Samsung 5C fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
The machine cannot get rid of its condensed water. Samsung group four causes under this code and the commonest is simply a full tank.
Before you start
What 5C means
Samsung word this one as "Check drainage" and give four possible causes in a single line: a draining malfunction, a draining pump malfunction, a frozen draining hose, or the water tank being full. That last one is the reason this page is rated as information rather than as a fault — most of the time the machine has stopped because the container needs emptying, which is not a breakdown at all.
The frozen hose case is worth knowing about because it is seasonal and because Samsung publish an actual remedy for it rather than telling you to ring someone: if the machine is plumbed into a drain and that pipe runs somewhere cold, the water in it can freeze, and their instruction is to wrap the hose in a towel soaked in warm water for around ten minutes. That is a genuinely useful piece of advice and it appears on very few appliance pages anywhere.
What Samsung do not say, and what is worth adding, is that a heat pump dryer produces a surprising quantity of water — several litres from a full load — so a container that seemed adequate in summer will be filling faster in winter when the washing goes in wetter.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| The water container is full | The commonest reason by a wide margin, and not a fault. The machine stops rather than overflowing, which is the behaviour you want, and emptying the drawer resolves it entirely. | Common |
| The drain hose is bent, crushed or damaged | Samsung name this first among their checks. A machine pushed back too far against a wall will pinch its own hose, and the pump cannot lift water through a closed pipe. | Common |
| The drain hose has frozen | Only on plumbed-in machines where the pipe run passes through an unheated space. Samsung publish a specific thaw remedy for this, which tells you they see it often enough to be worth documenting. | Occasional |
| The drain pump has failed or is blocked | The small pump that lifts condensate to the container collects lint over years. When it stalls, the water stays put and the machine has no route to continue the cycle. | Occasional |
What to try yourself
Pull the water container out, empty it, and push it back until it seats. On Samsung machines it is a drawer in the top of the cabinet.
Samsung’s manual says a full tank is heavy: pull it halfway out by the handle, then support the bottom with your other hand and keep it level, because a dropped tank can hurt.Turn the dryer on and start it again. Samsung’s own sequence is to empty the tank and then restart, so this may be the whole job.
If the machine is plumbed into a waste pipe, follow the hose and check it is not bent, crushed behind the machine, or damaged.
In cold weather on a plumbed machine, check for ice. Samsung’s instruction is to wrap the hose with a towel soaked in warm water for about ten minutes to thaw it.
Warm water rather than boiling, and do not use a heat gun or a naked flame on a plastic hose.Clean the lint filter while you are there, since lint carried into the water circuit is what eventually blocks the pump.
If 5C returns with an empty container and a clear hose, the pump is the remaining candidate and that is a service call.
Get a qualified appliance engineer to look at your Samsung 5C
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 it costs to fix
Typical repair cost
£0–£160
Time on site
10 minutes
Nothing at all in most cases, since emptying a container is not a repair. A drain pump with labour is the upper end. Samsung publish no call-out charge, so any figure is an independent market estimate.
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
- NCGet it checkedSamsung’s prompt to deal with the lint filter. Rated more seriously here than Samsung rate it, because a blocked filter on a dryer is not the same as a blocked filter elsewhere.Related: same brand
- HCGet it checkedThe compressor is overheating. Samsung’s website tells you to get an electrician to check the heating element — your machine does not have one, and their own manual says clean the heat exchanger.Related: same brand
- dCUsually simple to fixThe dryer thinks the door is open. Samsung name a cause most people would never guess: the child lock can produce this on a machine that is not even running.Related: same brand
- HCLStop — call an engineerThe refrigerant has leaked out of the sealed circuit. It is propane, and Samsung’s instruction is that the machine must not be used at all until an engineer has been.Related: same brand
- NC2Get it checkedThe inner cover of the heat exchanger is not fitted properly. Usually something an owner has just done, and usually fixable in a minute.Related: same brand
- tC5Get it checkedThe sensor watching the compressor temperature is not reporting properly. Samsung ask for a longer pause than usual before you try again.Related: same brand
Own a Samsung tumble dryer? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions about Samsung 5C
My machine shows 5E instead.
The same fault. Samsung put a C on newer displays and an E on older ones, so 5C and 5E are one code. This runs right through their range and is not specific to drainage.
The tank is empty and it still says this.
Check the drawer is pushed fully home first, because a container sitting slightly proud reads as a problem. After that, look at the hose if you are plumbed in, and consider the pump if neither helps.
How much water should it be producing?
Several litres from a full load, which surprises people. All of it came out of your washing. If the container is filling faster than it used to, the likeliest explanation is that the washing is going in wetter — a lower spin speed on the washing machine sends more water to the dryer.
Should I plumb it in to avoid emptying it?
You can on most models, and it saves a chore. Keep the run short and avoid loops that hold standing water, and be aware that a plumbed machine gains one failure mode it did not have before, which is the hose freezing in winter.
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 support portal
- Manufacturer technical and service documentation
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.