Samsung Washer 4C Code, 5C and dC: What They Mean & Fixes

On a Samsung washer, 4C means water isn't coming in, 5C means water isn't going out, and dC is either a door error or an unbalanced load, depending on the model. Older machines show the same codes with an E instead of a C (4E, 5E, dE). Most of the time the cause is outside the washer — a valve, a hose, a filter — and you can check it yourself in ten minutes.

4C: the washer isn't filling

Samsung calls 4C the "not filling" error: water isn't entering the washer correctly. Check, in this order:

1. Both water valves fully open. Valves behind the washer get left half-closed after a plumber's visit or a building water shut-off.
2. Hot to hot, cold to cold. Samsung lists the hose connections first.
3. No kinks. Pushing the washer back into a tight closet is the classic way to crush an inlet hose.
4. The drain hose seated properly — Samsung lists this for 4C too.
5. Power-cycle the washer and try again.

If 4C comes back while the water is clearly on, the screens inside the inlet valve are clogged with sediment or the valve itself has failed. That's a repair.

5C: the washer isn't draining

5C is Samsung's "no drain" error: water isn't draining at the correct speed, or at all. It's also why a Samsung may stop before the spin — it won't spin a drum full of water.

1. Front-loader: clean the debris filter. It sits behind a small cover at the bottom front. Put towels and a shallow pan down first — a lot of water comes out. Coins, hair ties and socks are the usual finds.
2. Check the drain hose behind the washer for kinks and clogs.
3. Run Rinse + Spin and listen. A hum with no water moving points to the drain pump.

Clean filter, straight hose, and still 5C? Then it's the drain pump or a blockage further in. More on drain problems in our washer won't drain guide.

dC (and dE): door — or balance

This is the one code where you need your manual. Samsung's own wording: on some models dC is a door error, on some models it is an unbalanced load error. dE is always the door: the washer can't confirm the door is closed and locked.

• Door version: check that no laundry is caught in the door or gasket, close it firmly, and restart. If it won't lock, the latch or the door lock assembly needs replacing.
• Balance version: untangle the load, spread it evenly, and restart. A single heavy item — a bath mat, a comforter — is the usual cause.

Two codes that aren't faults

• Ub / UE — unbalanced load. Redistribute and restart. If it keeps happening with normal loads, the suspension or the washer's leveling is off — and that's also a common reason a Samsung won't spin.
• SUd — too many suds. Samsung says this doesn't mean the washer needs service; it's caused by too much or non-HE detergent. Run empty rinse cycles until the suds are gone.

When it's a repair, and what it costs

Call a technician when the code comes back after the checks above, when there's water on the floor, or when the washer hums or clicks but nothing moves. In NYC, our standard error-code repair is $350, not draining $290, won't fill $290, and a door lock $360 — parts and labor included. The diagnostic is $100, credited in full if you go ahead. Details on Samsung washer repair.

Frequently asked questions