VERIFIED
Airflow trouble is what AF reports. Look first at the lint screen and the vent: either may be clogged, and the vent could also be crushed, kinked or laid out with too many bends. Commercial-grade residential Whirlpool dryers show AF on the display, whereas certain other models turn on a Check Vent indicator for the same problem.
About the Check Vent light
- Only certain models have it, and only for Automatic Cycles.
- At the start of a cycle the dryer goes through a sensing phase; blocked venting or low airflow found then lights the indicator.
- The light stays lit until that cycle is over.
- It clears at the end of the cycle, if you touch Power, or if you open the door.
Does the dryer stop?
No. The dryer carries on while AF or the light is showing, yet poor airflow can mean longer drying times and weaker performance. Touching any key wipes AF from the display.
Things to try
- Clear the lint screen.
- Look over the vent between dryer and wall for a crushed or kinked section.
- Remove lint and debris from the whole vent run.
- Do the same at the exhaust hood on the outside of the house.
- Check your venting against the installation instructions, which give a recommended length and number of elbows.
A hand test for airflow
After the dryer has been going for 5 to 10 minutes, put your hand under the hood outdoors. If the air is weaker than that of a hair dryer on high, clean lint out of the system from end to end, hood included. Next, pick a heated Timed Dry cycle and start again. A message that survives all this calls for a venting specialist to clean the full home venting run.
Related codes
- do means the door is ajar on compact heat pump dryers.
- E1 is a separate dryer code that a breaker reset addresses.
Whirlpool dryer repair in San Francisco
Vent cleaned and AF or Check Vent still present? Our Whirlpool dryer repair page covers San Francisco and Bay Area households, and (415) 687-4102 reaches us. Have the code, the model number and notes on how the vent run and hood looked.
Model compatibility: Whirlpool reuses codes across series and model years, so AF / Check Vent may mean something different on another appliance or generation. Confirm this against your model’s documentation and record your full model number before acting.
