Samsung Washing Machine 9C1 Error
Also shown as: 9C1 · 9C2 · UC · PF · 9E1 · 9E2
Samsung's US information-codes page files 9C1, 9C2, PF, 9E1, 9E2 and UC under a single heading — Voltage error: "an irregularity in the electrical current being supplied to the washer." Samsung UK names the members individually: 9C1/9C2 are low voltage, UC is a fluctuation in the supply voltage, and 9E1/9E2 are a power error. Samsung's Lebanon table adds the history: Plo is the old code for 9E2 (9E1's old code was PH1) — a legacy display on older machines, not a current code interchangeable with 9E2. They share one page here because they belong to one voltage/power-error family in Samsung's grouping — but Samsung's published checks vary by code and region, so this page keeps each code's instructions labelled and separate instead of merging them into one universal sequence.
The member to read differently is PF. Samsung US explains that a PF (Power Failure) error occurs if the power went out before the washer powered itself off — an outage, the washer being unplugged, or a tripped circuit breaker. PF is a record of that interruption, not a voltage fault in itself: a PF after a known outage is the machine reporting what happened, not reporting a fault.
The decision sequence
- What it means on your model: The washer's supply voltage left the range its boards can work with: too low (9C1/9C2), fluctuating (UC), or a power error (9E1/9E2). PF is different in kind — a record that power was interrupted before the washer shut itself down. Plo is the old code for 9E2, shown on older machines.
- Safe to keep running?: No. The machine is protecting its control boards from a bad supply. Do not keep restarting it into the same supply — work through the checks first. The exception is a lone PF after a known outage: that is a report, and restarting the cycle is the whole fix.
- The approved checks, in order: Samsung publishes them per code and region, so there is no single list. 9C1/9C2 (UK): check the power is supplied properly and the power cord is plugged in. UC (UK): cord check, off at the mains for 1 minute, no other apparatus or extension cable, restart. 9E/Plo (UK): off at the mains for 1 minute, then check the socket and the plug fuse. US family: its own circuit, no extension cord, then service if it continues. The labelled steps below keep them separate.
- When to stop: The code continues after the approved supply checks for your code and region — Samsung recommends service at that point. Never open the machine for this family: the boards are mains-voltage parts.
Safety first
- Work at the plug and the breaker only. Nothing in this fault family requires — or permits — opening the cabinet.
- If the outlet, plug or cord shows scorching, looseness or heat damage, stop and have the outlet itself checked by an electrician before running the washer again.
Common causes
Low supply voltage (9C1, 9C2)
Samsung UK's name for the pair. The voltage reaching the machine is below what it needs.
Fluctuating supply voltage (UC)
Samsung UK calls UC a fluctuation in the supply voltage; Samsung's Lebanon table sharpens it to "excessive fluctuation." The supply is present but unstable.
Power lost mid-cycle (PF)
Samsung US: PF occurs if the power went out before the washer powered itself off — an outage, an unplug, or a tripped breaker.
A shared or extended supply
Samsung US's fix for the family is to confirm the washer is on its own circuit and is not using an extension cord. Samsung UK's UC row adds: make sure the washer is not connected to any other apparatus or to an extension cable.
A machine used outside its country of origin
Samsung US states this cause directly: models that are not in their country of origin may display this error because power grids and their regulations vary between countries.
Step-by-step checks
- Ask the outage question first (PF)Was there a power cut, a tripped breaker, or did someone unplug the machine? If yes and the display is PF, restart the cycle — Samsung classes that PF as a record of the interruption, not a fault.
- 9C1 / 9C2 — Samsung's supply and cord checksSamsung UK's row for the pair is short and supply-side: check if power is supplied properly, and check if the power cord is plugged in. Samsung Gulf's dedicated 9C1/UC page adds the cord-and-outlet detail: check for any visible damage to the power cord or plug, verify the outlet is functioning properly by testing another device, and ensure the washing machine is connected to a dedicated circuit to avoid overloading.
- UC on UK models — Samsung UK's sequenceCheck the power cord is plugged in properly. Switch off the appliance at the mains, then wait 1 minute. Check to make sure the washing machine is not connected to any other apparatus or to an extension cable. Switch the appliance back on again and start a new programme.
- 9E / Plo on UK models — Samsung UK's sequenceSwitch off the appliance at the mains and wait 1 minute before switching it back on again. If that doesn't fix the issue, make sure that the socket the appliance is plugged into is working. If there is still no power, you may need to replace the fuse in the washing machine plug.
- US models — Samsung US's fix for the familyConfirm the washer is on its own circuit and is not using an extension cord. If the code continues after that, Samsung US's instruction for this family is to request service.
- About the 2–3 minute figureSamsung US also publishes a general reset — switch off, wait 2–3 minutes — for errors that have no troubleshooting of their own. That is a general fallback, not this family's reset: every code on this page has its own published checks above, and those are the ones that apply.
- Check the machine's originIf the washer was bought in another country, Samsung US names grid mismatch as a cause for this family. That is not fixable with settings — discuss supply compatibility with the service center.
When to call a technician
If the code continues after the approved supply checks for your code and region, Samsung recommends service — for the US family, Samsung US's instruction at that point is to request service.
Give the service center the exact display (9C1, UC, PF, 9E), whether it followed an outage, and whether other appliances were on the circuit — that history is what separates a supply problem from a board problem.
Model differences
| What you see | What it is |
|---|---|
| 9C1 / 9C2 | Low voltage (Samsung UK). |
| UC | Fluctuation — "excessive fluctuation in the supply voltage" (Samsung Lebanon). |
| PF | Power Failure: a record that power was lost before the washer shut itself down — outage, unplug or tripped breaker (Samsung US). PF reports the interruption; it is not, in itself, a voltage fault. |
| 9E1 / 9E2 | Power error (Samsung UK). Samsung's Lebanon table gives their old codes: 9E1 was PH1, and 9E2 was Plo. |
| Plo | The old code for 9E2 (Samsung Lebanon's new/old table) — a legacy display on older machines, not a current alternative to 9E2. Samsung UK still publishes instructions under Plo, the same as its 9E row: off at the mains, wait 1 minute, check the socket and the plug fuse. |
| 3E on some models | See the warning box below — on some models 3E belongs to this family, not the motor. |
Cross-warning: 3E is sometimes this error
Samsung US's voltage section carries an asterisk most guides never print: on some models, 3E is a Voltage Error; on other models it is a Motor Error — and it directs you to your model's manual to determine which. If your 3E came with flickering lights, a shared circuit or an extension cord in the chain, work this page's checks before assuming a motor fault. Our 3E page covers the motor meaning.
One-page checklist — 9C1 / UC
- Outage or tripped breaker ruled in or out (PF fork)
- 9C1/9C2 (UK): power supplied properly; power cord plugged in
- Cord and plug checked for visible damage; outlet proven with another device (Gulf 9C1/UC page)
- UC (UK): cord check, 1-minute wait, no other apparatus or extension cable
- 9E/Plo (UK): 1-minute wait, socket working, plug fuse checked
- US models: washer on its own circuit, no extension cord
- Machine's country of origin considered
- Code continues after the approved checks: service booked
Official Samsung references
Frequently asked questions
PF appeared after a storm and power cut. Is the washer faulty?
Almost certainly not. Samsung US defines PF as the error shown when power was lost before the washer powered itself off — an outage is its first example. Restart the cycle; only treat PF as a fault if it appears with no outage to explain it.
Is an extension cord really a problem?
Samsung says so itself, twice: its US fix for this family is to confirm the washer is on its own circuit and not using an extension cord, and its UK UC row says to make sure the washer is not connected to an extension cable.
9C1 on a calm day, no outage, nothing else running. What is left?
You have done the supply checks a user can do. Samsung's instruction at that point is to request service.
What reset time applies to this family?
There is no single figure for the family — Samsung publishes per code and region: 1 minute in its UK rows for UC and for 9E/Plo. The 2–3 minutes sometimes quoted is Samsung US's general fallback for errors that have no troubleshooting of their own; it is not this family's reset, and we do not present it as one.
My washer was bought abroad. Could that cause 9C1?
Yes — Samsung US states that models not in their country of origin may display this error because power grids and regulations vary between countries.