Samsung tE fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
The machine cannot read the water temperature, so it will not commit to heating. One power cycle is the published remedy; a return means a sensor.
Take care
What tE means
Samsung group tE with tE1, tE2, tE3 and the newer tC1, tC2 and tC3 as a temperature sensor error. The sensor is a thermistor — a small component whose resistance changes with temperature — and the machine reads it constantly during a heated cycle to know when to stop the element and when to move on.
If the reading goes open circuit, short circuit, or simply implausible, the machine stops rather than guess, and it stops for a specific reason: the alternative is running a mains-voltage heating element with no way of knowing how hot the water is getting. Samsung’s remedy is a single power cycle and a new programme, which is the correct first move because a momentary bad reading latches the same code as a dead sensor.
What separates this from Samsung’s 6E is direction. On 6E the water is not heating and Samsung decline to offer any home step at all. Here the sensor, not the element, is the suspect, and it is the cheaper of the two parts by a comfortable margin. It is also worth knowing that a machine reporting a temperature sensor fault will often still complete a cold wash perfectly, which tempts people to live with it for months.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Thermistor failed open or short | The usual answer when the code sticks. An inexpensive part, though it sits submerged in the tub base alongside the element. | Common |
| One-off implausible reading | A transient the board latched. This is why Samsung’s published step is a single power cycle, and why it genuinely works often enough to try. | Common |
| Connector or wiring to the sensor | A spade terminal shaken loose, or a harness chafed against the tub. Cheap to correct, and often the answer on a machine that has been moved. | Occasional |
| Heavy scale over the sensor tip | In a hard water area the thermistor furs up like a kettle element and lags behind the real water temperature until the reading falls outside tolerance. | Occasional |
| Control board not reading the input | Diagnosed only after the sensor has been measured. On an older machine this is where the repair stops making financial sense. | Rare |
What to try yourself
Switch off at the wall, wait a full minute, switch back on and start a new programme. This is Samsung’s stated remedy for the whole tE family and it clears a one-off reading.
Watch which point in the cycle it stops at. Consistently at the moment heating should begin points firmly at the sensor; at random points through a cold wash points more at wiring.
Try a cold 30 degree cycle with a small load. If that completes and a 60 degree cycle does not, you have confirmed the fault is in the heating circuit rather than anywhere else, which is genuinely useful to tell an engineer.
Do not take the back off to look for the sensor. It sits in the bottom of the outer tub next to a submerged mains-voltage element, and reaching it is not a five-minute job.
The heating element and its sensor are at mains voltage inside the tub. Leave that panel to someone with a meter and the training to use it.If the code returns, book the repair and say it is a temperature sensor code. Ask for the sensor to be measured rather than assumed, because the element is the expensive part sitting right next to it.
Get a qualified appliance engineer to look at your Samsung tE
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–£200
Time on site
15 minutes
Nothing if one power cycle holds. A temperature sensor fitted is £90 to £160. Expect nearer £200 if the element comes out at the same time.
Typical UK prices including parts and labour, updated September 2026. Your quote may differ.
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Related Samsung fault codes
- 6EGet it checkedThe water is not heating. Samsung do not offer a home remedy for this one — their published instruction is to contact the service centre.Related: heating and temperature
- HOTUsually simple to fixNot a fault. The machine is too hot to open safely, so it is running its fan and holding the door shut until the inside drops to 55°C.Related: heating and temperature
- 4E1Usually simple to fixThe machine is being fed hot water when it expects cold. Almost always the fill hose is on the wrong tap, and it is a plumbing fix rather than a fault.Related: heating and temperature
- HE2Get it checkedThe dryer half of a washer dryer has shut itself down because it was getting too hot. Samsung state what happened and offer no remedy at all.Related: heating and temperature
- 5EGet it checkedThe 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.Related: same brand
- 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
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Related guides
Common questions about Samsung tE
Can I keep washing at 30 degrees?
Often the machine will let you, and for a week or two that is a reasonable stopgap. It is not a fix. You lose the hygiene benefit of a hot wash on towels and bedding entirely, and a sensor that is wrong in one direction rather than absent can let the element run hotter than it should.
How is this different from 6E?
6E is Samsung telling you the water heater is not functioning, and for that one their table offers no home step at all — contact the service centre. tE is the sensor that watches the water rather than the thing that heats it. Both stop hot washes; the sensor is much the cheaper part.
What does it cost to put right?
A thermistor fitted is typically £90 to £160, most of which is getting to it rather than the part. If the element has to come out at the same time expect nearer £200. A control board takes it beyond what an older machine is worth.
Would a limescale treatment help?
It helps prevent this in a hard water area, because the sensor tip scales up just as the element does. Running an occasional maintenance wash at 90 degrees with no load and no detergent does the same job. Neither will revive a sensor that has already failed.
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.