Samsung Dishwasher 5C error code
| What it means | Drain error — water is not leaving the tub. |
|---|---|
| Fault familyUsually a clogged pump filter or a kinked hose — the most common DIY fix on any washer. | Will not drain |
| Same fault, other codes on this branddifferent model years display it differently | SC, 5E, SE |
| Step 1 | Clean the filter assembly at the bottom of the tub. |
| Step 2 | Check the drain hose has a high loop and is not kinked. |
| Step 3 | If the machine drains into a disposal, check the knockout plug was removed at installation. |
| Same fault on other brandsuseful when the house has two machines, or when searching a repair forum | LG OE |
| Service call?work through the steps above in order; they run cheapest first | Not necessarily |
Notes
- 5C on a Samsung dishwasher means: Drain error — water is not leaving the tub.
- The same fault appears as SC, 5E, SE on other Samsung models. The code changed between generations; the fault did not. A search that turns up nothing under one spelling will usually turn up plenty under another.
- Across brands this is the same fault as LG OE. No manufacturer publishes that mapping, because each one documents only its own codes — but the underlying failure and the order you check things in are identical.
- Work the steps in order. They are arranged so the free checks come before the ones that cost money, which is also the order in which the causes actually occur.
- Clearing the code is not fixing it. Every one of these machines will show the code again on the next cycle if the underlying condition is still there. A code that clears and stays away means the fix worked; a code that clears and comes back means it did not.
What the code means
Samsung dishwasher, code 5C — Drain error — water is not leaving the tub.
Fault family: Will not drain.
The same fault under other names
| Where | Code |
|---|---|
| This brand, other model years | SC, 5E, SE |
| Other brands | LG OE |
Manufacturers document only their own codes, so nobody publishes that second row. It matters more than it looks: a household usually owns two brands over time, and a repair thread that solves your problem is often written about the other one.
Work the checks in order
The steps below are ordered so the free ones come first. That is also the order in which the causes actually occur — the cheap check is cheap because it is the common cause, not despite it.
Start with: Clean the filter assembly at the bottom of the tub.
Clearing the code is not the fix
Every machine here will show the code again on the next cycle if the condition that caused it is still present. Two outcomes are worth telling apart:
- the code clears and stays away — the fix worked
- the code clears and returns — it did not, and the next cycle costs you the same diagnosis again
Cutting power for a minute clears the display on nearly all of these. It does not tell you anything about the fault.
When to stop and call someone
A code is a service call when the next step would put you next to something live, pressurised, or holding water above the door line — or when the maker itself says so, which is noted on this page where it applies.
Everything else on this list is a filter, a hose, a latch or a load. Those are worth twenty minutes before anyone charges a call-out fee.
Nearby sizes
Read more
- Dishwasher Won't Drain and the Filter Is Clean — Look at the PlumbingThe most common cause of a dishwasher that will not drain is not inside the dishwasher at all.
- Dishwasher Not Spraying: Check Whether the Arms Turn Before Blaming the PumpSpin the arms by hand before anything else. Two seconds of checking eliminates the most common cause.
- Tablet Not Dissolving: Water Temperature, Dispenser Flap, or Where You Put ItThe tablet is a symptom. Something stopped water reaching it, and the residue is just where the evidence landed.
- White Film on Dishes: Limescale or Etching, and They Are Not the SameTry to wipe it off. That single test decides whether this is a settings problem or permanent damage.