Samsung Refrigerator Error Codes List: Every Code Explained

Every Samsung refrigerator error code we could verify against Samsung's own documentation — what it means, what usually causes it, and the first fix to try — in one table. Codes differ between model series, so treat your model's tech sheet as the final word.

How to read and retrieve error codes on Samsung refrigerators

The same button hold that resets the panel also enters Samsung's self-diagnostic/forced modes on most models: after the segment test, the display can show stored error codes, and further presses select forced cooling, forced defrost and other test states. Codes read as segment positions (e.g. 21 E, 22 E) on non-Hub models. Because a forced defrost or forced run left running can warm the cabinet or over-cool it, exit the mode (same button hold, or let it time out) when you are done reading codes.

The complete Samsung refrigerator error code list

How to reset / clear error codes on Samsung refrigerators

Samsung refrigerator codes clear in two ways: a forced restart from the panel (on most models, holding Power Freeze + Power Cool together for about 8–10 seconds resets the display/control — the panel beeps and all segments light briefly) or a full power cycle (unplug for 5–10 minutes). A code that reappears within hours is an active hardware fault: Samsung controls re-run the component self-check continuously, so a returning code means the fan/sensor/compressor condition is still present.

How to diagnose any Samsung refrigerator code

Work the problem in this order: (1) record the code exactly — on segment displays, note which segments are lit, because refrigerator codes are often shown as lit/unlit segment patterns rather than letters; (2) check the temperatures with a thermometer, not the display, and note which compartment is wrong — fridge codes split by compartment and system (fan, defrost, sensor, ice maker); (3) run the external checks: door seals closing fully, vents inside the compartments unblocked by food, condenser area clean, and the machine level so doors self-close; (4) force the brand's diagnostic/defrost mode if the code family points that way, and listen — a fan fault you can hear (or not hear) settles the question faster than a meter; (5) test sensors and fans before condemning a control board, and give any defrost-related fix a full 24 hours before judging it. Food safety first: if the fridge compartment is above 40°F / 4°C for more than a few hours, perishables are at risk regardless of the code.

Reading a segment-display code

Most Samsung refrigerators do not show letters on a screen — they light segments of the temperature display, and the lit pattern IS the code: a code like 22E means a specific segment combination on the fridge and freezer displays. Read the pattern before pressing anything, because opening a door or touching the panel can clear it, and photograph it if you can: segment patterns are the most mis-read codes in refrigeration, and a mis-read digit sends you to the wrong system entirely (a fan code and a sensor code can differ by one segment).

Demo mode and display states that are not faults

Two display states imitate faults on healthy machines: OF OF (cooling-off/demo mode, set for showroom floors — the compressor simply never runs) and the 88 88 all-segments display test at power-up. If the fridge is warm but the fans and compressor are silent and the display reads OF OF, you do not have a failure — you have a setting, cleared by holding the two buttons named in your manual for a few seconds.

The most searched Samsung refrigerator codes, in detail

41 — Family Hub / internal communication error

Error 41 is specific to Samsung Family Hub models: the Android-based Family Hub panel and the refrigerator's main control have lost communication (41C is the fuller rendering). The fridge may still cool — refrigeration often continues on the main board — but the screen/apps and some controls stop responding. It is a software/communications fault family: power resets, software updates and connector checks come before any board condemnation.

Most likely cause: Software glitch after an update or power event — The most common story: the Hub side or the main board needs a clean restart to re-handshake.

First check: Note whether cooling is normal (it usually is) — that separates a Hub comms fault from a refrigeration fault.

If it keeps coming back: 41 that returns after every few door-heavy days is harness fatigue until proven otherwise — the fault tracks door movement, not temperature.

22E — Refrigerator fan error

22E reports that the refrigerator section's evaporator fan has failed or is not reporting rotation. That fan circulates cold air from the evaporator through the fresh-food compartment; without it the fridge warms unevenly (cold at the back vent, warm at the top/front) even though the compressor and freezer may be fine. Frost jamming the fan is as common as motor failure.

Most likely cause: Frost/ice jamming the fan blades — Usually downstream of a defrost problem or a door left ajar — ice grows until the blades can't turn.

First check: Listen at the fridge back wall: with the door switch pressed in (simulating closed), the fan should run when the compressor runs.

If it keeps coming back: 22E returning with re-frosting means the defrost system (heater/sensor/fuse) is the real fault — the fan is a victim, not the cause.

40 — Ice-room / ice-maker compartment fan or temperature fault family member (40-series codes on Samsung refrigerators relate to the ice room system).

Samsung's refrigerator codes in the 40s belong to the ice-room system (the separate ice compartment in French-door models): 40E is the ice-room fan error in Samsung's published lists, and plain 40 is how some displays summarize the family. The ice room has its own fan and sensors to keep the ice maker at freezing even though it sits in the fresh-food door area; when its fan or temperature reporting fails, ice production suffers and the code sets.

Most likely cause: Ice-room fan failure or frost-blocked fan — Frost from a door-seal leak can freeze the fan in place.

First check: Listen for the ice-room fan (it runs with the compressor); silence + 40 = fan/frost branch.

If it keeps coming back: 40 returning after defrost means moist air is still getting in (gasket, or a door not closing fully) or the fan is intermittently dying.

5E — Defrost sensor error

Not to be confused with washer drain codes: on Samsung refrigerators 5E reports a defrost sensor fault — the sensor that tells the control the evaporator temperature during defrost cycles is reading out of range or has failed. Without it the control can't time defrosts properly: frost builds on the evaporator, airflow chokes, and temperatures drift up over days to weeks.

Most likely cause: Defrost sensor failure — The sensor itself drifts or opens — the direct cause.

First check: Look for the defrost-failure pattern: heavy frost on the freezer rear panel, warming fridge, fan noise from ice contact.

If it keeps coming back: 5E returning with a new sensor means the connector/harness run to the board is corroded or the board's sensor input is at fault.

84C — Compressor error

84C is a compressor fault: Samsung's inverter-driven compressor failed to start, locked, or lost its drive/feedback. The refrigerator stops cooling (or cools poorly) and the control flags the compressor circuit. The diagnosis splits between the inverter board that drives the compressor and the compressor itself — and the board fails more often than the sealed compressor. This is sealed-system-adjacent work: diagnosis can be done by a skilled technician with a meter; compressor replacement is always a pro job.

Most likely cause: Inverter board failure — The board that converts power for the variable-speed compressor is the most common culprit in 84C cases.

First check: Clean the condenser coils and confirm the condenser fan runs — do this before any board/compressor conclusion.

If it keeps coming back: 84C returning after a board change points at the compressor drawing excess current under load — a compressor at end of life will take the new board's protection out repeatedly.

8E — Ice-maker sensor error

8E reports that the ice maker's sensor (which tells the control when ice is formed and when to harvest) is reading out of range or has failed. Ice production stops or becomes erratic — the control won't run harvest cycles it cannot supervise. The cube-making hardware is usually fine; the sensor or its little harness is the fault.

Most likely cause: Ice maker sensor failure — Drifted or open sensor at the ice maker.

First check: Inspect the ice maker area for frost build-up around the sensor.

If it keeps coming back: 8E returning after a sensor change suggests the harness run or board input — technician diagnosis.

Less common and model-specific codes

Search data shows owners also meet these codes on Samsung refrigerators: 116, 1E, 21, 22, 25E, 26E, 2E, 33, 39, 7E, 81C, 85, 88, A8, B6, C13, C21, C22, C23, C39, C40, C6, C76, C8, C84, D5, E1, E2, E21, E22, E23, E33, E39, E5, E8, F5, FD, ICE, IE, IF, LC, OF, OP, RD, SC, SE. They are not part of the core code list Samsung publishes for most models — several are series-specific, abbreviated display readings, or codes carried over from a sister platform — so we do not publish meanings for them rather than guess. Treat them by symptom: note what the machine was doing when the code appeared (filling, draining, heating, spinning), run one full power cycle (5 minutes off), and if the code returns, match the symptom to the closest documented family in the table above and check the tech sheet stored inside your machine for the model-specific definition.

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Facts on this page were checked against manufacturer documentation: www.samsung.com · www.samsung.com · www.samsung.com