Tackle the 5C Error on a Samsung Washing Machine



Washing machine drains water with the help of a special device called pressure switch which measures the amount of water in the drum. If the drain does not start, you may see Samsung washing machine 5c error.

Modern washing machines are quite smart devices. They are ready to display numerous codes in order to inform owners of problems. The most common combination is “SC”, but not everyone knows and understands what exactly it means. In fact, the error code is written as “5C”, the fact is that the display distorts the first character.

In any case, we are talking about the fact that there is a problem in terms of draining. It is likely that the drain pump filter was blocked, or the drain hose is defective, most often it is clogged or kinked. You can solve the problem by removing the blockage that causes the problem. After that, you can reset to get rid of the error code and resume standard mode.

What does the code “SC” or “5C” mean?

As noted earlier, this is exactly the 5C code, although the washing machine screen often displays it as SC. Do not worry about this, because in any case, the matter is in the drainage. More precisely, in the drain pump and hose, interferes with the proper drainage of water.

Samsung Washing Machine

How to resolve the SC or 5C error?

The first step is to find out and remove the cause by following the steps above. After successfully getting rid of blockages, it will be necessary to start the device again. First, its power is turned off, that is, the plug is pulled out of the socket, or the special activation system is turned off. After that, a time is waited, usually 1 minute, and then you can turn on the device again and use it normally.

Possible causes include:

  1. Sewer blockage.
  2. Clogged filter (coins, rubber bands, etc.).
  3. The drain hose is clogged or kinked.
  4. Freezing in the winter season.
  5. Pump malfunction
  6. Poor contacts and connections.
  7. Damaged pump impeller or filter.

Sewer blockage

Sewage blockage is a fairly common problem in all residential buildings, regardless of whether they are new or not. Very often, the situation gets aggravated by incorrect installation.

To make sure that the problem is associated with the blockage, you need to disconnect the end of the drain hose from the sewage system and put it to some tank. Use a bath or a large bucket.

Then select the drain mode and run the appliance. Error code 5E will tell you that the problem has nothing to do with sewer blockage. If the drain works without any problems, then you will need to clean the sewer pipe.

Filter and hose

The next thing to check is the drain filter. Some models are equipped with an emergency drain hose which makes it easier to get rid of excess water.

There is another way to do it, but it is not applicable to all models. If the drain hose comes out of the bottom, you can put the hose in a container standing on the floor – for example, to a basin.

If none of use these methods work, the only option left is to drain water through a filter. You will need a shallow cup and a towel. Remove the cap and drain a small amount of water into the container. Close the cap, empty the container, and repeat the action until there is no water left.

Sewer blockage

After the water has been drained – take out the filter and check if it (and the pump) has any foreign objects that interfere with the pump operation. Then select drain mode and start it. Do not close the cap, and see if the pump impeller is spinning.

If it does not spin, the problem is associated with something else. Otherwise, you need to put the filter back and tighten the cap. Manually add a few liters of water to the drum. Put the end of the hose to the bathtub and start the drain. If the water flows out, consider that the breakage is fixed.

If not, the problem has to do with the drain hose. The simplest explanation is that it is kinked. But usually the cause is associated with a clog, especially if the hose was expanded. There may be a clog at the junction point which prevents normal water flow. You will have to remove it in order to clean.

Pump and contacts

This device looks like a small electric motor. Everything which rotates and spins will break sooner or later. It often this happens due to overload, constant clogs or extremely long drain hose, which is more than 4 meters. Or it may simply break due to usual wear and tear.

The easiest way to check its serviceability is to connect it directly to 220 volts.

There are two options:

  • Put the washer on its side to get access to contacts.
  • Partly disassemble the appliance: remove the control panel and remove the front cover.

How to reset your Samsung device?

To remove all error codes that are currently active, you need to restart the device. To reset the settings, you also need to perform the following steps:

  • disconnect the unit from the mains or deactivate the automatic switch;
  • leave the device alone for an average of 1-5 minutes to discharge the remaining charge;
  • reconnect the device and bring it into operation.

It is worth remembering that activating the reset will indeed lead to getting rid of all sorts of error codes that are currently active. But often they reappear if the main cause of their appearance is not eliminated.

Entering diagnostic mode

Entering diagnostic mode

As another extremely useful step, it is worth considering entering the diagnostic mode, where it will not be difficult to find the error codes that the device usually shows. To enter this mode, do the following:

  • turn on the washing machine and at the same time press and hold the buttons for the delayed start and the level of soiling, it is important that the display shows all zeros;
  • turn the dial to detect and recognize all error codes, if any, if the letter “D” is found, it can be said that the end has been reached;
  • if there are no codes, this indicates that there are no errors.

Checking Samsung washing machine after repair

To carry out test activities, it is enough just to run a complete wash cycle from start to finish. This approach will make sure that all options work correctly and that problems will not arise.

Checking Samsung washing machine after repair

But in this case, it is worth paying special attention to the ability of the device to easily and quickly drain water using a hose and a pump. In this regard, Samsung washing machines also have a cycle that includes rinsing and draining, and it can really come in handy in practice. It is significantly shorter than a full wash cycle, so it can be easily used to check the drain functions of the machine.