Medium - Inspection Needed

Fisher & Paykel Refrigerator Fault 16 (PC Fan Over-Current)

Fault 16 is logged when that same PC compartment fan draws more current than expected. F&P attributes it either to shorted wiring or to a fan that has failed in a way that loads the circuit - a motor dragging…

What Fault 16 Means

Fault 16 is logged when that same PC compartment fan draws more current than expected. F&P attributes it either to shorted wiring or to a fan that has failed in a way that loads the circuit - a motor dragging on its bearing will pull current far above its rating while barely turning.

Common Causes of Fault 16

  • Worn fan bearings loading the motor
  • A short in the fan wiring or connector
  • A motor winding that has partly shorted internally

🔧 One Safe Check You Can Try

If the fan is audible at all, note whether it sounds laboured, rattly, or slower than you remember. That detail is genuinely useful to the technician and costs you nothing to collect.

⚠ Why You Shouldn't Go Further Than That

  • Take the plug out before any panel is disturbed; an over-current condition is the wrong thing to investigate on a live circuit.
  • Bearing drag and a wiring short present identically in the log, and the repair for each is entirely different.
  • Running the cabinet to see whether the noise settles keeps feeding an overloaded circuit through the module that reported it.
  • The fan assembly is foam-sealed into its duct on many models, and a seal broken on removal lets cold air short-circuit the duct instead of reaching the compartment.

Opening a panel to inspect or repair something yourself doesn't automatically cancel your manufacturer's warranty — but it can risk accidental damage, and some manufacturers do have specific service conditions. Check your product's warranty terms, or ask us, before deciding.

Other Refrigerator Error Codes

Related Guides

Still Seeing Fault 16?

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FAQ

Fault 16 FAQ

A motor can keep turning while drawing far more current than it should, which is precisely the condition this code exists to catch before the winding gives out.

Not an emergency, but book it rather than living with it, because the failure it describes tends to get worse instead of stabilising.

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