LG Refrigerator error code dH
Defrost did not complete in the time allowed
Quick answer
On LG Refrigerator (2010s onward), dH is a fault. It means defrost did not complete in the time allowed. A first thing to check: Drain hole blocked with ice, so melt water refreezes around the evaporator.
- Applies to
- LG Refrigerator
- LG refrigerator codes · Refrigerator · 2010s onward
- Type of code
- Fault
- Urgency: Needs attention soon
- First safe check
- Look for heavy frost that survives a full day, which is the pattern a failed defrost makes and a working one does not.
What dH means on this model
The control spent more than an hour trying to defrost and the evaporator never reached its defrost temperature, so it gave up. A blocked drain hole with ice in it is the single most common reason, and the code appears hours after you last opened the door.
Symptoms you will notice
- Code appears hours after the cabinet was last opened
- Frost builds up on the freezer walls and never clears
- Freezer holds temperature for a while then warms steadily
- Defrost runs can be heard and the code still appears afterwards
Common causes
The code tells you what the control detected, not which part failed. These are the causes we see most often, roughly in order of likelihood:
- Drain hole blocked with ice, so melt water refreezes around the evaporator
- Defrost heater open, or a bimetal thermostat that has failed closed
- Temperature fuse in the defrost circuit open
- Ice bridging onto the evaporator from a drain that is not clearing
- Main control board not commanding the defrost properly
- Door gasket letting enough moist air in to outrun the defrost
What you can safely check
These are homeowner-level checks. None of them need you to open a live electrical compartment or work on gas.
- Look for heavy frost that survives a full day, which is the pattern a failed defrost makes and a working one does not.
- Check the drain hole at the back of the compartment for a plug of ice.
- Inspect the door gasket for tears or a gap that lets cold damp air in continuously.
Do not do these
- ×Do not chip ice off a coil with a knife or a screwdriver. Puncturing the tubing finishes the sealed system.
- ×Do not use a hair dryer or a heat gun to clear a coil. It softens the plastic lining and warps the pan.
- ×Do not leave a defrost fault running for weeks. The compressor works much harder against a iced coil and the food side warms.
When to call a technician
Book a technician, do not keep resetting it
This fault will not clear on its own. Every power cycle gives the control one more failed attempt, and repeated attempts are what turn a cheap part replacement into a seized or contaminated system.
- If the appliance has stopped mid-cycle, is making a noise you have not heard before, or smells burnt, stop reading here and call. Those are symptoms of something the fault code does not describe well enough.
Clearing a drain is straightforward. A heater, thermostat, or board is a technician job on most models.
What it costs to fix
Parts
Defrost heater $30 to $90. Thermostat or temperature fuse $20 to $70. Main board $150 to $400. Door gasket $80 to $220.
Labor
One to three hours. A full manual defrost and drain clearing adds to that.
DIY or technician
Clearing a drain is straightforward. A heater, thermostat, or board is a technician job on most models.
Typical US part and labor ranges, 2026. They vary by region, model and contractor, so treat them as a planning figure, not a quote.
Scope of this code
- Code table
- LG refrigerator codes
- Models in scope
- LG Refrigerator, 2015 onward
- Checked
- Confirm on your own unit
- Find the model number on the data plate, then check this code in the service manual for that model. Manufacturers revise code tables between model years, and a revised board can renumber a fault.