left open or a big warm load was added.
- KitchenAid Refrigerator Cooling Off COOLING OFF means the refrigerator's cooling system is switched off — it is a setting, not a breakdown.
- KitchenAid Dishwasher F8E4 F8E4 is the dishwasher's leak-system error — the flood float in the base found water, and the machine stopped to protect your kitchen.
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