Samsung 5E fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
The machine could not empty within the time it allows. On a Samsung this is the single most common code, and the filter behind the front flap is the usual answer.
Take care
What did you find in the filter?
The right answer depends on what you can see. Pick the one that matches.
Choose the option on the left that matches what your appliance is doing, and the answer for that case appears here.
Coins, hair grips or general gunge
That was the fault. The pump was fine and could not shift water past the blockage.
Clean it, refit it, and put a note in your phone to check it every couple of months, which is the interval Samsung’s manuals give.
Nothing — it was clean
The restriction is further along: the hose, the standpipe, the sink trap, or the pump itself.
Check the hose run and the sink trap before booking anybody.
There was no water in the machine at all
If it drained but still reported a fault, the pressure sensor may be reading a level that is not there rather than the pump failing.
That one needs an engineer, and it is worth saying so when you book.
What 5E means
Samsung label 5E, and its newer equivalent 5C, as a water drainage issue: the pump was told to empty the drum and the water level did not fall far enough within the allotted time. The machine stops with water still in it rather than continuing, because spinning a full drum at fifteen hundred revolutions is not something any manufacturer will permit.
What makes this code worth understanding is that it is far more often a blockage than a broken pump. Coins, hair grips, bra wires and the corners of tissues all end up in the pump filter, and that filter is behind a flap at the bottom front of the machine, designed to be opened by the owner without tools.
Samsung expect you to clean it. Their own instructions for this code start there. A machine that has never had its filter cleaned in five years will eventually produce this code, and the fix costs nothing. One behaviour to know before you start: Samsung’s 5E support page states that the buttons on the machine are disabled for three minutes after the code appears, so a panel that ignores you straight after 5C is not a second fault.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Pump filter blocked | The overwhelming favourite. It is a deliberate trap for anything that survives a pocket check, and Samsung’s manuals say to clean it every couple of months. Almost nobody does. | Common |
| Drain hose kinked or pushed too far into the standpipe | Very common after a machine has been pulled out and pushed back. A hose crushed against the wall, or shoved so deep it siphons, both stop the machine emptying properly. | Common |
| Blocked sink trap or standpipe | Where the machine shares a waste with a kitchen sink, grease in the trap backs the machine up. Suspect this if the sink is also draining slowly. | Occasional |
| Drain pump failed | The pump itself, rather than what is in front of it. Usually preceded by a period of louder-than-usual draining, and diagnosed only once the filter and hose are proven clear. | Occasional |
What to try yourself
Switch the machine off at the wall and unplug it. Put old towels down, because there is more water in the drum than you expect and it is going to end up on your floor.
Open the flap at the bottom front. Behind it you will find the filter and, on most Samsung machines, a short emergency drain hose with a cap. Use that hose to empty the water into a shallow tray first — it takes several fills, and it saves a flood.
If the machine stopped mid-cycle on a hot wash, that water can still be hot enough to scald. Let it cool before you start.Cap and stow the emergency hose, then turn the filter anticlockwise and pull it out. Clear whatever is in it and wash it in warm water, as Samsung’s own sequence says, then wipe out the housing and feel for anything caught in the impeller. It should turn freely by hand.
Refit the filter and turn it clockwise until it locks, then close the flap. A filter left slightly loose leaks on the next wash, and people reasonably but wrongly conclude they have made things worse.
Pull the machine out and look at the waste hose along its whole run. Straighten any kink, check the end sits at least 60cm above the floor, and check that no more than 150mm of hose is inside the standpipe — both figures are Samsung’s. Then run a rinse and spin to test.
Get a qualified appliance engineer to look at your Samsung 5E
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
30 minutes
Nothing at all if it is the filter, which it usually is. A replacement drain pump is £90 to £160 fitted. A blocked sink trap is a plumbing job rather than an appliance one.
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
- 4EGet it checkedThe machine asked for water and did not get enough in the time allowed. Nine times out of ten the answer is at the tap rather than inside the machine.Related: same brand
- UEUsually simple to fixThe load is on one side of the drum and the machine has refused to spin. Samsung are explicit that this is not a fault — it is the machine protecting itself.Related: same brand
- dEGet it checkedThe machine cannot confirm the door is locked, so it will not start. On an AddWash there is a second hatch with its own interlock to check.Related: same brand
- SudUsually simple to fixThe machine has detected far more foam than it can spin safely. It is usually too much detergent, and it usually clears itself if you let it.Related: same brand
- 3EGet it checkedThe motor is not turning as commanded. Samsung ask you to power off and retry once, and if it returns it is a repair rather than a glitch.Related: same brand
- LEGet it checkedThe machine has lost water it should still have. Samsung label this low water level, and checking for an actual leak is part of their own advice.Related: same brand
Own a Samsung washing machine? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions about Samsung 5E
My machine shows 5C, not 5E. Is that different?
No. Samsung changed the suffix on newer machines, so 5E and 5C are the same fault with the same causes and the same fix. If a guide covers one it covers the other.
Could it actually be SE rather than 5E?
Samsung raise this themselves. On a seven-segment display a 5 and an S are very nearly the same shape, as are 3 and E. If you cannot find your code, read it the other way and try again — it is a more common problem than people realise.
How do I get the water out before I open the filter?
Use the small emergency drain hose tucked behind the same flap. Pull it out, take the cap off, and let it run into a shallow roasting tin — a bucket will not fit under it. Expect to empty the tin several times.
The filter was clean and the hose is fine. What now?
Then you are into the pump or the sensor, and that is an engineer job. Say on the phone that you have already cleared the filter and checked the hose, because it stops you paying for a visit that consists of somebody else doing exactly that.
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
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.