Samsung HC fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
High temperature check. Samsung’s first instruction is a test cycle with the machine empty, and the breaker only comes into it if the code returns.
Take care
Get a qualified appliance engineer to look at your Samsung HC
We do not pass enquiries to a repair firm, so there is no form here. When you book a qualified appliance engineer, tell them the make, the model and the exact code or message on the display, and ask whether they carry parts for this make — that is what turns one visit into a repair rather than a quote.
What HC means
HC is Samsung’s high temperature check, and their UK code list describes the symptom in plain terms: the machine may complete a wash but stops during or near the end of the cycle, drying is poor or aborted, and the interior is very hot and steamy. Samsung’s response is more measured than the code sounds. The manual calls it a functional check: with the dishwasher empty, add detergent and run a cycle.
If the issue continues, go to your home’s circuit breaker panel, set the dishwasher’s breaker to off, and contact a Samsung service centre. The support page gives the same owner checks in more detail — power off at the wall or breaker for at least five minutes, run a normal cycle with an empty tub and detergent, confirm the inlet water is within the normal domestic range, and make sure the filters are clean. Two things follow. First, the machine is not condemned by this code; Samsung expect it to be run again as a test. Second, if the test brings the code back, the machine has been asked to stop and be looked at, and switching it off at the breaker rather than on its own button is Samsung’s standard phrasing for taking power off an appliance — the same words appear on their list for a dozen other codes — rather than a special escalation for this fault. The heater itself is not owner-serviceable, so the causes below split into the two you can check, hot inlet water and poor circulation through dirty filters, and the ones an engineer has to find.
Samsung publish three related codes: HC1 when the machine is being fed excessively hot water, and HC2 and HC4 when the door vent is covered or the load is pressed against it during drying. Give the machine time before you open it after an interrupted cycle, because the steam Samsung describe scalds.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Heater or its control at fault | The element not switching as commanded, or the control misreading it. Not owner-serviceable; this is what Samsung’s empty test cycle is trying to rule in or out. | Common |
| Temperature sensor faulty | The machine losing its reference for how hot the water is. Samsung list tC separately as a temperature sensor code, but the two can present together. | Common |
| Inlet water too hot | Samsung publish HC1 specifically for this, and their manuals cap the supply at 60 °C. A machine plumbed into a hot supply, or a combined supply running hotter than expected, can push the tub past its limit. | Occasional |
| Filters dirty, water not circulating | Both the HC and HC1 solutions on Samsung’s list have you clean the filters so that water circulates properly. Heat concentrates where water is not moving. | Occasional |
| Vent blocked during drying | Samsung list HC2 and HC4 for the door vent being covered or tall plastics loaded against the inner vent outlet. Heat that cannot escape at the drying stage raises the internal temperature. | Occasional |
Can you fix it yourself?
Stop — this needs an engineer
What it costs to fix
Typical repair cost
£110–£260
Time on site
20 minutes
Typically £110 to £240 fitted depending on whether it is the element, its control or a sensor. Parts availability is worth confirming first on an older model.
Typical UK prices including parts and labour, updated September 2026. Your quote may differ.
Own this appliance and had this code? . Nothing is published until a person has read it.
Related Samsung fault codes
- 5CGet it checkedDrain fault. Samsung describe the detection precisely — the control expected the water level to fall and saw no change.Related: same brand
- 4CGet it checkedWater supply check. Samsung’s checks are the valve, the supply and a frozen or clogged inlet, and their manuals give the pressure and temperature the supply has to meet.Related: same brand
- LCStop — call an engineerLeak detected. Samsung publish three different answers to this code across three official UK sources, and only one of them isolates the machine.Related: same brand
- 3CGet it checkedThe machine fills but never starts washing. Ignore the American results for this one — they describe a different fault entirely.Related: same brand
- 9C1Get it checkedThe machine has detected an abnormal voltage and put itself into protection mode. The fault is usually in the socket, not the dishwasher.Related: same brand
Own a Samsung dishwasher? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions about Samsung HC
Do I really have to trip the breaker?
Only if the test cycle brings the code back. Samsung’s manual sequence is functional check first, then breaker off and call service if the issue continues. "Power off at the wall/breaker" is also how Samsung phrase a power cycle for most of their codes, so read it as their normal wording for taking power off the machine rather than an alarm particular to HC.
Can I open the door and look?
Give it time first. Samsung describe a very hot, steamy interior, and steam released from a machine stopped mid-cycle causes scalds. A few minutes costs nothing.
Is my dishwasher plumbed into hot water?
Most UK dishwashers are on cold, but not all, and a hot feed is a legitimate cause here — Samsung publish HC1 for inlet water being too hot and their manuals say the supply must be below 60 °C. Feel the pipe running to the machine, or trace it back to see which supply it comes off.
I have HE rather than HC. Same thing?
On a UK machine, yes — Samsung UK group HC and HE as one code. Their American site does not, listing HE as a heater error separate from HC. For a UK machine follow the UK grouping.
Technical review
Not reviewed by an engineer
No engineer has read this page. Severity follows what the manufacturer publishes, and we would rather tell you that than let a byline imply a sign-off.
Sources and how we verified this
We establish the facts from the sources below and then write the explanation ourselves. We do not copy manufacturer wording and we do not host their manuals.
- Manufacturer technical and service documentation
- Manufacturer support portal
This page has not been reviewed by an engineer, and we would rather tell you that than imply otherwise. The severity rating follows what the manufacturer publishes: where they say isolate the appliance and call someone, so do we.