- Appliances
- Dishwashers
5E
Samsung 5E on a dishwasher: it cannot drain
Risk level
Low
Usually safe to check without specialist tools.
Urgency
Medium
Quick answer
On a Samsung dishwasher, 5E or 5C (also SC, SE or SR) is a drain error: the unit has difficulty draining the water. First check the sink drain and that the drain hose is not kinked or crushed.
Safety first
Stop and check this first
- Samsung says warranty does not cover frozen drain lines: if the install is in a cold place, protect it and call a plumber if freezing keeps happening.
Safe checks you can perform
- Sink drain
- Drain hose
- Filter, inner drain and sump
Leave these tasks to a qualified professional
- Do not attempt this professional task: Drain pump and circuit check
- Do not attempt this professional task: Drain test after the repair
What a technician must be able to justify
A technician is coming
These are the steps they must carry out and show you. Tick them as they work: if steps are skipped, do not accept a part swap.
These are not instructions for opening or handling the equipment yourself. They are the checks that should support a technical conclusion.
Drain pump and circuit check
What they doWith the unit disconnected, the technician checks the drain pump and its outlet, the board and the sensor Samsung lists, and checks each against its specification.
They must show youwhat was found at the pump and the check against specification.
In writingwhat was checked, the result and the reference of any replaced part and why.
Drain test after the repair
What they doThe technician runs a full cycle and checks the tub empties without 5E returning.
They must show youa full cycle with no water left and no code.
In writingthe test, the result and the date.
Before accepting a part or repair
Nothing has been shown yet. Do not accept a part swap based on the code alone.
Follow these steps
Note: Follow the documented order. An error code identifies the affected system, but it does not prove by itself which part has failed.
Sink drain
- Who:
- you, no tools.
- How:
- run water in the sink the dishwasher drains into for 30 seconds. If you have a disposal, check it works and is empty; if it is new, that the inlet cap was removed.
- Result that matters:
- the sink drains normally.
- If the sink does not drain:
- the problem is the house plumbing; call a plumber.
- If it drains well:
- move on to the dishwasher hose.
- Evidence to keep:
- note how the sink drains and the disposal date if new.
Evidence: Steps to take if your Samsung dishwasher is not draining
Drain hose
- Who:
- you, no tools.
- How:
- close the dishwasher water valve, as Samsung Latin America says, and follow the hose under the sink: it must form a high loop or go to an air gap and not be kinked or twisted.
- Result that matters:
- a straight hose with a high loop or air gap.
- If it was kinked and drains once straightened:
- that was the cause.
- If it is damaged:
- not a home repair according to Samsung, get professional help.
- Evidence to keep:
- a photo of the hose route.
Evidence: Samsung Latin America dishwasher codes · Steps to take if your Samsung dishwasher is not draining
Filter, inner drain and sump
- Who:
- you, following your model's manual.
- How:
- switch the unit off, remove the filter and clean the filter, drain and sump, taking care with sharp objects. If the kitchen had a freeze, leave the cabinet door open so it thaws.
- Result that matters:
- a clean filter and sump and a cycle without 5E.
- If there was debris and it now drains:
- that was the cause; Samsung recommends cleaning these parts regularly.
- If it was clean and 5E persists:
- contact Samsung service.
- Evidence to keep:
- a photo of the filter before and after.
Evidence: What do 5C, 5E, 4C, 4E, LC, and LE mean on a dishwasher? · Steps to take if your Samsung dishwasher is not draining
Still not solved
If the error persists, stop here. See what the technician must do and show you.
Where this code applies
A code is meaningful only inside the right product and version context.
Primary scope
- System
- Appliances
- Brand
- Samsung
- Product type
- Dishwashers
Known code variants
- 5C dishwasher Samsung
- 5C lavavajillas Samsung
- error 5C lavavajillas Samsung
- error 5E lavavajillas Samsung
- Samsung 5C dishwasher code
- Samsung 5E dishwasher code
- Samsung 5E lavavajillas
- Samsung dishwasher 5E
- SE dishwasher Samsung
- SE lavavajillas Samsung
What it means
Samsung defines 5C, 5E, SC, SE and SR on a dishwasher as a drain error. Its guide checks, in order, the sink drain and the disposal (on a new one, a cap left in), the hose, which must form a high loop or go to an air gap and not be kinked, the sink itself by running water for 30 seconds, the filter and sump, and a frozen line. Samsung UAE adds the drain pump, the board and a sensor as causes for the service technician. The code does not say which one failed.
Warnings and stop conditions
- Lowsource verified
Samsung says warranty does not cover frozen drain lines: if the install is in a cold place, protect it and call a plumber if freezing keeps happening.
Evidence: Steps to take if your Samsung dishwasher is not draining
Symptoms and causes
Probable causes · in order
- Blocked sink drain or disposalCommon
Samsung checks it first. Told apart by running water in the sink for 30 seconds: if it does not drain, the problem is the house plumbing.
Evidence: Steps to take if your Samsung dishwasher is not draining
- Kinked hose or no high loopCommon
Visible under the sink. Samsung asks for a high loop or an air gap to prevent backflow and a hose that is not twisted.
Evidence: Samsung Latin America dishwasher codes · Steps to take if your Samsung dishwasher is not draining
- Blocked filter or sumpPossible
Visible when you remove the filter as the manual describes. If there was debris and it drains after cleaning, that was it.
Evidence: What do 5C, 5E, 4C, 4E, LC, and LE mean on a dishwasher? · Steps to take if your Samsung dishwasher is not draining
- Drain pump, sensor or boardPossible
Samsung UAE lists them for the service technician. They only come into play if all of the above is fine; the code does not confirm them.
Evidence: What do 5C, 5E, 4C, 4E, LC, and LE mean on a dishwasher?
Virtual technician
Does 5E still appear after these checks?
Answer a few questions to narrow down the likely cause and the safest next action. Guidance only - it never replaces a professional.
Sources and technical references
- 1
Samsung USA dishwasher error codes
Samsung · 2026 · official_doc
- 2
Samsung Latin America dishwasher codes
Samsung · 2025 · official_doc
- 3
Common Samsung dishwasher error codes and their meaning
Samsung · 2026 · official_doc
- 4
What do 5C, 5E, 4C, 4E, LC, and LE mean on a dishwasher?
Samsung · 2026 · official_doc
- 5
Steps to take if your Samsung dishwasher is not draining
Samsung · 2026 · official_doc
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