Samsung Washer 4C Error Code: Meaning, Causes & Fix

Water supply error — the washer is not filling with water (or is filling too slowly).

4C is Samsung's water-supply fault code (shown as 4E on older models). The control opens the inlet valves and watches the water level sensor: if the tub does not reach the expected level within the allowed time, the machine stops, displays 4C and will not start the wash. It is a 'water in' problem — the machine is protecting itself from running a cycle it cannot fill, and on many models it will also drain any water already in the tub as a precaution.

What causes the 4C code on a Samsung washer?

Water taps not fully open, or supply hoses kinked/frozen

The single most common cause. A tap half-closed during a plumbing job, a hose crushed behind the machine, or a frozen line in winter starves the fill.

Clogged inlet-valve filter screens

Each inlet valve has a small mesh screen where the hose connects. Sediment, well-water grit and rust flakes slowly plug them until fill flow drops below the control's threshold.

Failed water inlet valve

The valve solenoid can fail electrically or the valve can stick mechanically, so it never opens even though the control is calling for water. More likely if 4C appears on both hot and cold selections or after years of hard-water use.

Low household water pressure

Samsung washers need roughly domestic-normal pressure; a house fed by a weak well pump or a partly closed main can trip 4C especially when other fixtures are running.

Water level (pressure) sensor or its air hose fault

Less common: the control thinks the tub is not filling because the level sensor is misreading — a pinched or waterlogged sensor hose gives the same symptom as no water.

Checks to run before you replace anything

1. Confirm both taps are fully open and no other major fixture is running; check the hoses are not kinked behind the machine.
2. Note whether any water enters at all in the first minute — a trickle points at screens/pressure; complete silence points at the valve.
3. Turn the taps off, unscrew the hoses at the machine end (bucket ready) and inspect the small mesh screens inside the valve inlets; rinse out grit.
4. Run the taps into the bucket for a few seconds to confirm strong flow from the house side.
5. In freezing weather, check exposed sections of supply line for ice before suspecting the machine.

How to fix 4c error code in samsung washing machine?

1. Clear the inlet screens (above) — this alone fixes the majority of 4C cases.
2. Straighten or replace crushed/frozen hoses and fully open both taps.
3. If flow into the machine is strong but the tub still does not fill, unplug the washer and test the inlet valve: each solenoid should show continuity across its terminals (typically in the high hundreds to ~1k+ ohms range depending on model — compare the two solenoids on the same valve; one reading open/infinite against a normal twin is the failed one).
4. Replace the inlet valve assembly if a solenoid tests open or the valve does not open with power applied by a technician.
5. If the valve works and water flows, inspect the level-sensor air hose (runs from the tub to the sensor) for kinks, splits or trapped water; clear or replace it.

The part that usually fails: Water inlet valve assembly

The part that usually fails when the screens are clean and the taps are strong. It is one assembly with hot and cold solenoids at the rear top of the machine. Test: unplug, remove the top panel, and meter each solenoid for continuity — a solenoid reading open circuit while its twin reads normally is failed. Replacing the assembly is a Moderate DIY (hoses off, a few screws, wire connectors) but involves mains voltage at the solenoids, so work unplugged.

How to reset samsung washer 4c error code?

After fixing the cause, power-cycle the machine (unplug 5 minutes) and run a Rinse+Spin or a small wash. 4C clears as soon as the control sees a normal fill rate; if it returns within the first minutes, water is still not arriving at the required rate.

On Samsung washers most fault codes clear with a power reset: switch the machine off, unplug it (or trip the breaker) for at least 5 minutes so the control board fully discharges, then restore power and run a short Rinse+Spin or a small test load. If the code was caused by a one-off condition — a kinked hose, an unbalanced load, a suds spike — it will not come back. If it returns on the next cycle, the control has detected the same fault again and the reset has only cleared the message, not the cause. Samsung does not use a button-combination 'master reset' on most models; the power cycle is the reset.

Why does the 4C code keep coming back?

If 4C keeps coming back after clean screens and a new valve, look at the house side again — pressure that sags when a shower or irrigation runs will re-trigger it at busy times of day — and at the level-sensor hose, which can hold a trapped bubble of water that slowly re-creates the fault over several cycles.

How to stop 4C coming back

• Water taps not fully open, or supply hoses kinked/frozen: The single most common cause. A tap half-closed during a plumbing job, a hose crushed behind the machine, or a frozen line in winter starves the fill.
• Clogged inlet-valve filter screens: Each inlet valve has a small mesh screen where the hose connects. Sediment, well-water grit and rust flakes slowly plug them until fill flow drops below the control's threshold.
• Failed water inlet valve: The valve solenoid can fail electrically or the valve can stick mechanically, so it never opens even though the control is calling for water. More likely if 4C appears on both hot and cold selections or after years of hard-water use.

Retrieving stored fault codes on Samsung washers

Most Samsung washers store recent fault codes that a technician can read in the service/diagnostic mode. Entry varies by model family: on many front-loaders you press and hold Delay End and Pre Soak (or Temp and Spin, on older models) together for about 3 seconds until the display lights all segments; on top-loaders a similar two-button hold (often Delay End + Pre Soak) is used. Once inside, the cycle knob steps through stored codes and component tests (fill, drain, motor, heater). Because the button pair differs between model years, confirm the pair for your exact model in the tech sheet fixed inside the machine or in the user manual before relying on a code you read there.

Other Samsung washer error codes

See the full list on the Samsung Washer error codes hub.

Codes 4C gets confused with

4E — Water supply error — the washer is not filling (older-display version of 4C). 4E is the water-supply fault on older Samsung washers; newer models display the identical fault as 4C.

5C — Drain error — the washer is not draining water out of the tub. 5C (shown as 5E on older Samsung displays, and as SC in some character sets) means the control ran the drain pump but the water level did not fall as expected.

LC — Leak error — water has been detected where it shouldn't be (leak sensor triggered), or the drain system is reporting a leak-check fault. On Samsung washers LC (also rendered LE on some displays in the washer line) reports that the machine's leak detection has triggered or that the water level is behaving as if water is escaping.

IE — Water level sensor error — the control cannot trust the level (pressure) sensor's reading (fill family, grouped with OC). Samsung's IE is a level-sensing fault: the pressure sensor that tells the control how much water is in the tub is reporting implausibly (out of range, stuck, or not responding).

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

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