Samsung Dishwasher SC Error Code: Meaning, Causes & Fix
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. Filter blockage is the leading cause on dishwashers — the sump filter slowly mats with grease and food until drainage times out — followed by drain-hose/air-gap blockages and the pump itself. Samsung lists the family identically across its US, Canada and New Zealand support pages — '5C, SC, 5E, SE — drain error: the dishwasher can't drain' (Canada's list adds SR) — and its prescribed solutions are to inspect the drain connection at the sink, check the drain hose, and clean the drain, filter and sump in the tub. Every check on this page is from Samsung's dishwasher documentation; do not work a dishwasher SC from washer SC guidance, even though Samsung uses SC on both appliances. SC rewards reading Samsung's filing system rather than the letters alone. Samsung publishes one drain fault with a fistful of renderings — 5C, SC, 5E, SE (and SR on Samsung Canada's list) — because its displays changed across generations while the underlying check never did: run the drain pump, watch the water level, report if it does not fall. That is why Samsung's troubleshooting for SC is a drain-system inspection rather than a part verdict, and why its not-draining guide spends most of its length outside the dishwasher entirely — on the sink, the disposal, the hose routing and the house drain. The dishwasher is the messenger with the code; the fault, in Samsung's own ordering, is most often in the path the water was asked to take.
What causes the SC code on a Samsung dishwasher?
Clogged sump filter
A matted filter throttles both washing and draining.
Blocked drain hose or air gap
The air gap (where fitted) plugs with food debris at the sink.
Jammed drain pump
Glass chips and bones reach the impeller.
Failed drain pump
Open winding or stripped impeller.
The sink's drain, not the dishwasher's — Samsung's step one
Samsung's not-draining guide opens outside the machine: 'When your dishwasher isn't draining, it could actually be your sink's drain that's causing the issue.' Food, debris and waste in the sink drain — or a garbage disposal clogged with food waste — block the shared outlet every dishwasher depends on, and the dishwasher reports its own drain error for a plumbing fault. The diagnostic Samsung pairs with this branch is free: run water in the connected sink for about 30 seconds; a sink that does not drain convicts the house plumbing before the dishwasher is touched.
A drain hose pinched by the dishwasher itself
Samsung names the most common drain cause right after installation precisely: the dishwasher sitting on top of its own drain hose, pinching it shut. It is an installation-shaped fault — the machine was pushed into its bay onto the hose — and it produces SC on a dishwasher whose pump, filter and sump are all healthy. The same guide lists the second routing fault: a hose with no air gap and no high loop, where part of the hose runs above its sink connection, can let water backflow into the dishwasher and defeat draining. Both are routing corrections, not part failures.
Filter parts reassembled wrong after cleaning
Samsung warns that incorrect reassembly is itself a drain-error cause: for models with removable filter and drain parts, 'if they are missing or inserted incorrectly, they can cause drain issues and errors.' An SC that first appeared immediately after a filter clean is often this — the clean was fine, the refit was not — and Samsung's instruction is to follow the user manual's removal, cleaning and reassembly instructions exactly rather than forcing parts that look approximately right.
Checks to run before you replace anything
- Remove and wash the sump filter assembly — check flow improvement immediately on a cancel/drain.
- If you have an air gap on the sink, pop its cap and clear the inner tube (a classic hidden blockage).
- Check the drain hose connection at the sink/diposer for a plug of food waste.
- Do Samsung's sink inspection first: if you use a garbage disposal, make sure it is clear of food waste and not clogged; if the dishwasher connects directly to the drain, look down the drain for visible blockage. If the dishwasher or disposal was recently installed, make sure the disposal cap has been removed.
- Check the drain hose the way Samsung lists it: confirm the machine is not sitting on it, confirm it is connected to an air gap or has a high loop above its sink connection, and straighten any kinks or bends — especially if anything about the hose or its sink connection changed recently.
- Run the 30-second sink test and write down the result before opening the machine up: sink drains freely = work the dishwasher's filter, sump and pump branch; sink drains slowly or not at all = the SC is reporting your plumbing, and Samsung's direction for that branch is a plumber.
- Check whether your drain line could be frozen if the kitchen is unheated: Samsung's guide covers frozen water or drain lines as a drain-failure cause (leave the under-sink door open or warm the area), and notes frozen lines are not covered under warranty service — worth ruling out before requesting a visit.
How to fix sc error code on samsung dishwasher?
- Clean/replace the filter; clear the air gap and hose.
- Remove debris from the pump (unplug first; access from the sump or below by model).
- Replace the pump if it tests open or the impeller is damaged.
- Apply Samsung Canada/New Zealand's solution list for the drain family in order: inspect the dishwasher's drain connection at the sink, check the drain hose, and clean the drain, filter and sump in the tub. That trio — connection, hose, filter/sump — is Samsung's complete owner-level remedy set for SC.
- Clean the drain and filter area thoroughly and reassemble it exactly per your user manual; Samsung cautions that there may be sharp debris in the drain area, and that correct reassembly is required, since missing or incorrectly inserted parts cause drain errors of their own.
- Correct the hose routing if you found it at fault: lift the machine off a pinched hose, straighten kinks, and restore the air gap or high loop so water cannot backflow. A hose damaged to the point it cannot be straightened is, per Samsung, a service request rather than a repair attempt.
- If the dishwasher still won't drain after the connection, hose and filter/sump work, Samsung's guide ends where its code page does: request service. The remaining branch — a drain pump that cannot move water through a proven-clear path — is technician diagnosis, and Samsung publishes no owner pump test for this code.
The part that usually fails: Drain pump
Fails by jamming or open winding; test continuity across its terminals.
Reset samsung dishwasher with sc error code
Run Cancel/Drain after clearing; SC clears when the tub empties in normal time.
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 SC code keep coming back?
SC returning quickly after cleaning means the blockage is downstream (house line) or the pump is weakening. An SC that returns quickly after a full clean is making one of three statements, and each has Samsung's evidence behind it. If the sink test was slow, the blockage is downstream in the house line and will refill the dishwasher's path no matter how clean the machine is. If the code returned right after the machine was moved or serviced, suspect the routing again — a hose re-pinched on the push-back is the installation fault Samsung names first. And if connection, hose, filter and sump are all proven while the tub still stands full, the drain pump itself is the remaining branch, which is where Samsung's guide ends and its service route begins.
How to stop SC coming back
- Clogged sump filter: A matted filter throttles both washing and draining.
- Blocked drain hose or air gap: The air gap (where fitted) plugs with food debris at the sink.
- Jammed drain pump: Glass chips and bones reach the impeller.
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 SC gets confused with
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.
OC — Overflow error — the dishwasher has detected too much water entering / an overfill condition. OC means the water level rose beyond what the control expects.
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.
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
Is SC on a Samsung dishwasher the same as 5C?
Yes — same drain fault, letter-display rendering.
How to Fix SC Error Code on a Samsung Dishwasher?
Work Samsung's published drain sequence. Inspect the sink drain and garbage disposal for blockages first (and confirm a recently installed disposal had its cap removed), then check the drain hose — not pinched under the machine, not kinked, connected to an air gap or run with a high loop — then clean the drain, filter and sump in the tub and reassemble the filter parts exactly as the manual shows. Finish with the 30-second sink test: if the sink itself won't drain, the fault is the home's plumbing. If the dishwasher still can't drain after all of that, Samsung's direction is to request service.
How Do I Reset a Samsung Dishwasher With an SC Error Code?
SC has no dedicated reset sequence, because the code is a measurement, not a latch: Samsung's drain family clears when the dishwasher can actually drain again. The practical sequence is to clear the blockage using Samsung's checks (sink connection, drain hose, filter and sump), then run Cancel/Drain or start a cycle and let the machine prove drainage. Resetting power without clearing the path simply re-runs the same failed drain and SC returns — and if a clear path still leaves SC standing, Samsung's instruction is service, not more resets.
What Does Error Code SC Mean on a Samsung Dishwasher?
Samsung defines SC as a drain error, in a single family with its numeric renderings: Samsung US, Canada and New Zealand all list '5C, SC, 5E, SE — drain error', with the US page's explanation 'the dishwasher can't drain.' Canada's list adds a further rendering, SR. SC is simply the letter-form display of that fault — the pump ran and the water level did not fall as expected — and Samsung's solutions for the whole family are the drain connection at the sink, the drain hose, and cleaning the drain, filter and sump.
What Does a SmartThings Samsung Dishwasher Mean by Error Code SC?
The same thing the panel means: SC is the dishwasher's own drain error — the machine could not drain — reported identically whether you read it on the display or receive it from a connected model. Connectivity changes how the code reaches you, not what it names; Samsung's dishwasher code lists define SC by the drain fault itself (one of the 5C/SC/5E/SE family), and the remedy is Samsung's drain sequence — sink connection, drain hose, filter and sump — regardless of which screen showed the code.
How to fix sc error code on samsung dishwasher?
Start here: Clean/replace the filter; clear the air gap and hose. Remove debris from the pump (unplug first; access from the sump or below by model).
Related guides
Facts on this page were checked against manufacturer documentation: www.samsung.com · www.samsung.com · www.samsung.com · www.samsung.com · www.samsung.com · www.samsung.com · mans.io · www.notice-facile.com · www.notice-facile.com · manuals.plus · downloadcenter.samsung.com