Dacor’s built-in column refrigerators and freezers report a fault as a number on the temperature display — 22, 24, 71 or 84, for example. The meanings below come from Dacor’s Technical Service Guide for its True Built-In columns: DRR refrigerator columns (DRR24980, DRR30980, DRR36980) and DRZ freezer columns (DRZ18980, DRZ24980, DRZ30980, DRZ36980), 18 to 36 inches wide. Each column has its own control panel and inverter compressor, so note which column shows the code. If your model number does not start with DRR or DRZ, send us the model number and what the display shows.
How a Dacor column shows a fault
At power-up the control checks its temperature sensors for a few seconds. If one is bad, the related display LEDs blink every half second, with no beep, and the panel ignores every key except the self-diagnosis pair. A sensor that fails while the column is running does not shut it down: the control switches to emergency operation, which Dacor warns may not work properly. The display also blinks on its own when a compartment gets abnormally warm or a door stays open too long (codes 71 and 72), and a flashing PC means the control panel has had no answer from the main board for 10 seconds (code 41).
How to read the code
On a refrigerator column, press and hold Fridge and Water Filter Reset together for 10 seconds; on a freezer column, Freezer and Water Filter Reset. A beep confirms the self-diagnosis, every LED goes dark, and any error number appears on the temperature display for 60 seconds. Then the display returns to normal, fixed or not. Write down the number and which column showed it.
Hold the full 10 seconds: at five or six seconds the whole display flashes, and letting go and touching another key then opens Dacor’s service modes, such as test mode and option settings. If F1, F2, FA or Fd appears with a beeping alarm, the column is running a technician test that forces cooling for about 24 hours or forces a defrost. Dacor’s recommended way out is turning the power off and on; use the breaker.
Dacor column error codes
| Code | Points at | Column |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freezer compartment temperature sensor | Freezer |
| 2 | Refrigerator compartment temperature sensor | Refrigerator |
| 4 | Freezer defrost sensor | Freezer |
| 5 | Refrigerator defrost sensor | Refrigerator |
| 6 | Ambient (room) temperature sensor | Either |
| 7 | FreshZone compartment sensor | Refrigerator |
| 8 | Standard ice maker sensor | Freezer |
| 13 | Humidity sensor | Either |
| 20 | Cocktail ice maker sensor | Freezer, 24–36 in. |
| 21 | Freezer fan stalled or not reporting | Freezer |
| 22 | Refrigerator fan stalled or not reporting | Refrigerator |
| 23 | Condenser fan stalled or not reporting | Either |
| 24 | Freezer defrost not finished in 150 minutes | Freezer |
| 25 | Refrigerator defrost not finished in 140 minutes | Refrigerator |
| 26 | Standard ice maker failed more than three times | Freezer |
| 33 | Standard ice maker ice pipe heater open | Freezer |
| 41 | Control panel and main board not communicating | Either |
| 44 | Main board and compressor inverter not communicating | Either |
| 46 | Main board and I/O expander not communicating | Either |
| 48 | Easy Open (auto door) kit not communicating | Either |
| 56 | Light sensor that dims the interior lights | Either |
| 62 | FreshZone fan stalled or not reporting | Refrigerator |
| 67 | Easy Open (auto door) kit malfunction | Either |
| 71 | Freezer abnormally warm, or door open too long | Freezer |
| 72 | Refrigerator abnormally warm, or door open too long | Refrigerator |
| 74 | Cocktail ice maker failed more than three times | Freezer, 24–36 in. |
| 75 | Cocktail ice maker ice pipe heater open | Freezer, 24–36 in. |
| 77 | Camera failed to take a picture | Refrigerator |
| 78 | Cabinet rear heater open | Freezer |
| 81 | Compressor failed to start | Either |
| 82 | Inverter power module (IPM) fault | Either |
| 83 | Abnormal compressor current detected | Either |
| 84 | Compressor motor locked | Either |
| 85 | Supply voltage too low | Either |
| 86 | Supply voltage too high | Either |
The codes that mean call today
81 to 84 — that column’s inverter compressor failed to start, its power module faulted, its current was abnormal, or its motor locked. Dacor’s checks run through the inverter board, the compressor wiring, the compressor and the refrigeration cycle. Keep the doors closed and book service.
85 and 86 — the supply voltage was too low (106 volts or less) or too high, and Dacor’s first check is the incoming voltage. Its guide also puts each column on its own outlet matching the rating plate, never a shared power strip. 44 — the main board has lost contact with the board that drives the compressor.
24 and 25 — a defrost ran its heater for 150 minutes (freezer) or 140 minutes (refrigerator) without finishing. Dacor lists a disconnected heater connector, poor contact, a short or a failed temperature fuse. Without defrost, ice builds on the evaporator; see freezer frost buildup.
Fan and sensor codes
21, 22, 23 and 62 — the control ran a fan and got no feedback from it: a feedback wire, an unplugged motor wire or a failed motor. Dacor’s noise checklist also notes that ice on the evaporator can interfere with the fan, and points at the defrost heater. The sensor codes, 1 to 20, mean a reading that is open, shorted or outside −58°F to 149°F — a separated sensor housing, poor contact, a damaged wire or a short.
Check these first
71 or 72 — Dacor’s check is a door left open or hot food put in, and the code clears itself after a set time once the cause is gone. If it keeps returning with the doors shut, the column is not keeping up; book a diagnosis.
26 and 74 appear after the standard or cocktail ice maker fails more than three times. Dacor’s own troubleshooting table asks: is the water line connected and its shut-off valve open, have 12 hours passed since the line was installed, and is the freezer set too warm? 48 and 67 are Easy Open (auto door) faults: check that the ADO switch on the hinge cap is on and that nothing inside is blocking the door.
On the display, but not a breakdown
oF is Cooling Off: the display and fans run, the compressor does not. It is set by holding Deodorizer Filter Reset, Water Filter Reset and Override E-Smart together for 5 seconds on a refrigerator column, or Cocktail Ice, Standard Ice and Water Filter Reset on a freezer column, and Dacor says pressing the Cooling Off keys again ends it. AP is Wi-Fi pairing mode for the app.
After a long outage — both the interior and defrost sensors above 50°F at power-up — the panel resets to defaults, about −2°F in a freezer and 37°F in a refrigerator, so the temperature, door alarm and ice settings need re-entering. After a short outage they are restored. And if a column is still below 50°F when power returns, its fan waits 7 minutes before starting.
Why we don’t guess parts
A sensor code can be the sensor, its connectors or the main board, and Dacor’s flowcharts check all three. An 81 can be the inverter board or the compressor itself. Dacor wrote this guide for trained technicians and tells them not to let owners repair these units. We read the code, test live, quote the actual repair, and the diagnostic fee is credited toward it. Sensors, fans, heaters and boards are usually worth fixing on a built-in column; a failed compressor is where we talk honestly about repair versus replacement.
Dacor refrigerator repair across the Denver Metro
FiXiFY repairs Dacor built-in column refrigerators and freezers across Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, Westminster and the metro, with genuine OEM parts. See built-in refrigerator repair, refrigerator repair, the Dacor page, or our Sub-Zero and Viking error code guides.
BOOK ONLINECALL (303) 214-1240
FAQ
How do I check the error code on a Dacor column refrigerator?
Hold Fridge and Water Filter Reset together for 10 seconds, or Freezer and Water Filter Reset on a freezer column, until it beeps. The error number then shows on the temperature display for 60 seconds. Keep holding the whole time: letting go when the display starts flashing and pressing another key can open a service mode instead.
What do codes 71 and 72 mean on a Dacor refrigerator?
71 means the freezer compartment has become abnormally warm or its door stayed open longer than the set time, and 72 means the same for the refrigerator compartment. Close the door, hold off on loading hot food, and the code clears itself after a set time. If it keeps returning with the doors shut, book a diagnosis.
Why does my Dacor refrigerator show oF and not cool?
oF is Cooling Off mode: the display and fans keep running but the compressor stays off. Dacor’s guide says pressing the Cooling Off keys again ends it; on a refrigerator column they are Deodorizer Filter Reset, Water Filter Reset and Override E-Smart held together for 5 seconds, and on a freezer column Cocktail Ice, Standard Ice and Water Filter Reset.
What do codes 81 to 86 mean on a Dacor column?
They are compressor and inverter faults: 81 failed to start, 82 power module fault, 83 abnormal current, 84 motor locked, 85 supply voltage too low and 86 too high. All of them involve the compressor that cools that column, so keep the doors closed and book service; with 85 or 86, the incoming power is checked first.
FiXiFY Appliance Repair — 7030 E 46th Ave Dr, Unit A, Denver, CO 80216 · (303) 214-1240 · support@fixifycolorado.com