Holiday or vacation mode is an energy-saving mode intended for use when the refrigerator will be left largely empty for an extended period — typically during travel. It raises the fresh food compartment temperature to save energy while usually keeping the freezer at its normal temperature.
What Triggers This Code?
Vacation mode is manually activated by the user through the control panel settings. It may display as HOL, VAC, or a similar code.
Signs That Vacation Mode Is Active
- The fresh food compartment is noticeably warmer than usual (often set to around 15°C)
- The freezer remains cold and normal
- The display shows a mode indicator rather than a fault code
- Energy consumption is noticeably reduced
Solutions
- Deactivate before loading food: Returning from a trip and loading fresh food into a compartment set to 15°C can accelerate spoilage. Turn off vacation mode first.
- Exit the mode: Press the vacation or holiday button again, or navigate to settings and deselect the mode. The display will return to normal temperature readouts.
- Allow time to recover: After exiting vacation mode, give the fresh food compartment 2–4 hours to return to its set temperature before judging performance.
- Not suitable for long-term use with food: Vacation mode is designed for empty or near-empty compartments. Do not use it with a full fridge.