Samsung Dishwasher 5C Code: the Drain Error, Explained

Last updated: October 2026

Your Samsung ran its drain stage, waited, checked — and the water was still there. That's all 5C means: a drain error. Depending on the model year, the same fault can appear as 5E, SC, or SE; they're the same message in different fonts. Before anything else, write the code down exactly as displayed, before you reset — look-alike codes point in very different directions (5C is a drain problem; 4C is a water supply problem, the opposite end of the machine).

The important mindset: 5C is a symptom code, not a parts verdict. The water failed to leave. Anything between the tub and the house drain can cause that, and most of it is free to clear.

The 5C clear-it order

1. The filter. Remove the filter assembly from the tub floor and rinse it thoroughly. Samsung dedicates a separate code (1E) to a clogged filter, and a filter restricted enough can absolutely produce 5C as well. Clear the sump beneath it of debris while it's out.
2. The sink connection. Dishwashers drain into the sink plumbing, and the sink side is a common choke point. Run the garbage disposal to clear its chamber. And if the disposal was recently installed or replaced: check for the knockout plug — the plastic seal in a new disposal's dishwasher inlet that must be punched out. A sealed inlet means the drain water has nowhere to go — expect the code to set.
3. The hose. Check the drain hose for kinks and crushing, and confirm it rises in a high loop under the counter (or connects to an air gap, which should also be cleaned out). A hose that has slipped down can siphon and fight the drain cycle.
4. The listen test. Cancel and drain, and listen at the base of the machine. Humming means the pump has power and is trying — the blockage is in the path, or debris is jammed in the pump. Silence means the pump isn't running at all, which moves the suspicion to the pump itself or the control.
5. The pump check. Power off, and clear the pump area of debris. If the path is clear and it still won't drain, the pump gets a resistance test: most dishwasher drain pumps read roughly 15–40 ohms across the terminals, and an open (OL) or zero reading means the pump has failed electrically.

Resetting — once, after the checks

A power reset (breaker off for about a minute) clears a code that was tripped by a one-off event. Do it after the checks above, not instead of them, and then run a drain or short cycle and watch. If 5C returns with a clear path and a tested pump, the remaining suspects are the pump failing under load or the control board — a technician diagnosis. What you should not do is reset LC or LE the same casual way: those are leak codes, covered next.

What 5C costs when it's not free

Most 5C cases end at the filter, the disposal, or the hose — $0. When the pump itself has failed, a professional replacement typically runs $150–350, within the overall typical dishwasher repair range of about $160–300 for common jobs. A control-board diagnosis is the expensive branch ($250–600 installed), and it's the least likely cause of a drain-only fault — be cautious about any board quote that arrives before the drain path and pump have been properly ruled out. Full sequence in our dishwasher won't drain guide.