Samsung Dishwasher OC Error Code: Meaning, Causes & Fix
Overflow error — the dishwasher has detected too much water entering / an overfill condition.
OC means the water level rose beyond what the control expects. On Samsung dishwashers the frequent story is not a flood of water but foam: oversudsing pushes the level sensing around and can push water over the tub lip, while a genuinely overfilling machine points at the inlet valve not closing or the level/flow sensing misreading. The machine stops and drains. Samsung US lists the code as 'OC, 0C, oE — over-level water error: there is more water in the dishwasher than there should be', and routes it to the same drain-and-overflow guide as its drain codes — because water that cannot drain out is one of the ways a tub ends up over-level. It is worth noticing how Samsung itself files this code, because the filing corrects the instinct to treat OC as purely a fill-side fault. Samsung US gives OC its own entry ('over-level water error') but sends you to the drain-and-overflow guide for the work; Samsung UK groups OC with OE as 'a drain or overflow error'; and the DW80 manual's solution column for over-level is a shutdown-and-service instruction, not a parts list. Read together, Samsung's position is: establish which side of the tub is misbehaving — water coming in too much or water not going out — using the presentation (foam, continuous filling sound, puddles, drain behaviour), fix the owner-level causes on the drain and detergent side, and treat a confirmed, unexplained over-level as a functional error for its service centre.
What causes the OC code on a Samsung dishwasher?
Oversudsing
Wrong detergent, rinse-aid spill, or residue from pre-washing with washing-up liquid.
Inlet valve not closing fully
Grit on the valve seat lets water creep in continuously — tub fills slowly even between cycles.
Level/flow sensor fault
The control misjudges how much water entered.
Drain restriction raising the working level
A partly blocked drain leaves residual water that adds to the next fill.
A drain restriction doing double duty as an overfill
Samsung routes OC to the same guide as its drain codes, and that routing is the lesson: the over-level report does not care whether the extra water arrived too fast or simply never left. A drain hose kinked where the machine was pushed back, a filter and sump area loaded with food debris, or a sink connection partly plugged all leave the previous stage's water in the tub, so the next fill starts from a raised level and the control calls it over-level. This is why Samsung's not-draining guide explicitly names OC and OE among the codes it covers, and why the drain path is worked before any fill-side part is suspected.
Water that keeps entering — the continuous-fill symptom
Samsung UK's OC symptom list includes a detail worth listening for: a continuous filling sound, water that keeps entering when it should have stopped. Paired with the over-level report, that sound moves the inlet valve to the front of the diagnosis — a valve that is not closing fully lets water creep in during the cycle (and, in the hard-failure case, between cycles with the machine off). Samsung's manual remedy for a confirmed over-level error is protective rather than diagnostic: close the water supply valve and switch the breaker off before service, which is exactly the right posture for a machine that may still be filling.
Foam high enough to read as water
Samsung UK also names the presentation owners least expect: strong detergent foam inside the tub, from the wrong detergent or excessive suds, listed as an OC symptom alongside the puddles at the bottom of the door. Foam defeats level sensing in a way plain water never does — it fills volume, clings to sensors and can be pushed over the tub lip — so a tub that looks dramatically full of bubbles with relatively little actual water underneath is a detergent event, not a flood. Samsung's own 1C low-water guidance carries the matching instruction ('make sure to use dishwasher detergent'), and it applies with equal force here: hand-washing liquid or laundry products in a dishwasher are a code-generating mistake, not a substitute.
Checks to run before you replace anything
- Open the door: foam filling the tub = detergent problem first.
- Check the tub bottom an hour after a cycle: standing water creeping up with the machine off = passing valve.
- Confirm the machine drains fully at cycle end (a sump that stays full raises every fill).
- Work Samsung UK's OC checklist in its own order: check detergent usage, look for visible foam, check filter cleanliness, check for standing water in the base, check for kinks in the drain hose, and make sure the dishwasher isn't sitting on the drain hose.
- Run Samsung's 30-second sink test from its not-draining guide: run water in the sink the dishwasher is connected to for about 30 seconds and verify the sink drains. If it does not, the issue is the home's plumbing, not the dishwasher — Samsung sends that branch to a plumber.
- If a garbage disposal was recently installed, confirm the disposal cap (knock-out plug) was removed: Samsung lists an unremoved cap as a blockage cause, and a brand-new OC on a newly installed disposal is that story until proven otherwise.
- Listen at the tub after the cycle stops: a continuous filling sound with OC is Samsung UK's continuous-fill symptom and points at the inlet side; silence with a full tub points back at the drain side. Report which one you heard when you book service — it halves the diagnosis.
Samsung dishwasher error code oc fix
- Suds: remove foam, run an empty hot cycle, correct detergent and rinse-aid dosing.
- Passing valve: replace the inlet valve (cleaning rarely cures a creeping valve).
- Clear the drain path (filter, hose, air gap/sink connection) if residual water is the issue.
- Begin the way the DW80-series manual begins every information-code response: select the Cancel and Drain option, so the machine pumps out under control before you open anything up.
- Clean the drain and filter area and reassemble it correctly — Samsung's guide stresses that on models with removable filter parts, parts that are missing or inserted incorrectly can themselves cause drain issues and errors, so a careless reassembly can keep OC alive after a good clean. Use caution: Samsung warns there may be sharp debris in the drain area.
- Straighten any drain-hose kink and confirm the hose routing Samsung requires: connected to an air gap, or run with a high loop above the sink connection point, so water cannot backflow into the machine and raise its level.
- If OC is confirmed as a genuine over-level after those checks, follow Samsung's manual solution for the code itself: close the water supply valve, set the dishwasher's circuit breaker switch to off, and contact an authorised Samsung service centre. Samsung classifies the confirmed code as a functional error — the owner work is the drain path and the detergent, not the valve or the board.
The part that usually fails: Water inlet valve
The hardware cause of genuine overfill; a valve that lets water creep with the machine off must be replaced.
Samsung dishwasher oc error code reset
Start with the DW80-series manual's instruction for any information code: select the Cancel and Drain option, then follow the code's solution. Samsung's manual solution for the over-level error itself is to close the water supply valve, go to the circuit breaker panel and set the dishwasher's breaker switch to off, and then contact an authorised Samsung service centre — Samsung classifies a confirmed over-level as a functional (service-level) error once the drain-path and detergent checks on this page are done.
Samsung dishwashers clear most codes when you cancel the cycle (hold Start/Cancel for about 3 seconds so the machine drains), then cut power at the breaker for 5 minutes. Restore power and run a short cycle. Leak-related codes (LC) will return immediately if water is still sitting in the base pan — the reset cannot clear water that is physically still there.
Why does the OC code keep coming back?
OC returning with suds means detergent build-up in the sump — several empty hot cycles may be needed. Returning with clear water means the valve or sensing is still at fault. OC that returns tells you which check was skipped. Returning with foam after a detergent correction usually means residue is still living in the sump and filter area — Samsung's drain-area clean has to be thorough, and the filter parts correctly reassembled, or each hot cycle re-foams the remainder. Returning with clear water and a filling sound is the valve branch declaring itself; Samsung's posture for that branch is valve closed, breaker off, service booked. Returning only when the sink has been heavily used points outside the machine entirely — the 30-second sink test result is the evidence, and that recurrence is a plumber's job, not a second dishwasher repair.
How to stop OC coming back
- Oversudsing: Wrong detergent, rinse-aid spill, or residue from pre-washing with washing-up liquid.
- Inlet valve not closing fully: Grit on the valve seat lets water creep in continuously — tub fills slowly even between cycles.
- Level/flow sensor fault: The control misjudges how much water entered.
Retrieving stored fault codes on Samsung dishwashers
Samsung dishwashers have a service/test mode on many models (entered with a button combination such as holding Normal + Power or a Delicate/Heavy pairing, model-dependent) that runs each component — fill, wash motor, drain, heater, dispenser — and displays stored codes. The combination for your model is in the service manual; the user manual does not document it.
Other Samsung dishwasher error codes
| Code | Meaning | First fix |
|---|---|---|
| 1C | Low-water level check (fold 'C1' is this code transposed) | Check the filter is not clogged, use dishwasher detergent, load dishes evenly, and turn the dishwasher off and on again |
| 1E | Clogged filter error on WaterWall models; low water level error in DW80 manuals (fold 'E1' is this code transposed) | Clean the fine filter at the bottom of the dishwasher and remove excessive soils from the tub, then run a cycle with detergent |
| 3C | Wash motor (circulation pump) error — the main wash pump is not running correctly. | Clear debris from the sump/pump inlet area. |
| 3E | High temperature water supply error on Samsung support pages; communication error (3E1 to 3E5, grouped with AE and bE3) in DW80 WaterWall manuals | Verify the hot water supply is not set above 176°F (80°C); if the temperature is correct and the code returns, request Samsung service |
| 4C | Water supply error — the dishwasher is not filling (or filling too slowly). | Restore full supply: tap open, hose unkinked, screen cleaned. |
| 4E | Water supply error (older display of the 4C water supply check) | Check the water supply valve is open and the inlet valve and line are not frozen or clogged; if it continues, close the supply valve and contact a Samsung service center |
| 4E5 | Water supply error variant; the dishwasher attempts to fill, then stops early with a dry tub (also shown as 4C5) | Make sure the water supply exists with proper pressure, the tap is open, and the hose is not kinked |
| 5C | Drain error — the dishwasher did not drain in the allowed time. | Clean filter and air gap; clear hose/sink path. |
| 5E | Drain error (older display of the 5C drain check; 5E1 to 5E5 in DW80 manuals) | After closing the water supply valve, check whether the drain hose is clogged or folded and whether the drain hole inside the sump is clogged |
| 7C | Water-level / wash-system error on WaterWall models — the WaterWall reflector (vane) movement is not being confirmed. | Clear the obstruction and reseat the vane on its track. |
| 7E | WaterWall reflector error; the water reflector is not able to move correctly | Remove anything interfering with the reflector and any tape fixing it; if it happens without interference, close the water supply valve and contact an authorized Samsung service center |
| 9E | Low water level error; there is not enough water in the dishwasher | Empty the dishwasher, add detergent, and run a normal cycle; if the error still occurs, switch off power at the circuit breaker and request Samsung service |
| AC | PCB communication check; abnormal communication between the main PCB and the sub PCB | Power-cycle the dishwasher once and retry; if the problem continues, contact an authorised Samsung service centre |
| AE | Communication error listed with the 3E communication group in DW80 WaterWall manuals | Turn the dishwasher off and try to start it again; if the problem continues, contact an authorized Samsung service center |
See the full list on the Samsung Dishwasher error codes hub.
Codes OC gets confused with
PC — Zone Wash / dividing-valve check — Samsung reports PC when the Zone Wash function is not operating correctly; in Samsung's other documentation the same code is the dividing (distribution) valve check, displayed when the dividing valve that controls water distribution is defective. (Corrected 2026-10-28 against Samsung US + Samsung AU/Gulf support and the DW80B-series and DW50R4040BB manuals: the earlier entry's PC1/PC2 display variants, position-switch narrative and DIY distributor-motor replacement procedure appear in no Samsung source and have been removed. Samsung's documented owner remedy is a functional check — turn the dishwasher off and on again — then service if PC continues.) Samsung documents this one code under two names for the same water-distribution system.
4C — Water supply error — the dishwasher is not filling (or filling too slowly). 4C on a Samsung dishwasher is the same supply fault the washer line uses: the control opened the inlet valve, watched the level/flow, and did not see the machine fill in time.
SC — Drain check error — the dishwasher is not draining properly (display variant of the 5C drain fault family). SC on Samsung dishwashers is the drain fault in letter form: the pump ran but the water level did not fall as expected.
3C — Wash motor (circulation pump) error — the main wash pump is not running correctly. Samsung's owner-facing wording for 3C is deliberately plain: 'Pump operation error — the pump has failed' (Samsung US), or 'Pump operation check' (Samsung AU and the DW80B-series manual).
Frequently asked questions
Can rinse aid cause OC?
A rinse-aid leak or overdose foams heavily and can trip the overflow logic — check the dispenser cap seal if OC follows a refill.
What Does Error Code OC Mean on a Samsung Dishwasher?
Samsung US defines it in one line: 'OC, 0C, oE — Over-level water error: there is more water in the dishwasher than there should be.' The three renderings are one code on different displays. Samsung routes OC to its drain-and-overflow troubleshooting because the common routes to an over-level tub are a drain path that cannot empty it, water that keeps entering through the inlet valve, and — per Samsung UK — strong foam from the wrong detergent or excessive suds being read as water.
How Do I Reset the Samsung Dishwasher OC Error Code?
Samsung publishes no dedicated OC reset button sequence. Its documented response is procedural: select Cancel and Drain (the DW80 manual's first instruction for any information code), work the drain-path and detergent checks, and run a cycle. If the over-level is confirmed, Samsung's manual solution is to close the water supply valve, switch the dishwasher's breaker off, and contact an authorised Samsung service centre — so a persistent OC is cleared by service, not by repeated power-cycling.
Is OC the Same as OE on a Samsung Dishwasher?
Yes — on Samsung dishwashers they are the same over-level water error. Samsung US writes the code as 'OC, 0C, oE' in a single entry, and its not-draining guide covers '5C, 5E, OC or OE' together as the drain/overflow family. Which rendering your display shows is a model and display-style question, not a different fault. (Do not import the Samsung washer meaning: on Samsung washers OE belongs to the laundry code list, which is a separate table for a separate appliance.)
Can Wrong Detergent Cause a Samsung Dishwasher OC Code?
Yes — Samsung UK lists 'strong detergent foam inside the tub (wrong detergent or excessive suds)' as a presenting symptom of OC. Foam occupies volume and confuses the level sensing, and it can be pushed over the tub lip, which is also why OC can arrive with small puddles at the bottom of the door. The fix is detergent discipline: empty the machine, remove the foam and residue, run an empty cycle, and use only dishwasher detergent at the correct dose — then watch whether OC returns with clear water, which would move the diagnosis back to the valve or drain path.
What does error code oc mean on samsung dishwasher?
Overflow error — the dishwasher has detected too much water entering / an overfill condition. OC means the water level rose beyond what the control expects.
Related guides
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