On a Samsung washer, 4C (4E) means no water is coming in, 5C (5E) means it will not drain, UE (Ub, UR) is an unbalanced load, dC (dE) is a door that is not closed or locked, OC (OE) is too much water, LC (LE) is a leak or a dropping water level, 3C is the motor, SUd is too many suds, and HC and tC are the heater and its sensor. Switch the breaker off for a few minutes, open both supply valves, check the drain hose and the pump filter, spread the load and shut the door firmly. A code that comes back after that usually means a failed part and needs a technician.
Cactus Appliance is an Irvine repair shop that works on Samsung washers across Orange County: WF42, WF45 and WF50 front loaders, WA40 to WA52 top loaders, FlexWash, AddWash and Bespoke. Below: the codes from the Samsung manuals, what each usually means once the machine is apart, and what to check first.
Try this first
- Cut power at the breaker. No reset button here: cut the breaker or pull the plug, wait three to five minutes, restore power and run a short cycle. A glitch clears; a failed part brings the code back.
- Open both water valves. Hot and cold fully open, hoses straight, hot hose on the hot inlet. Weak house pressure starves it too.
- Check the drain hose and the filter. The hose should sit loosely in the standpipe; pushed too far down, it siphons the tub empty. On a front loader, open the small door at the bottom front and clean the debris filter.
- Spread the load. One heavy item or a half-full drum of towels makes the drum lopsided. Redistribute, add towels to balance a single item, and check that all four feet touch the floor.
- Shut the door, and the AddWash door. Press the main door until it clicks; on AddWash models the small door must also be latched.
- Use HE detergent, and less of it. Two tablespoons covers most loads; extra makes foam that trips the suds routine and the level sensor.
How Samsung washers show errors
Models with a digital display show a two- or three-character code such as 4C, dC3 or UE. Samsung moved from an E suffix to a C suffix around 2015, so 4E and 4C mean the same thing. Older machines used short words instead: nF for no fill, nd for no drain, dL, FL and LO for the door lock, PF for a power failure. Top loaders without a display blink the cycle lights in a pattern the manual maps to a code.
A code stays until the fault clears or the power is cycled; photograph it before you reset. SUd, Hot and CL are messages, not faults: too many suds, water too hot for the door to unlock, Child Lock on when the door was opened.
Water, drain, leak and suds codes
| Code | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 4C / 4E | Water supply error: the tub did not fill in time. 4C2 means the cold-cycle water is too hot, usually crossed hoses. | Open both valves fully and straighten the hoses. A repeat is the inlet valve, its screens or the level sensor. |
| 5C / 5E / SC / SE | Drain error: water is still in the tub after the pump has run. | Clean the debris filter and straighten the drain hose. If it still will not drain, the pump or something lodged in it is the cause. |
| OC / OE / 1C / 1E | OC is an overflow: the level rose above the limit. 1C is the water level sensor giving an unusable reading. | Power cycle. If the tub fills with the washer off, close both valves and call: inlet valve or level sensor. After a foamy cycle, 1C is often suds at the level sensor; run an empty hot cycle without detergent first. |
| LC / LE / LC1 / LE1 | Leak error: the water level dropped during the cycle, read as a leak or a siphoning drain. | Lift the drain hose a little out of the standpipe and check the floor: water means a hose, a seal or the filter housing; dry means the level sensor. |
| SUd / SUdS / 5Ud / 5d | Not a fault: too many suds. The washer pauses, lets the foam collapse and adds rinse time. | Let it finish, then use less HE detergent. SUd with little detergent means a partly blocked drain is holding foam in. |
Door, balance and vibration codes
| Code | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| dC / dE / dE1 / dC1 | Door open, not latched, or the lock did not engage or release; older machines show dL, FL or LO for the same lock faults. | Close the door firmly, check for a caught item, power cycle. If it stays, the lock assembly or the latch hook needs service. |
| dC3 / ddC | AddWash door: dC3 means it is not closed or locked; ddC means it was opened mid-cycle and the washer is waiting. | Close the AddWash door until it clicks and press Start. If it is shut and the code remains, its switch has failed. |
| UE / Ub / UR / U6 | Unbalanced load. UE, Ub and U6 mean the washer rebalanced several times and still could not spin safely. Ur is only a retry: it is adding water and rebalancing, so the cycle runs longer. | Spread the load, split a single heavy item, level the machine. UE on every load means worn suspension rods (top load) or dampers (front load). |
| 8C / 8E / 8C1 / 8E1 | MEMS sensor error: the vibration sensor that watches the drum during spin is not reporting correctly. | Level the machine and power cycle. If it returns, the sensor or its connector has failed. |
Motor, heater, sensor and electrical codes
| Code | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 3C / 3E / 3E1 to 3E4 | Motor error: the drum did not turn or the control lost the motor speed signal. | Lighten the load and power cycle. A repeat means the Hall sensor, the motor, a seized bearing or the main board. |
| HC / HE / HE1 / HE2 | Heater error: the water heated past the limit or the heater circuit reads as faulty; HE2 is the dryer heater on a washer-dryer combo. | Power cycle and run a cold cycle. If HC returns, the heater, its thermistor or the board relay needs testing. |
| tC / tE / tE1 to tE3 | Temperature sensor error: the wash thermistor reads open, shorted or out of range; on washer-dryer combos tE2 and tE3 are usually the dryer sensors. | Power cycle. A repeat is the thermistor or its wiring; the part is cheap, the access is not. |
| bC / bE / bC2 / bE2 | bC2 or bE2 is a button held or stuck over 30 seconds. bC or bE alone usually points to the motor circuit: the speed sensor on newer models, the triac on the board on older ones. | Press each button once, dry the panel, power cycle. A stuck key is the panel; a motor fault needs the sensor and the board tested. |
| 9C1 / 9E1 / 9C2 / 9E2 | Power voltage error: the supply voltage is above or below what the control accepts. | Plug straight into the wall, no power strip. If the voltage is fine and the code stays, the main board is the usual cause. |
| AC / AE / AC6 / AE6 | Communication error between the main board and the control panel board. | Power cycle at the breaker. A repeat is a loose or wet connector, a damaged harness or a failed board. |
| Hot / CL | Not faults. Hot means the drum or water is too hot for the door to unlock. CL means Child Lock was on when the lid or door was opened; many models then drain the tub for safety. | For Hot, wait; if water is left in the tub, run Spin or Drain. For CL, power off and on or turn Child Lock off (hold both Child Lock buttons three seconds), then restart. |
Meanings vary by model and production year, and one code can have several causes. The owner manual for your model number, printed on the label inside the door, is the final word. Which part failed is settled by a test on site, not by the code, and we run that test before ordering anything.
What the common codes turn out to be on a service call
5C: water left in the drum
Likely causes: a debris filter packed with coins, hair and lint; a pump with a cracked impeller or a dead winding; a drain hose kinked or pushed too far into the standpipe. Top loaders have no accessible filter; the pump collects everything.
Try this first: clean the filter on a front loader, straighten the hose and run a rinse and spin.
How we fix it: we test the pump under power, clear the housing and the hose, and replace the pump when it has failed. The same job is in Washing Machine Not Draining? A Drain Pump Fix.
LC: leak code with water on the floor
Likely causes: a cracked drain filter housing, a torn or folded door boot, a split drain hose or a loose clamp, a tub seal, or a drain hose siphoning the tub so the level keeps dropping.
Try this first: look at where the water is. Front and bottom usually means the filter housing or the boot; the back means the hoses.
How we fix it: we find the wet trail and replace the part that leaks. Two recent Samsung jobs: a cracked drain filter on a Samsung washer and a torn door boot on a Samsung washer in Irvine.
4C: no fill or slow fill
Likely causes: a valve closed during a move or a plumbing job, clogged inlet screens, a kinked hose, an inlet valve coil that has opened, or a level sensor that thinks the tub is full.
Try this first: open both valves, start a cycle and listen. A hum with no water means the screens or the supply; silence means the valve or the control.
How we fix it: we measure the pressure, test the valve coils and the level sensor, and replace the inlet valve when it has failed. Another brand calls this fault E11; our E11 inlet valve repair in Tustin is the same job.
UE and 8C: unbalanced on every load, loud spin
Likely causes: worn suspension rods on a top loader, tired dampers or a stretched spring on a front loader, a machine rocking on its feet, a failed MEMS sensor, or a drum bearing on its way out.
Try this first: run a medium load of towels only. If that also stops with UE, the suspension is the problem, not the laundry.
How we fix it: we replace the rods or the dampers as a set and check the bearing while the machine is open. The same fault on another brand is in LG washer not completing cycle: worn dampers; Samsung uses the same kind of damper.
Stay safe. Switch the breaker off before you reach behind the washer or open the filter door. Drain a locked door through the filter, never force it. Do not bypass the door lock or the lid switch, and do not run a machine that shows LC with water under it; the pump, the heater and the wiring share that puddle.
When a code means a part has failed
A visit costs $79, which pays for the trip and the diagnosis and comes off the repair price once you approve it. Before anything is ordered we test the pump under power, the valve coils, the level sensor and the lock, so a 5C gets fixed as a pump or as a hairpin. The written quote covers parts and labor and does not move. Common parts such as pumps and inlet valves are usually on the van; motors and control boards come from local distributors, usually the next business day. Parts and labor carry a warranty, and a fault that comes back within 90 days is a return visit with no service-call fee.
Washer repairs we have written up
- Samsung Washer Torn Door Seal: Boot Replaced in Irvine (October 2026), Irvine
- Samsung Washer Leaking Water: Cracked Drain Filter (October 2026), Orange County
- LG Washer Not Completing Cycle: Worn Dampers (October 2026), Orange County
- Washing Machine Not Draining? A Drain Pump Fix (July 2026), Orange County
- Washer Error Code E11? Water Inlet Valve Fix in Tustin (May 2025), Tustin
Samsung washer error code FAQ
How do I reset a Samsung washer?
Samsung washers have no reset button. Cut power at the breaker or the plug for three to five minutes, restore it and run a short cycle. If the same code is back before the cycle ends, a part has usually failed.
What does 4C mean on a Samsung washer?
4C is a water supply error: the tub did not fill in time. Open both valves fully and check the hoses; if it repeats, the inlet valve or the level sensor is usually the cause.
What does UE mean on a Samsung washer?
UE or Ub means the load is unbalanced and the washer could not spin safely; Ur means it is still rebalancing. Spread the load and level the machine; if every load ends in UE, the suspension rods or dampers are worn.
What does 5C mean on a Samsung washer?
5C is a drain error: water is still in the tub after the pump has run. Clean the debris filter and check the drain hose; a code that stays is usually the drain pump or an object in it.
Can I keep using the washer with an error code on it?
With 4C, 5C, UE or dC you can usually run another cycle after the checks above. With LC, OC, HC, water on the floor or a burning smell, switch the breaker off and call.
How much does it cost to fix a Samsung washer error code?
You pay $79 for the visit and it is credited to the repair. A hose or an inlet valve sits at the affordable end, a drain pump or a door lock in the middle, a motor, a bearing or a main board at the expensive end; you see the written price before we start.
Do you repair Samsung washers in Orange County?
Yes, front load and top load. Cactus Appliance works out of Irvine and covers all of Orange County, Tustin, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Santa Ana and Anaheim included, same day, seven days a week.
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