Speed Queen’s commercial top-load washers — the coin, card and on-premises laundry (OPL) machines in laundromats, apartment laundry rooms and facilities — show faults as short codes such as E FL or E dr on the six-digit display. The meanings below come from Alliance Laundry Systems, which builds Speed Queen: its 2019 programming manual for the electronic top-load control and its 2024 troubleshooting manual for commercial top-load washers such as model SWNNX2SP113TW01. Speed Queen home washers are not covered by these manuals; for a home model, send us the model number and the code.
How a Speed Queen commercial washer shows a code
Codes starting with Ei come from an infrared programming device and EC from the card reader; everything else is a machine error. The control shows one error at a time, highest priority first; fatal errors add oUt oF ordEr, and several sound a 15-second error tone. Reading tip: on the seven-segment display an S looks like a 5, so E Sd reads E 5d and E PS reads E P5.
Watch the right-most decimal point. Lit steadily, it means either a network communication error, which can clear on its own within 1.5 minutes, or a failed leak or slow-drain check, which stays lit until someone presses START three times within five seconds or cycles the power. Blinking, it is a Machine ID communication error.
Displays that are not a breakdown
Lid — the lid was opened; outside the final spin, the cycle resumes when it closes. 00 — the cycle is done. oFLo — water hit the overflow level; if it drops within five minutes with the lid closed, the cycle continues, and if not, it becomes E oF. PrFAiL — a power failure cut short an OPL cycle that could not resume; press any key. oFF — an auto-shutdown the owner scheduled, or a break-in alarm shutdown.
Water codes: fill, drain, overflow and leaks
| Display | What it means |
|---|---|
| E FL | Fill error: fill level not reached within 30 minutes, or the programmed time, in a fill step. |
| E nFLo | No water flow: under half an inch of water in the programmed time; no water coming in, or a leaking pressure sensor hose. |
| E PS | Pressure sensor error: no valid water level reading for 30 seconds. |
| E oF | Overflow error: water held at the overflow level for more than five minutes and is not draining. |
| E dr | Drain error: water still above the empty level after the washer tried to drain, 15 minutes by default. |
| E Sd | Slow drain: draining took longer than 185 seconds. The decimal point stays lit afterward. |
| E Ld | Leak drain error: the level dropped too far during the leak check. |
| E LF | Leak fill error: the level rose during the leak check; Alliance’s first check is water leaking past the valve seats. |
What you can check yourself. For E FL and E nFLo, make sure both faucets are open and the fill hoses are not kinked; if the hot supply itself runs cold, check the water heater. For E dr and E Sd, check that the drain hose is not kinked and the standpipe is at the 36-inch height Alliance recommends. A washer that keeps filling may be siphoning: Alliance flags a drain hose sealed tight in the standpipe, which needs an air gap, and a hose end below the top of the cabinet. Beyond that come service items: clogged inlet screens, low water pressure, the mixing valve, the pressure hose or sensor, and the pump.
Lid, motor and spin codes
E tP — the motor’s thermal protector opened. The washer pauses for two minutes and, once the protector closes, resumes on its own unless the lid was opened; then the display shows PUSH, StArt, E tP and waits for START. Alliance names two causes: an overloaded machine or a failing motor. If it repeats on normal loads, its chart adds a binding pump, brake or transmission, a belt that cannot slip properly, and incorrect supply voltage, a job for an electrician or the utility.
E LL (also printed E II) — on lid-lock models, the lid did not unlock after three attempts: an obstructed lid, the lock wiring, or in rare cases the lock itself. Do not pry a locked lid.
Two problems come without a code. A basket still spinning seven seconds after the lid opens needs brake pads and a brake assembly, per Alliance; take that machine out of service. A washer that will not run at all has no fuse of its own, so check the laundry room’s breakers first.
Control, board and payment codes
| Display | What it means |
|---|---|
| E Co | Front end control and output board not communicating; the harness between them is the first suspect. |
| E nr, E bS, E d xx | Output (drive) board not ready, shorted, or reporting a fatal fault with its own two-digit code. Cycle power once; call if it returns. |
| E dS | Unexpected supply voltage: the harness, or a dip-switch setting after a control replacement. |
| E id, En codes | A replacement or Machine ID control that does not match the machine, is corrupted, or is not communicating. |
| Coin Error or Err | Invalid coin pulse or a dead coin sensor. Clear the coin drop area; if it persists, Alliance warns of possible tampering. |
| ALArn, oFF | Break-in alarm, or break-in alarm shutdown: check the service door and coin vault switches. |
| EC and Ei codes | Card reader and infrared programming errors; EC11, EC18 and EC19 call for a power-down and restart first. |
Clearing codes, and when to stop and call
Fatal errors such as E nFLo, E oF and E PS clear only by powering down, the clear-error keys, or a network command. If the owner turned on error clearing in programming, most errors clear with the NORMAL and PERM PRESS keypads. Alliance’s rule: some errors keep setting themselves until the cause is fixed, so call for service if an error will not clear. And do not switch the fill error off to keep a machine running: the manual says it will then fill forever if the level is never reached.
Stop and call for: E oF (unplug the washer; if water still drips into the tub with the power off, the mixing valve is not closing, so keep the faucets shut), E LF and E Ld (a valve leaking through, or a leak at the pump hoses, outer tub or tub seal), E PS, a repeating E tP, E LL, the board codes, and a basket that will not stop.
Why we don’t recommend guessing parts
Alliance’s E FL chart alone runs from a closed faucet through clogged screens, the pressure hose, a valve solenoid and wiring to the output board. The control helps: its diagnostic mode shows the average of the last 10 fill and drain times, and Factory Test runs each water valve, agitate speed and spin speed on its own. We read those, test the suspect part, quote the actual repair, and the diagnostic fee is credited toward it. Valves, hoses, sensors, pumps, belts, brakes and lid locks are routine repairs; a transmission or motor on an older washer is where we talk about replacement honestly.
Speed Queen washer repair across the Denver Metro
FiXiFY services Speed Queen commercial washers for laundromats, apartment laundry rooms and senior living communities across Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, Westminster and the metro, plus Speed Queen home machines, with genuine OEM parts. See commercial washer repair, home washer repair, the Speed Queen page, or our guide to a washer that won’t drain. For the dryers beside them, see commercial dryer repair, home dryer repair or our ADC dryer codes guide.
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FAQ
What does E FL mean on a Speed Queen washer?
It is a fill error: the washer did not reach its fill level within 30 minutes, or the time the owner programmed, during a fill step. Check that both water faucets are open and the fill hoses are not kinked. If they are fine, Alliance points to clogged inlet screens, low water pressure, the mixing valve, or the pressure hose and sensor.
What does E dr mean on a Speed Queen washer?
A drain error: water was still above the empty level after the washer spent its drain time, 15 minutes by default, trying to empty. Look for a kinked drain hose or a standpipe that is not at the 36-inch height Alliance recommends; past that, it is a blocked pump or tub-to-pump hose, or a failed pump. E Sd is the milder version, a drain that took longer than 185 seconds.
Why does my Speed Queen washer stop and show E tP?
The motor’s thermal protector opened, and Alliance lists two causes: an overloaded machine or a failing motor. The washer pauses for two minutes and resumes once the protector closes, unless the lid was opened, in which case press START. If it keeps happening on normal loads, the pump, brake, transmission and belt need a technician, and the supply voltage an electrician.
How do I clear an error code on a Speed Queen commercial washer?
Powering the machine down clears fatal errors such as E nFLo, E oF and E PS, and if the owner enabled error clearing in programming, most errors clear from the keypad. A lit decimal point from a leak or slow-drain check clears by pressing START three times within five seconds. If the code comes straight back, the cause is still there and the washer needs service.
FiXiFY Appliance Repair — 7030 E 46th Ave Dr, Unit A, Denver, CO 80216 · (303) 214-1240 · support@fixifycolorado.com