Daikin Indoor Fan Fault
Daikin A6 Error Code
When a Daikin A6 error code appears, the indoor unit has noticed that its own fan is not behaving. The motor may be turning too slowly, drawing the wrong current or refusing to turn at all. Because the fan is what pushes conditioned air into your room, the system stops rather than risk icing the coil or overheating. Here is what sits behind the code and how it gets fixed.
Plain Meaning
What Is a Daikin A6 Fault?
A6 is an indoor fan motor fault. Modern Daikin indoor units use a motor that reports its speed back to the control board. The board compares the speed it asked for with the speed the motor reports. If the two do not match for long enough, or if the motor stops altogether, the board logs A6 and shuts the system down.
On some models the code also covers abnormal motor current. In other words, the motor may be turning but working far harder than it should. Either way, the message is the same. The indoor fan is not moving air the way the system expects.
It is worth noting that A6 does not automatically mean a dead motor. A jammed fan wheel, a loose plug or a fault on the board’s motor drive circuit can all produce the same code. Telling these apart is the core of the repair.
The Part Involved
Which Fan Does A6 Refer To?
A6 is about the indoor fan only. The outdoor fan has its own code. Inside a wall split, the indoor fan is a long barrel shaped wheel, sometimes called a cross flow or tangential fan, that spans the width of the unit. In ducted and cassette systems, the indoor fan is usually a round blower or centrifugal wheel.
The fan wheel
The wheel collects dust on its blades. Over years, that build up can unbalance it, slow it down or rub on the housing.
The motor
Bearings wear, windings fail and the small built in electronics in some motors can break down with age or heat.
The control link
Plugs, wires and the motor drive section on the indoor board carry power and speed signals. A weak link anywhere here can trigger A6.
Early Warnings
What Signs Often Come Before A6?
Fan motors rarely fail without warning. Many owners notice small changes weeks before the code appears. If any of these sound familiar, A6 is likely the end of a gradual process.
- A ticking, scraping or rhythmic knocking from the indoor unit.
- A low hum that gets louder at higher fan speeds.
- Airflow that feels weaker on the highest setting than it used to.
- The fan taking a few seconds to spin up after the unit starts.
- A wobble or vibration you can feel when touching the cover lightly.
- A faint hot or dusty smell when the fan first runs.
These signs point at the fan wheel or bearings rather than the electronics. In contrast, an A6 that arrives suddenly, with no noise beforehand, leans more toward a connection or board fault.
Reading the Code
How Is A6 Displayed on a Daikin?
On a wall split, A6 normally shows up as a blinking operation lamp, with the louvre closed and no airflow. Use the remote’s check function to read the stored code. On many Daikin remotes, you hold the Cancel or Timer Cancel button until 00 appears, then step through codes while aiming at the unit. A long beep confirms the match.
Ducted and cassette systems with a wired controller usually show A6 on screen. In a home with several indoor units on one controller, a unit number may also appear.
Sometimes you will notice the fault before any code. The system may start, hum, then go quiet a minute later. That pattern is typical of a board trying to start a fan, failing to see it turn, and giving up.
Likely Causes
What Causes a Daikin A6 Code?
The causes below are listed from the simplest to the most involved.
Mechanical causes
- A thick layer of dust and grime on the fan blades slowing the wheel
- A foreign object, such as a toy or a piece of paper, caught in the wheel
- Ice on the coil touching the fan in severe cases
- A fan wheel that has cracked or shifted on its shaft
- Worn motor bearings creating drag
Electrical causes
- A loose or corroded plug between the motor and the board
- Damaged wiring from rodents or insects in the unit
- Failed windings or failed internal electronics in the motor
- A fault in the fan drive section of the indoor board
On older wall splits that have not been cleaned in years, a dirty fan wheel is a frequent culprit. The blades slowly clog with a felt of dust and mould, and the motor cannot reach its target speed.
Owner Checks
What Can You Safely Check for A6?
The fan sits behind covers and close to live parts, so the owner checks for A6 are limited. Still, a few steps are worthwhile.
Note the code and any noises
Write down A6 and describe any sounds you heard in the days before, such as ticking or humming.Look through the outlet
With the system off, look through the louvre opening with a torch. If you can see an obvious object, do not reach in. Note it for the technician.Clean the filters
Remove and rinse the filters. Very dirty filters do not usually cause A6 on their own, but they add load to a struggling motor.Check the remote
Fresh batteries rule out a weak remote sending confused commands.Do one reset
Switch off at the breaker, wait about five minutes, then start the unit on a low fan speed. If it runs, step up slowly and listen.
Never spin the fan by hand through the louvre, poke tools inside or remove the front cover. Fan blades can cut fingers, and the motor connections carry mains power. If A6 returns, switch off and book a technician.
On Site
How Does a Technician Diagnose A6?
A technician will want to know whether the problem is the wheel, the motor or the signals between motor and board. The checks below follow that logic.
Turn the wheel by hand with power isolated
With the power safely off, the technician feels for drag, rubbing or a gritty bearing. A wheel that resists strongly points to a mechanical fault.
Inspect and clean the fan wheel
A heavily soiled wheel is cleaned, sometimes after removing it from the unit. This alone can restore normal speed on older systems.
Test the motor and its signals
Voltage to the motor and the speed feedback signal are measured. If the board sends the right power but the motor does not respond, the motor is likely faulty.
Check the board drive circuit
If the motor tests fine but receives no proper drive, the fault may sit on the indoor board instead.
Replace and test
The faulty part is replaced with one matched to the model. The technician then runs the system across all fan speeds to confirm smooth, quiet operation.
Running Safety
Should You Keep Running a Daikin With A6?
The system generally stops while A6 is active, and that protects it. An indoor coil with no air moving across it will freeze in cooling and overheat in heating. Forcing repeated restarts gives the compressor a hard time and can scorch a struggling motor.
If the system restarts and runs after a reset, watch it closely. Listen for noise, feel the airflow and check that the room is cooling or heating normally. However, if A6 returns, leave it off. A motor that keeps stalling may overheat, and you want to avoid any burning smell or melting plastic.
If you ever smell burning or see smoke from the indoor unit, turn it off at the breaker at once and keep it off until checked.
System Differences
Is A6 More Likely on Some Daikin Systems?
Any Daikin with a monitored indoor fan can show A6. That said, the way the fault develops varies by system type, and so does the repair.
Wall splits
The long fan wheel is close to the room and picks up kitchen grease, pet hair and mould. In bedrooms and living areas where the unit runs for many hours a day, the wheel can clog slowly over several years. A deep clean often brings it back to life.
Ducted units
Ducted blowers are bigger and push air through long ducts. They face more resistance, so a motor that is getting weaker shows up as poor airflow across all rooms. Heat in roof spaces also ages motors and their electronics.
Multi split homes have one indoor fan per head. Consequently, only the affected room loses airflow, and the others keep working. That makes A6 easy to locate but no less important to fix.
Repair or Replace
Is an A6 Repair Usually Worth Doing?
Owners often ask whether a fan fault is the beginning of the end for their system. In most cases it is not. The indoor fan is a serviceable part, and a cleaned wheel or a new motor can give an otherwise healthy unit many more years of use.
Still, a few factors shape the decision. Age matters, because parts for older models can be harder to find. The general condition of the unit matters too. If the coil is corroded, the plastics are brittle and the remote has stopped working, a technician may suggest weighing up the bigger picture.
Ultimately, the choice is yours. A good technician explains what they found, what the options are and what each involves, without pressure. Our role is booking the visit, not selling new systems, so the conversation stays focused on your unit.
- Ask what part failed and why, so you understand the fault.
- Ask whether the rest of the indoor unit looks healthy.
- Ask whether a clean alone might solve it before parts are ordered.
- Keep any replaced parts if you would like to see them.
Local Conditions
Can Climate and Environment Wear Out Indoor Fans?
Yes, though indirectly. Long, hot summers in Perth and Adelaide mean indoor fans run for many hours a day across several months. More running time naturally means more bearing wear. Similarly, Melbourne households that rely on reverse cycle heating through winter add another long season of use.
Humidity is the other factor. In Brisbane and coastal Sydney, the damp air that passes the coil also wets the fan wheel. Dust that settles on a damp wheel sticks firmly and can encourage mould. Over time, that sticky layer builds into the felt that slows a fan down.
Bushfire smoke and dust storms also load fan wheels with fine particles. After a smoky season, a professional clean is a sensible step even if the unit seems fine.
Power quality matters too. Fan motors with built in electronics can be sensitive to surges. In storm prone parts of south east Queensland and the New South Wales coast, a lightning season can damage a motor’s control circuit without any obvious sign. If A6 appears for the first time straight after a big storm, mention that when you book, since it helps the technician focus on the electronics first.
Getting a Technician Out
How Do You Arrange an A6 Repair?
We book air conditioning repairs and send licensed technicians, rather than selling or manufacturing units. When you call, let us know the A6 code, any noises you heard, your model number and whether it is a wall split or ducted system. That helps the technician prepare for a clean, a motor or a board.
Bookings are available through our repair pages for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. If the fan wheel just needs a deep clean, our Melbourne hub and Sydney split system service pages explain what servicing covers. Our Daikin air conditioning page and our Melbourne page cover the brand more broadly.
Related Codes
Which Daikin Codes Are Linked to A6?
A failing indoor fan can trigger other codes, especially ones about the coil or the board.
A5, coil protection
Weak airflow from a slowing fan can freeze or overheat the coil before A6 is logged.
A1, indoor board fault
A shorted fan motor can drag down the board’s supply and lead to a board fault code.
E7, outdoor fan motor
E7 is the outdoor fan equivalent. It is a separate fault in a separate unit.
A3, drain level
A coil iced by poor airflow can melt into the drain pan quickly and trip the float switch.
You will find every code on the Daikin error codes hub and the main error codes page.
Good to Know
How Can You Extend the Life of an Indoor Fan?
Simple habits can delay fan problems for years.
Open more detail
Keep filters clean. Filters stop most dust before it reaches the fan wheel, so a clean filter means a cleaner fan.
Run fan only mode for a short while after cooling on humid days, if your model allows it. Drying the inside of the unit discourages mould on the coil and fan wheel.
Book a professional clean every so often. A technician can clean the fan wheel properly, which is hard to do without removing parts.
Do not ignore new noises. A ticking or humming fan is far cheaper to deal with early than after the motor has burnt out. Our troubleshooting guide has more on common air conditioner noises.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a dirty fan wheel really cause A6?
Yes. Heavy dust and mould on the blades add weight and drag, so the motor cannot reach its target speed. Cleaning often fixes it.
Is A6 the same as the outdoor fan fault?
No. A6 is the indoor fan. The outdoor fan has its own code, E7, which involves a different motor in a different unit.
Why does my Daikin start then stop with A6?
The board tries to start the fan, does not see it turning at the right speed, and stops the system. That points to the fan, motor or its wiring.
Can I clean the fan wheel myself?
We recommend leaving it to a technician. Reaching the wheel means opening the unit, and the blades and wiring make it risky.
Will the technician always replace the motor?
No. The wheel, the plug and the board are tested first. A motor is replaced only when testing shows it is the faulty part.
Does A6 happen more after a long time unused?
It can. A unit left idle for months may start with a sticky bearing or a wheel coated in settled dust. If A6 appears on the first warm day, that is a likely reason.
My unit was noisy for weeks before A6. Is that related?
Very likely. Ticking, rubbing or humming often comes from worn bearings or a dirty wheel, which can lead to A6.
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Indoor Fan Stopped With A6?
Switch the system off and call us. We will book a licensed technician to test the fan wheel, motor and board.
Reviewed by AC repair and service specialist on 22 October 2026. How we write our articles