Maytag Dishwasher F6 E1 — What It Means & How to Fix It
Also shown as F6E1, 6-1 on some models.
Your Maytag started a cycle, opened its fill valve, and never sensed water arriving — and nine times out of ten the holdup is in the household supply feeding the machine rather than the dishwasher itself.
What this code means
F6 E1 — flashed as 6-1 (six blinks, a pause, then one) on models without a digital readout — is Maytag's no-fill code: the control called for water and the sensors reported the tub still dry. Because the dishwasher can only tell you water didn't show up, the fault points first at everything upstream of the inlet — the shut-off valve, the supply line, and the household pressure behind them.
On a panel with only indicator lights, the machine spells this out by blinking the Clean or cycle light: six flashes, a two-second gap, then one. Count it twice so you don't mistake 6-1 for 1-6.
Most likely causes
| Cause | How likely | DIY-fixable? |
|---|---|---|
| Under-sink supply valve closed or only part-open after plumbing work | Very common | Yes — no tools |
| Kinked, pinched, or frozen supply line | Common | Yes — visual check |
| Overfill float stuck in the raised position | Occasional | Yes — free by hand |
| Failed water inlet valve | Less common | No — technician job |
What you can try yourself
- Reach under the sink and confirm the dishwasher's water shut-off is turned fully open — a valve left half-closed after a disposal or faucet job is the single most common trigger.
- Trace the braided or copper supply line for a kink or anything pressing on it, and check it isn't frozen if the run passes an outside wall.
- Run the kitchen tap to confirm the house actually has good water pressure right now.
- Find the float on the tub floor — a small plastic dome or cylinder — and lift it once or twice to be sure it drops back freely; a float held up tells the control the tub is already full.
- Cancel, restart, and listen for the fill hum in the first minute; if the supply is open and the float moves but no water enters, the inlet valve is the remaining suspect and needs a technician.
When to call a technician
- Supply confirmed open and unrestricted, float moving freely, yet still no water and no fill sound.
- A faint buzz at cycle start with nothing arriving in the tub.
- F6 E1 trading off with a leak or float code, which deserves a look before you run anything else.
Typical professional repair cost: A replacement inlet valve usually lands around $110–$210 fitted, depending on model and labour rates.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my brand-new Maytag dishwasher show F6 E1 on its first wash?
On a fresh install it's almost always the water supply: the shut-off valve under the sink was never opened, or only cracked open. Open it fully and restart, and that clears most first-run F6 E1 reports.
Could a stuck float cause F6 E1, even though that sounds like an overflow part?
Yes. The float stops the fill once water reaches a set height, so if it's jammed up by debris the control believes the tub is already full and won't add water — which it then reports as a no-fill. Freeing the float is worth a quick check.
Is F6 E1 the same as the 6-1 flashing light?
They're one code shown two ways. Models with a number display print F6 E1; models with only status lights blink the pattern six, pause, one. Both mean water didn't reach the tub.
Related Maytag codes
- Maytag Dishwasher F1 E1 Your Maytag's control board has flagged one of its own relays as stuck on — an output that should have switched off still reads live — and a full power-down often clears a false alarm, while a genuinely welded relay means board-level service.
- Maytag Dishwasher F2 E1 Your Maytag's control thinks one of the touchpad buttons is being held down — a stuck-button reading that's far more often caused by moisture or a sticky film on the panel than by a dead control.
- Maytag Dishwasher F3 E1 The combined temperature-and-soil sensor in your Maytag's sump has stopped giving the control a usable reading, so the machine can no longer tell how hot or how dirty the water is — sometimes just a fouled sensor face, sometimes a true sensor or wiring fault.
- Maytag Dishwasher F5 E1 Your Maytag tried to begin a cycle and didn't sense the door securely latched — most often because the door wasn't pushed shut quickly enough after pressing Start, and less often because the latch or its switches are wearing out.
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