A Samsung washer SC code means the tub was still full when the drain phase should have ended. Most SC calls end at the debris filter or the drain hose, not at a new pump. Below: four five-minute checks, what we measure when they fail, and what each fix costs once the $90 visit is credited.
(619) 330-5105
SC, 5C and 5E are one fault on a Samsung washer: water is not leaving the tub at the speed the control board expects, so the cycle stops before the spin. The usual causes, in order: a packed debris filter, a kinked or low drain hose, a pump that no longer moves water.
Is SC the same as 5C, and is it an error code? Yes: the Samsung washer SC error code, 5C and 5E are one entry in Samsung’s own list, filed with nd, SE and 1 5C under one heading: water is not draining from the washer. On a seven-segment display a 5 and an S light the same bars, so one owner reads SC and the next 5C.
Why did it stop with water inside? When the pressure sensor still reads water at the end of the timed drain phase, Samsung halts the cycle, keeps a front-load door locked and shows the code. Every line does it: WF45 and WF50 front-loads, WA top-loads, WV FlexWash, and older top-loads without a display, which blink the Small or Low light instead.
Same fault, different panels; the right column is what our tech measures.
| Display | Platform / series | What Samsung means | What Spark measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| SC / 5C / 1 5C | WF45, WF50 and Bespoke front-loads. WA top-loads with a display: the SC code on a Samsung top load washer reads the same. Samsung also lists 1 5C. | Water is not leaving the tub at the expected speed, or at all, during the drain phase. | Debris filter, hose route and height, voltage and winding at the pump, pressure-sensor air hose. |
| 5E / SE | Older Samsung WF and WA models. | The same no-drain condition, shown as 5E or SE on older displays. | Identical to SC; on many of these the pump crosses over to the current DC31-00054A. |
| nd | Some WA top-loads and older display models. | Printed beside 5C in Samsung’s list: no drain. | Hose first, then the pump; WA top-loads have no owner-serviceable filter. |
| Small / Low light blinking | Top-loads without a code display. | The blinking water-level light is the no-drain signal on these panels. | Hose, pump and the lid switch, which stalls the drain step when it stops reporting closed. |
Front-load (WF, Bespoke): checks 1 to 3. Top-load (WA): check 2, then 4. Unplug the washer first; after a Sanitize or hot cycle, wait an hour.
Open the small door at the bottom front, pull out the emergency drain hose, uncap it over a shallow pan and let the tub empty. Turn the filter cap counterclockwise, pull it and clear coins, hair ties and lint. Seat it fully.
Follow the hose. Samsung wants the end 6 to 8 inches into the standpipe, no airtight seal, no extension kit, and the top of the loop 18 to 96 inches off the floor. Below 18 inches it siphons the tub during fill; crushed, it passes nothing. A standpipe that backs up when you pour a bucket in is a plumber’s job.
Cut power at the plug or breaker for two to three minutes, restore it and start Rinse + Spin (Spin Only on some panels). Pump runs and drum spins: the code was a one-off. SC returns right away: pump or sensor.
WA top-loads have no filter door and no emergency hose, so go straight to the sound test during Spin Only. This is how you tell a broken drain pump from a jammed one. A hum with no water moving is a jammed impeller; silence is no power or an open winding; a whir with no flow is the hose.
Each price below is the matching row on our washing machine repair page: parts and labor in one number, with the $90 visit taken off once you approve.
| What we find | The fix | Parts + labor |
|---|---|---|
| Packed debris filter, or a sock or coin in the pump housing. | Tub drained, housing cleared, impeller freed, drain tested under load. | Covered by the service call. |
| Drain pump with an open winding, or power at the pump and no flow. | DC31-00054A pump, or the model’s own number, normally fitted from van stock. | $180 – $320 |
| Pressure sensor or air hose reporting water that is not there. | Air hose cleared or the sensor replaced; priced in the same bracket as an inlet valve. | $160 – $300 |
| Top-load lid switch or lid lock stalling the drain step. | Lid lock assembly replaced and the drain step re-run. | $180 – $340 |
| Main control board not powering the pump. | Board replaced only after the pump tests good; the rarest outcome. | $280 – $520 |
Most Samsung SC repairs close between $180 and $320 because the pump is the part that fails; every row carries 90 days on the part and the labor. The same numbers are on our Samsung washer error codes and repair page.
A drain code is cheap to diagnose and expensive to guess at. What a Spark visit for SC looks like:
The drain command runs with a meter on the pump leads. An open winding (a broken motor coil), or power with no flow, condemns the pump; a good pump behind a blocked hose means you pay for the cheaper fix.
The DC31-00054A pump used on many WF and WA models is normally on the van, with pressure switches and lid locks, so a confirmed pump fault is usually one visit of 60 to 90 minutes.
Spark Appliance Repair holds California Bureau of Household Goods and Services registration #C 62399 and is insured. You see the pump reading at the machine, in plain terms, before any part is ordered or any price is written.
DIY ends where the cabinet comes apart. If a line below fits, it is time for the meter.
One line each. If the display shows one of these instead of SC, the fault is outside the drain path.
| Code | What it means | First check / read more |
|---|---|---|
| dC / dE / dL | The latch never confirmed the door or lid shut; on a few models dC means an unbalanced load. | Close the door firmly; look for a trapped sleeve. Lock faults: our Samsung washer page. |
| 4C / 4E / nF | Not filling: water is not entering the washer correctly. | Open both supply valves fully, straighten the fill hoses, clean the inlet screens. |
| UE / Ub / U6 | Unbalanced load; Ur means the washer is retrying by itself and is not a fault. | Redistribute the laundry; a UE on an empty WA points to the suspension rods. |
| Samsung dishwasher SC code (5C) | Also a drain error: Samsung lists 5C, SC, 5E and SE together for its dishwashers. | Clean the sump filter, check the hose loop and the disposal knock-out plug. See dishwasher not draining and dishwasher repair. |
Not sure which code you saw? Read it to dispatch exactly as it appears. No-code symptoms are covered in common washing machine problems and washing machine won’t drain.
Spring Valley is the base, and a Samsung SC call anywhere between Chula Vista and Escondido goes on the same route card. Hours run 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Call before noon and a Samsung drain call books for the same day. Need more than the SC code fixed? See Samsung washer repair in San Diego for the rest of the machine, Samsung appliance repair for the kitchen, and the appliance repair cost guide for everything else.
$90 Service Call
Credited to the repair · 90-day parts and labor warranty · same-day for morning callers
📞 Call (619) 330-5105📅 Book an AppointmentHave the model number from the tag inside the door rim or under the lid, and tell dispatch the filter and hose checks are done. Then the visit starts at the meter, not at the filter. The fee comes off the repair; the work is covered for 90 days.
The washer could not drain within the time the control board allows, so it stopped the cycle before the spin. Samsung files SC with 5C, 5E, SE, nd and 1 5C under one heading, no drain. The cause is almost always filter, hose or pump.
Often, yes. A packed debris filter or a kinked drain hose is a no-cost fix that clears the code for good. If both are right and the code still returns, the pump, pressure sensor or board needs a meter.
Front-load: open the small door at the bottom front, pull out the emergency drain hose, uncap it over a shallow pan and let gravity do it. Top-load WA: no emergency hose; run Spin Only after a power cycle, else bail the tub and call.
Samsung’s own no-drain guide says to wait about an hour after a hot or Sanitize cycle before you troubleshoot, so a code that appears only then may clear on its own. Run a cold Rinse + Spin once the hour is up; if SC comes back on cold cycles as well, the filter, hose or pump is the cause.
Turn the washer off, cut power for two to three minutes, restore it and start Rinse + Spin. That is the reset Samsung documents; the code stays cleared only if whatever stopped the drain is fixed.
A Samsung drain pump replacement runs $180 to $320 with parts and labor, the same range as on our washing machine repair page. The $90 service call is credited to that total; pump and labor carry a 90-day warranty.
Three reasons cover most cases. The hose end is pushed too deep or sealed into the standpipe. The pump turns but a worn impeller moves no water. Or the pressure-sensor hose is blocked and the board still reads a full tub. Only the first is a DIY fix.
Standing water starts to smell within a day, so SC calls that reach dispatch before noon go on that day’s route. Later calls get the next open slot, and we tell you how to empty the tub through the emergency hose in the meantime.
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