Hobart Commercial Dishwasher Error Code SUMP LEVEL SENSOR: Open/Short
SUMP LEVEL SENSOR with Service Required and OPEN or SHORT on a Hobart LXe dishwasher means the sump pressure switch is out of range. Nothing will run: the machine permits only power down, so switch it off and call service.
High: the control stops the machine when it cannot read the sump level.
- Code
- SUMP LEVEL SENSOR - Service Required - OPEN or SHORT
- Maker
- Hobart
- Equipment
- Dish machines
- Applies to
- LXe Series
What does Hobart SUMP LEVEL SENSOR - Service Required - OPEN mean?
The sump is the low point of the tank, and the machine senses how full it is with a pressure switch. The control expects a signal within a set range. If the switch circuit reads open or shorted, the display shows SUMP LEVEL SENSOR / Service Required (Service Phone Number) / OPEN or SHORT. With no valid level reading, the control cannot fill safely or tell when the sump is full, so it stops and allows power down only. The manual tells the operator to power down and call service. This message differs from FILL ERROR and DRAIN ERROR: those come from the water level behaving wrongly, while this one points at the sensor that measures the level. The sensor is a switch connected to the sump through a small tube, so a loose tube or damaged wire can produce the same message. A technician therefore checks the tube and wiring before condemning the switch, since either cheap cause can mimic a failed part.
Affected models and control systems
Hobart LXe series: LXeC (ML-130191), LXeH (ML-130192), LXePR (ML-130193) and LXeR (ML-130194).
Code numbers and their meaning can change between control generations. We match the full model and control before acting on a code.
What you may notice
- SUMP LEVEL SENSOR Service Required on the display
- OPEN or SHORT beneath the message
- Machine locked out and only allows power down
Possible causes
Likely causes — what usually sits behind SUMP LEVEL SENSOR - Service Required - OPEN on this control. A technician confirms which one it is before any part is replaced.
- Sump pressure switch out of range
- Pressure sensing tube loose or kinked
- Switch wiring or connector damaged
- Pressure switch itself failed
- Moisture in the switch connector
Safe checks before calling for service
- Power down as the manual says and restart once.
- Note whether the display says OPEN or SHORT.
- Check for water leaking under the machine.
- Write down the service phone number for the call.
How a technician diagnoses SUMP LEVEL SENSOR - Service Required - OPEN
- Read OPEN or SHORT on the display.
- Check the pressure sensing tube from the sump to the switch.
- Test the switch and its wiring with a meter.
- Inspect the connector for moisture or corrosion.
- Replace the switch, tube or wire and run a fill test.
- The switch wiring and tube are inside a machine with standing water and 208-240 V circuits.
- Verifying the signal at different levels requires service tools.
How SUMP LEVEL SENSOR - Service Required - OPEN differs from similar codes
SUMP LEVEL SENSOR is the sump switch; BOOSTER LEVEL SENSOR is the equivalent for the booster on LXeH and LXeR models.
Technical reference
- Maker documentation
- Hobart owner support
- Edition
- FORM 38435 (March 2014)
- Models / control
- LXe Series
- Section
- DIAGNOSTIC/ERROR MESSAGES (page 27)
- Checked
- October 2026
We use the maker's document to read the code and do not reproduce it. Always confirm the complete model and control before applying these steps.
Related Hobart dish machine error codes
What is the sump pressure switch?
It senses how full the tank is.
Can I run the machine?
No. It only allows power down.
Is it related to FILL ERROR?
Possibly, but this message means the sensor reading itself is out of range.
Need help with Hobart SUMP LEVEL SENSOR - Service Required - OPEN?
A technician confirms the cause on site and gives you the price in writing before any work starts.