Foster Fridge and Freezer Error Codes: hi, Lo, PF, tA and More

Foster EcoPro G3 fridges and freezers show a short code in place of the temperature. hi and Lo are high and low temperature alarms, dO means the door is open, tA and tE are failures of the internal air probe and the evaporator probe, HC means the condenser is too hot, Cnd that its clean interval has expired, and PF that the power has been off. On a G3, PF is cancelled by pressing button 3 once.

These codes come from Foster's own user and service manuals, published on Foster's spares site. Foster's G2, G3 and Xtra ranges use similar codes with small differences, so check which range your cabinet is before acting on any list.

At a glance

Code	What it means	What to do first
hi	Temperature higher than it should be	Close the door and make sure loading is not blocking the airflow
Lo	Temperature lower than it should be	Check nothing was loaded colder than the normal operating temperature
dO	Door open	Close the door to cancel the alarm
tA	Internal temperature probe failed	Remove the stock, switch the appliance off and call for service
tE	Evaporator probe failed	Call for service
HC	Condenser temperature too high	Reduce the room temperature if it is very hot, then call for service if it persists
Cnd	Condenser clean period expired	Arrange a condenser clean
PF	Power has been off and is now restored	Check the stock is still safe, then press button 3 once (G3) or button 1 once (Xtra)
oFF	Appliance in standby	Switch it on. Not a fault

Source: Foster G3 cabinet user manual (00-570480) and Xtra cabinet service manual (00-570677).

Foster EcoPro G3 codes in Foster's words

Foster's G3 cabinet user manual explains that the current temperature is normally displayed, and "At certain times this will change to indicate a particular appliance operation or fault."

Code	What Foster says
hi	The internal temperature of the appliance is higher than it should be. Ensure that the door is closed and that the air flow inside is not obstructed by excessive or poor loading of product. The alarm will reset if the temperature falls to a normal level. If this does not happen please contact your authorised dealer or Foster Service
Lo	The internal temperature of the appliance is lower than it should be. Check to ensure that the appliance has not been loaded with product at a lower temperature than the normal appliance operating temperature. If this is not the case please call your authorised dealer or Foster Service
dO	The appliance door is open. Close the door to cancel the alarm
tA	The internal temperature probe has failed. Call your authorised dealer or Foster Service to arrange for this to be replaced. During this time the appliance cannot maintain an accurate temperature and all product should be removed and the appliance switched off
tE	The evaporator probe has failed. Call your authorised dealer or Foster Service to arrange for this to be replaced
HC	The condenser temperature is higher than it should be. If the appliance is being subjected to particularly high ambient temperatures steps should be taken to reduce this. If the ambient temperature is not high or reducing the temperature does not rectify the fault please contact your authorised dealer or Foster Service
Cnd	The condenser clean period has expired. Please contact your authorised dealer or Foster Service
PF	The mains power has been removed from the appliance for a period of time and has now been restored. This may have resulted in a rise in appliance temperature. Caution should be taken when using products stored within to ascertain whether these products are suitable for use
oFF	The appliance is in standby. Switch it on

How to reset a PF power failure alarm

PF is one of the most searched Foster codes, because it often appears after a power cut or a tripped circuit and stays on the display until someone clears it. According to Foster, on restoration of the power supply the appliance resumes normal operation, and the PF can be cancelled by pressing button 3 once on a G3 cabinet. On Xtra cabinets, Foster's service manual gives the same message with button 1.

Before you clear it, check the stock. PF means the cabinet may have warmed up while the power was off, and Foster's advice is to take care to establish whether the products stored inside are still suitable for use. Our guide to chilled food temperature rules covers what that means for a food business.

Foster EcoPro G2 cabinets and counters

Older EcoPro G2 cabinets and counters use the FD1-11 controller. Foster's G2 operating manual lists alarms for an air probe (T1) failure, an evaporator probe (T2) failure, a condenser probe (T3) failure, and a mains power failure warning. For the power failure warning, Foster says the alarm sounds after a power cut that has affected the cabinet's internal air temperature, the cabinet continues operating once power is restored, and the warning stays until it is acknowledged on the keypad. Foster recommends inspecting the contents.

Depending on how the controller is set up, a G2 can also show HC for a condenser warning, HP for a high pressure warning where a pressure switch is fitted, and AL for an alarm input.

Before calling for service

Foster's G2 operating manual lists the checks to make first:

• The plug has not come out of the socket and the mains supply is on, so check the controller is lit.
• The unit is not in standby.
• The fuse for the cabinet is intact.

The G3 manual adds that if the display shows oFF, the appliance is in standby and needs switching on, and that pressing button 3 for 3 seconds turns the unit on or into standby.

Foster BCT blast chillers and BFT blast freezers

Foster's blast chillers and freezers use a touchscreen controller rather than short codes. According to Foster's BCT and BFT operating instructions, as long as an alarm is not detrimental to the cycle, the process continues, but a red alarm bell flashes alongside the home page icon until it is acknowledged. Pressing the bell opens the alarm history, showing when and what alarm was silenced. Alarms that need an engineer stay in the active list, and all alarms remain in the history until an engineer deletes them.

Safety and cleaning

• Before cleaning, Foster says to put the unit into standby and then turn the power off at the mains, and not to plug or unplug the unit with wet hands.
• Never use wire wool, scouring pads or powders, or strong alkaline cleaning agents such as bleaches, acids and chlorines.
• Make sure the power is off before any electrical repair, and do not touch the cold surfaces of a freezer compartment with damp hands.

When to call an engineer

• tA, straight away, after removing the stock, because the cabinet cannot control its temperature.
• tE, or a T1, T2 or T3 probe failure on a G2.
• hi that returns with the door shut and the cabinet loaded properly.
• HC that persists when the room is not unusually hot, or a Cnd condenser clean reminder.
• A repeated PF alarm with no known power cut, which may point to the supply or a tripping circuit.

Our commercial refrigeration repair team works on Foster cabinets and counters across London, and planned refrigeration maintenance includes the condenser cleaning that stops HC and Cnd appearing. For a cabinet that will not hold temperature, see our guide to commercial fridges that stop cooling.

Questions people ask about Foster fridge codes

What does PF mean on a Foster fridge?

PF means the mains power was removed for a period and has now been restored, which may have let the temperature rise. Check the stock is still safe, then cancel PF by pressing button 3 once on an EcoPro G3, or button 1 once on an Xtra cabinet.

How do I reset a Foster fridge?

Most Foster alarms reset themselves when the cause clears, such as hi when the temperature falls back to normal or dO when the door closes. PF needs cancelling with a button press. On a G3, pressing button 3 for 3 seconds switches the unit on or into standby.

What does hi mean on a Foster fridge?

hi means the internal temperature is higher than it should be. Foster says to make sure the door is closed and that the airflow is not blocked by excessive or poor loading. The alarm resets when the temperature returns to normal. If it does not, contact Foster Service or your dealer.

What does tA mean on a Foster fridge?

tA means the internal temperature probe has failed. Foster says the appliance cannot maintain an accurate temperature, so all product should be removed and the appliance switched off until the probe is replaced.

What does Cnd mean on a Foster fridge?

Cnd means the condenser clean period has expired. It is a reminder that the condenser needs cleaning, which keeps the cabinet efficient and prevents high condenser temperature alarms.

What does HC mean on a Foster fridge?

HC means the condenser temperature is higher than it should be. Foster says to reduce the room temperature if it is particularly high, and to contact service if the room is not hot or the alarm continues.

Keeping a Foster cabinet on temperature

Most Foster codes are the cabinet asking for something simple: a closed door, better loading, a cooler room or a condenser clean. The ones that need an engineer are the probe failures and anything that keeps coming back. Note the code and the model, and we can take it from there.

Last updated: 4 November 2026