LG Dishwasher AE Error Code? Here's What's Actually Leaking (And How to Fix It)

Your LG dishwasher flashed AE, killed the cycle, and now there's water under the unit — and you need answers before the next load of dishes turns into a science project.

What's Actually Going On

The AE error on an LG dishwasher stands for "Aqua Error" — basically the machine's way of saying it found water where water has absolutely no business being. There's a float switch and leak sensor sitting in the base pan at the bottom of the unit, and when any amount of water pools down there, that sensor trips, kills the cycle, and flashes AE. It's a safety feature, not a glitch. Your dishwasher isn't broken — it's tattling on itself.

Now here's where people get confused: the AE error doesn't tell you why there's water in the base pan. It just tells you there is water. The actual leak could be coming from a loose door gasket, a cracked spray arm, a failing pump seal, a worn tub gasket, or — most commonly — a slow drip from the door seal that's been quietly working its way down to the pan over dozens of cycles. The leak sensor is doing its job fine. The problem is upstream.

That said, the leak sensor itself can also fail. If you've already dried out the base pan completely, confirmed there's no visible leak source, and the AE error keeps coming back almost immediately, you might be dealing with a sensor that's stuck in the "wet" position or a float that isn't resetting. At that point the sensor is the fix, not just the messenger.

The Fix

Here's how to work through this properly, step by step:

1. Kill the power. Unplug the unit or flip the breaker. Non-negotiable.
2. Pull the dishwasher out from under the counter. You need to get to the base pan underneath.
3. Remove the lower kickplate panel (usually 2-4 screws along the bottom front).
4. Locate and dry the base pan completely. Use towels, a sponge, a shop vac — whatever it takes. Get it bone dry.
5. Find the leak sensor / float switch sitting in the pan. It's a small plastic float assembly with a wiring harness attached. Check that the float moves freely up and down and isn't stuck elevated.
6. Trace the leak source. Run a short cycle with the dishwasher pulled out and watch for drips. Common culprits: the door gasket, the pump housing, or water inlet valve connections.
7. If the sensor itself is bad — stuck, cracked, or not resetting — replace the leak sensor. We stock the LG dishwasher leak sensor at YAP. Call or text 405-876-8100 and give us your full model number off the inside door jamb and we'll confirm the right part for your unit.
8. Reinstall, slide back in, run a full test cycle and watch that base pan stay dry.

Prices on LG dishwasher leak sensors vary by model, so we'll give you the real number when you call — no mystery pricing.

When to Call YAP vs. DIY

DIY this one if you're comfortable pulling the unit out, you can trace the leak source, and the fix is a straightforward sensor swap or door gasket replacement — this is firmly weekend-warrior territory.

Call YAP if you've dried the pan, can't find the leak source, and the AE error is back within one cycle — that's when you want a second set of eyes and the right part in hand before you waste another afternoon on it.

Swing by the Piedmont shop or text us at 405-876-8100 with your LG model number and we'll have your leak sensor pulled and ready. We're local, we're fast, and we'd rather sell you one right part than watch you guess your way through three wrong ones.