Samsung Dishwasher Error Codes List: Every Code Explained

Every Samsung dishwasher error code we could verify against Samsung's own documentation — what it means, what usually causes it, and the first fix to try — in one table. Codes differ between model series, so treat your model's tech sheet as the final word.

How to read and retrieve error codes on Samsung dishwashers

Samsung dishwashers have a service/test mode on many models (entered with a button combination such as holding Normal + Power or a Delicate/Heavy pairing, model-dependent) that runs each component — fill, wash motor, drain, heater, dispenser — and displays stored codes. The combination for your model is in the service manual; the user manual does not document it.

The complete Samsung dishwasher error code list

How to reset / clear error codes on Samsung dishwashers

Samsung dishwashers clear most codes when you cancel the cycle (hold Start/Cancel for about 3 seconds so the machine drains), then cut power at the breaker for 5 minutes. Restore power and run a short cycle. Leak-related codes (LC) will return immediately if water is still sitting in the base pan — the reset cannot clear water that is physically still there.

How to diagnose any Samsung dishwasher code

Work the problem in this order: (1) record the code exactly, including any flashing tap or salt/rinse-aid symbols shown with it; (2) establish the water story — is there water in the base, is the tub dry, did the cycle stop early or never start — because dishwasher codes split into leak, fill, drain and heating families; (3) run the external checks first: supply tap and inlet hose for fill codes, filters, sump and drain hose for drain codes, and for leak codes, dry the base and watch where water appears on a short test cycle; (4) clear the code and re-run the shortest programme while observing — most dishwasher faults announce themselves in the first ten minutes; (5) replace parts last, in the order the code family suggests. A leak code in particular should never be cleared and ignored: the float that raised it is the only thing between a small leak and a floor.

Samsung dishwasher codes: two dialects and a set of lights

Samsung dishwashers report faults three ways. Older models use the E-family (E1-E9 style codes); current WaterWall and DW80-series models use two-character codes (3C, 4C, 5C, LC, OC and relatives) that share their dialect with Samsung washers — 4C is water supply, 5C is drain, LC is a leak; and models without a display report through combinations of blinking cycle lights, which are codes in their own right, documented separately on this site. Read your machine in its own dialect: a code list for the wrong generation will confidently mislead you.

Leak codes and the base pan: the Samsung pattern

Samsung's most consequential dishwasher fault family is the leak family (LC, and LE on some series): a moisture sensor in the base pan reports water where no water should be, and the machine stops and drains in response. The pan can hold water from a genuine leak — a split hose, a door seal, an over-sudsing cycle pushing foam past seals — or from a one-off event like a tipped-over bowl releasing its water late in the cycle. The code cannot tell you which; drying the base and watching a short test cycle to see whether and where water returns is the diagnosis, and a leak code should never simply be cleared and forgotten.

The most searched Samsung dishwasher codes, in detail

3C — Wash motor (circulation pump) error

Samsung's owner-facing wording for 3C is deliberately plain: 'Pump operation error — the pump has failed' (Samsung US), or 'Pump operation check' (Samsung AU and the DW80B-series manual). Samsung UK describes the presentation exactly: the dishwasher fills but never begins active washing, shows no spray action, and stops. The pump in question is the circulation (wash) pump that drives the spray arms — Samsung's dishwasher service documentation names it directly, listing the 3C causes as a foreign object entered in the circulation pump and the pump stuck, the circulation pump out of order, the main PBA out of order, and the inverter PBA out of order. Without circulation there is no wash, which is why a 3C machine can fill and drain normally yet clean nothing. (Verified from dishwasher documentation only — not from the washer or dryer 3C entries.) 3C shows the two layers of Samsung's documentation working as designed. The owner layer is almost terse — pump operation check, turn it off and on, service if it persists — because at that layer the only honest information is the presentation Samsung UK spells out: fills, no spray action, stops. The service layer, in Samsung's own service documentation, is where the code gets its anatomy: a BLDC circulation pump whose failure modes are mechanical (a foreign object, a stuck pump) or electronic (the pump out of order, the main PBA out of order, the inverter PBA out of order). Keeping the layers separate is what makes the page useful: owners get Samsung's exact test and stopping rule, and the service visit starts from Samsung's actual suspect list instead of a guess.

Most likely cause: Debris jammed in the wash pump — Glass and hard debris pass the filter and stall the impeller.

First check: Listen to a cycle: fill and drain sounds normal, but the wash phase is quiet or stops — that pattern is 3C's signature.

If it keeps coming back: 3C returning after a motor swap means the drive board or harness is at fault — stop swapping and get a diagnosis. A 3C that returns after the restart has already told you the most important thing — it is not transient — and its timing refines the branch. Returning at the same point in every cycle, just as washing should begin, matches the service manual's stuck-pump story most closely, especially with a glass-breakage or filter history behind it. Returning at varying points, or alongside other electrical oddities, leans toward the PBA branches the same table lists. Either way, Samsung's route does not change: the code goes to service with the pattern recorded. What should not happen is a parts guess at home — on this platform a wrong guess means opening a built-in dishwasher to replace a pump whose drive board was the fault, and earning the same 3C for the effort.

4C — Water supply error

4C on a Samsung dishwasher is the same supply fault the washer line uses: the control opened the inlet valve, watched the level/flow, and did not see the machine fill in time. Supply problems (tap, hose, pressure) and the valve's inlet screen are the usual causes; the valve itself and the flow/level sensing follow. 4C rewards being read as a sentence about timing. The dishwasher does not measure whether water exists at the tap; it opens its valve and judges the fill it actually gets against the time it should take. Everything Samsung lists for the code is a way for that judged fill to fall short: a valve closed or frozen or worn, a filter furred with foreign substances, a hose that bends, folds or — in the FloodSafe case Samsung Canada singles out — restricts by design, a house whose pressure dips under load, and finally the control that does the judging. That is also why 4C is shared, almost word for word, with Samsung's washers: the judged-fill logic and its causes are a Samsung platform idea, not a dishwasher idea. The practical moral is that 4C is rarely a broken dishwasher; it is a supply being measured and found wanting, and the machine is the most accurate pressure gauge in the house precisely because it complains in writing.

Most likely cause: Supply tap off or partly open — Especially after under-sink work.

First check: Confirm the under-sink tap is fully open and test flow at the tap if a hose can be diverted to a bucket.

If it keeps coming back: Returning 4C at busy household times points to pressure sag; returning always points back to the valve or its screen re-clogging (house sediment). A 4C that returns after the obvious fixes sorts its remaining causes by timing. Returning within days of an inlet-filter clean means the line is feeding the filter a continuing diet of sediment — building work, a deteriorating supply pipe, a water heater shedding scale — and the durable fix is at that source. Returning only at busy household times is pressure sag, proven by running the dishwasher alone at a quiet hour. Returning from the very next cycle after a valve replacement, with supply proven strong, closes the owner's list: Samsung's final 4C cause is the control board, and that is a service diagnosis.

5C — Drain error

5C (older/letter displays: SC, some OE) is Samsung's dishwasher drain fault. The control ran the drain pump and the level sensor said the water was still there. The dishwasher drain chain is short — filter, pump, hose, air gap/sink — and the blockage is in it in the great majority of cases, with filter condition the single biggest factor. Samsung UK's 5C row states the mechanism more precisely than the short definition most owners find: 'The control expects the water level to drop but detects no change.' That sentence explains the code's timing — 5C is not set when the pump starts or stops, but when a drain the control has commanded produces no fall in level within the time allowed, which is why the code can appear on a machine whose pump audibly runs. Samsung prints the drain family with several spellings for the same fault: its US page lists '5C, SC, 5E, SE — Drain error: the dishwasher can't drain', its Canadian page adds SR to the group, and its Australian page files the whole thing as a 'Drain check'. Samsung UK also publishes the branch code that subdivides this one: 5C2, where 'the dishwasher attempts to drain, but the pump either fails to start, runs only briefly or stalls'. A plain 5C with a pump that runs and a level that will not fall belongs to the drain path; the 5C2 presentation — a pump that will not start properly or stalls — belongs to the pump and the sump. Keeping the two apart is what decides whether you are cleaning a hose or booking a pump diagnosis, and Samsung's own lists are what draw the line.

Most likely cause: Matted sump filter — The leading cause; a greasy filter slows drain to a timeout.

First check: Wash the filter assembly in hot soapy water and retest with Cancel/Drain.

If it keeps coming back: If 5C returns within a few cycles of cleaning, the blockage is downstream (house line) or the pump is dying under load. Samsung's own two-row structure defines the honest endings for a returning 5C. If the code returns with the pump running steadily, the restriction is still in the path — and the section most often missed on the second pass is the one Samsung UK puts first: the drainage system outside the machine, on the sink side. If the presentation changes to a pump that fails to start, runs briefly or stalls, your fault has declared itself as the 5C2 branch, and further hose-cleaning is work in the wrong place: with the sump inspected and clear, Samsung's route for a persisting drain error is its service centre. Record which of the two presentations you have — steady pump, standing level, or stalling pump — because that single distinction is the diagnosis the visit starts from.

7C — Water-level / wash-system error on WaterWall models

7C is specific to Samsung's WaterWall dishwashers, where a moving reflector vane sweeps the water wall across the tub instead of a rotating lower arm. 7C reports that the vane's movement or position sensing failed — the reflector motor didn't move the vane as expected or its position switch didn't confirm it. Standard dishwashers without WaterWall never show 7C. Samsung documents this code under two spellings and, usefully, in two different levels of detail. Samsung US's dedicated WaterWall page is titled for 7E but its first sentence covers both: 'The Waterwall reflector error (7E or 7C) occurs on your dishwasher when the WaterWall reflector is unable to move. This means something is blocking or holding it in place. It can also happen if it has not been reattached correctly.' Samsung UK's code table carries the 7C spelling as its own row and describes the presentation from the owner's side of the door: the dishwasher briefly attempts to move the bar, then stops, resulting in no spray action and extremely poor cleaning. Samsung Canada's list files the same fault under 7E as 'Waterwall reflector movement issues'. Three Samsung sources, one fault, two spellings — which is why this page treats 7C and 7E as the same code with the same handling. One honest difference between the sources is worth recording rather than smoothing over: Samsung US publishes a full owner procedure (the checks and fix below) and says it is exceptionally rare for this code to require service, while Samsung UK's row gives no owner steps at all and simply directs owners to contact Samsung Support. Follow the US procedure where you are; know that Samsung's own regional guidance differs on how much of it is owner work.

Most likely cause: Object obstructing the vane track — A fallen utensil or food debris in the reflector's rail stops travel.

First check: Empty the lower rack and inspect the reflector vane and its full track for obstructions or damage.

If it keeps coming back: 7C returning after clearing the track suggests the motor gearing is worn — it will stall at the same track position repeatedly. A 7C that returns after a correct reseat usually returns for one of the two documented reasons owners miss on the first pass: the reflector has been put back in the wrong orientation again (re-check the logo — forward and upwards — rather than assuming the first reseat held), or something in the loading keeps reaching the reflector's path, in which case the code will correlate with particular loads and the fix is loading practice around the lower rack. Samsung US's own framing sets the limit: it is exceptionally rare for this code to require service, but a code that continues once you are confident the assembly is correct and the machine has been power cycled — or any visible damage to the vane, rail or shuttle — is exactly the case its Support Center route exists for. Note Samsung UK's stricter stance as well: its 7C row offers no owner procedure and directs owners to Samsung Support, so a returning 7C is a defensible service call on either region's guidance.

LC — Leak error

Samsung dishwashers carry a leak sensor in the base. When water reaches it — from a leaking hose, a split sump seal, an overfill, or even foam overflowing the tub — the machine stops, drains, and shows LC (rendered LE on some displays). The sensor is very sensitive and also trips when the machine is tilted during installation or when excess suds push water over the tub lip. LC is a 'find the water' code: the sensor almost never fails itself.

Most likely cause: A genuine small leak — Inlet hose washer, sump seal, spray-arm crack hitting the door, or a perished tub gasket — drips collect in the base until the sensor trips.

First check: Cancel and drain the cycle; open the door and check for foam (suds cause) vs. clear water.

If it keeps coming back: LC that returns every few cycles means a slow drip you haven't caught — run the machine pulled out for one full cycle and watch. LC returning immediately after drying, with no water present, suggests a contaminated or damaged sensor — clean its electrodes first.

OC — Overflow error

OC means the water level rose beyond what the control expects. On Samsung dishwashers the frequent story is not a flood of water but foam: oversudsing pushes the level sensing around and can push water over the tub lip, while a genuinely overfilling machine points at the inlet valve not closing or the level/flow sensing misreading. The machine stops and drains. Samsung US lists the code as 'OC, 0C, oE — over-level water error: there is more water in the dishwasher than there should be', and routes it to the same drain-and-overflow guide as its drain codes — because water that cannot drain out is one of the ways a tub ends up over-level. It is worth noticing how Samsung itself files this code, because the filing corrects the instinct to treat OC as purely a fill-side fault. Samsung US gives OC its own entry ('over-level water error') but sends you to the drain-and-overflow guide for the work; Samsung UK groups OC with OE as 'a drain or overflow error'; and the DW80 manual's solution column for over-level is a shutdown-and-service instruction, not a parts list. Read together, Samsung's position is: establish which side of the tub is misbehaving — water coming in too much or water not going out — using the presentation (foam, continuous filling sound, puddles, drain behaviour), fix the owner-level causes on the drain and detergent side, and treat a confirmed, unexplained over-level as a functional error for its service centre.

Most likely cause: Oversudsing — Wrong detergent, rinse-aid spill, or residue from pre-washing with washing-up liquid.

First check: Open the door: foam filling the tub = detergent problem first.

If it keeps coming back: OC returning with suds means detergent build-up in the sump — several empty hot cycles may be needed. Returning with clear water means the valve or sensing is still at fault. OC that returns tells you which check was skipped. Returning with foam after a detergent correction usually means residue is still living in the sump and filter area — Samsung's drain-area clean has to be thorough, and the filter parts correctly reassembled, or each hot cycle re-foams the remainder. Returning with clear water and a filling sound is the valve branch declaring itself; Samsung's posture for that branch is valve closed, breaker off, service booked. Returning only when the sink has been heavily used points outside the machine entirely — the 30-second sink test result is the evidence, and that recurrence is a plumber's job, not a second dishwasher repair.

Less common and model-specific codes

Search data shows owners also meet these codes on Samsung dishwashers: A5, B3, C1, C3, C4, C5, C7, CL, CO, DC1, DC3, E1, E15, E2, E24, E25, E3, E4, E8, EC, F1, F3, F5, F8E4, F9, FE, I20, IC, NE, O3, SC1, U1. They are not part of the core code list Samsung publishes for most models — several are series-specific, abbreviated display readings, or codes carried over from a sister platform — so we do not publish meanings for them rather than guess. Treat them by symptom: note what the machine was doing when the code appeared (filling, draining, heating, spinning), run one full power cycle (5 minutes off), and if the code returns, match the symptom to the closest documented family in the table above and check the tech sheet stored inside your machine for the model-specific definition.

Deep-dive guides for the most searched codes

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Facts on this page were checked against manufacturer documentation: www.samsung.com · www.samsung.com · www.samsung.com · www.samsung.com · www.samsung.com · www.samsung.com · mans.io · www.notice-facile.com · www.notice-facile.com · manuals.plus · downloadcenter.samsung.com