The whirlpool refrigerator po code is one of the friendliest alerts your fridge can show: it simply means the unit detected a power outage long enough for interior temperatures to rise. On French Door models such as the WRF560SFHZ and Side-by-Side units like the WRS571CIHZ, Whirlpool logs the event so you can check whether food climbed into the danger zone. PO is not a broken part — it is a food-safety reminder.
What the whirlpool refrigerator po code is telling you
PO stands for Power Outage. When household power drops or flickers — from a utility outage, a tripped GFCI, or a loose cord — the control board notes that the compressor stopped and the cabinet may have warmed. The flashing PO and a paused ice maker are the symptoms; the hardware itself is usually fine once power is steady again.
How to clear it
- Confirm power is restored: check the cord, the outlet, and the breaker, and reset the GFCI if one is in the circuit.
- Hold the OK or Lock button for about three seconds to clear the PO alert.
- Check food safety: anything held above 40°F for more than two hours should be discarded.
- Verify temperatures recover to 37°F (fresh food) and 0°F (freezer) over the next few hours.
The full reset procedure and food-safety notes are on our dedicated PO power-outage code page.
When PO keeps coming back
If PO reappears with no real outage, the problem is usually electrical: a loose plug, a worn outlet, an over-loaded circuit, or a control board that misreads voltage. Plug the fridge into a known-good dedicated outlet rather than a power strip, and watch for the alert to recur. A board that repeatedly logs phantom outages may need replacement, which is a job for a technician.
Related alerts
Do not confuse PO with the HI high-temperature warning, which signals an actual cooling failure rather than a power event. If you see HI after a PO, the cabinet warmed during the outage and is still recovering — give it several hours before assuming a fault.
Stopping it from coming back
If you live somewhere with frequent brownouts or flickering power, a few habits cut down on repeat PO alerts. Plug the refrigerator directly into a dedicated, grounded outlet rather than sharing a circuit with a microwave, toaster, or space heater that can momentarily sag the voltage. Avoid running the fridge through a cheap power strip or a long extension cord, both of which add resistance and can trip the board into reading an outage. If your home is prone to surges from storms, a quality surge protector rated for major appliances protects the control board from the spikes that often follow an outage. And make sure the cord is fully seated in the outlet — a plug that has worked loose over years of vibration is a surprisingly common cause of phantom PO codes that vanish the moment the plug is reseated. It also helps to know that PO is purely a record-keeping alert: once you have cleared it and confirmed the food is safe, the fridge owes you nothing further, and there is no hidden damage to chase. If the alert never reappears, you can simply forget about it.
When to call a technician
Repeated false PO alerts, a fridge that will not recover its temperature, or a control board you suspect is failing are worth a professional look. Our independent specialists diagnose Whirlpool control and power issues using genuine OEM parts, with a 30-day labor warranty and pricing from a trip-and-diagnostic fee depending on the diagnosis. You can book a Whirlpool refrigerator service visit online in a couple of minutes. For owner manuals and model documentation, visit Whirlpool. In most cases, though, PO clears with a three-second button hold and a quick food check.
