Samsung Washing Machine Won't Drain
Also shown as: Usually the 5C / nd no-drain code family
Samsung treats "won't drain" as a fault with its own guide — its US page links a dedicated "Water is not draining" guide straight from the no-drain error — and groups the codes for it as nd, 5E, SE, 5C and SC: water is not draining from the washer at the correct speed, or at all. If one of those codes is on your display, our 5C page is the code-shaped version of this page. If there is no code — or you have not looked yet — stay here: this page works the symptom as a decision tree.
The decision sequence
- What it means: The washer could not get the water out. That is one symptom with a short list of causes — a blocked filter, a blocked or badly run hose, or a pump that has stopped working — and the checks below separate them in Samsung's order.
- Safe to keep running?: Standing water is stable in the short term, so there is no rush — but do not force the door open against a drum of water (flood risk), and if the wash was hot, let the water cool before you open the filter area.
- The approved checks, in order: Read the display first → emergency-drain through the small hose → clean the debris filter → check the drain hose (kinks, blockage, height) → listen at the drain step: pump humming with no flow, or pump silent.
- When to stop: Drain path clear and the pump silent, or the pump humming with nothing moving — the pump itself has failed or is jammed beyond a user check, and it is a service call. Water anywhere near sockets or electrics: stop immediately.
Safety first
- Unplug the machine before opening the filter panel or disconnecting the hose — you will be working around water and the pump.
- Expect water at the filter opening: whatever is in the drum comes toward it. Towels and a shallow tray first, then unscrew.
- Never force a locked door against a full drum. Use the emergency drain hose first.
Common causes
Clogged debris (pump) filter
The first physical check in Samsung's own 5C guidance once the drum is drained: the filter that protects the pump clogs with lint, coins and clips until water cannot pass.
Blocked, kinked or badly installed drain hose
Samsung's other named causes for the no-drain family — including the hose run: its UK 5C row specifies the outlet drain hose installed at a height of at least 60 cm.
A leak code wearing a drain costume
If the display shows LC rather than a drain code, the machine's problem is water where it should not be — the checks are different and live on the LC page.
Drain pump failure
What remains when the path is clear: the pump hums but cannot move water, or makes no sound at all. That fork is the last check below.
Step-by-step checks
- Read the display before touching anythingA code routes you: 5C, 5E, SE, SC or nd → the no-drain family (the 5C page gives the full code procedure). LC → stop and use the LC page instead. No code → continue here.
- Emergency-drain the drumSamsung UK's 5C row starts here: use the emergency hose to drain excess water from the drum. On front-loaders the small hose sits beside the debris filter behind the front-bottom panel; let it run into a shallow pan, a little at a time.
- Clean the debris filterWith the drum drained, unscrew the filter, clear the lint, coins and clips, rinse it, and refit it tightly. The 5C page walks this step with the panel diagram.
- Check the drain hose end to endSamsung UK: check the drain hose and waste connection for kinks and blockages, make sure the hose is straightened all the way to the drain system, and that the outlet sits at least 60 cm high.
- Run a drain or spin and listenStart a cycle that drains, and put your ear to the machine at the drain step. What you hear is the diagnosis — see the fork table below.
Where the debris (pump) filter lives on a typical Samsung front-loader: behind the small access panel at the front bottom of the machine — Samsung's own description of the location. Your model's panel may sit on the opposite side.
When to call a technician
Path clear + pump silent: the pump is getting no result from its command, or has failed electrically. Path clear + pump humming with no flow: the pump is obstructed or its impeller has failed. Both are pump-level faults — Samsung's no-drain guidance ends at service once the filter and hose are eliminated, and so does this page.
Stop immediately, whatever the fork says, if water is leaking from underneath the machine or reaching anywhere near a socket.
Model differences
| At the drain step, you hear… | What it means | Do this |
|---|---|---|
| The pump hums, but no water moves | The pump is running against a blockage — in the filter, the hose, or the pump itself. | Re-check the filter and hose once. Still nothing: pump obstruction or failure → service. |
| Silence — no pump sound at all | The pump is not running: an electrical or pump failure, not a blockage. | Service. There is no user check that separates a dead pump from its wiring. |
| The pump runs and the drum empties | The blockage was the filter or hose you just cleared. | Run one full cycle and confirm it drains at speed. |
| Display shows | Go to |
|---|---|
| 5C, 5E, SE, SC, nd | 5C — the no-drain code page |
| LC, LE | LC — leak / water level page |
| No code | Stay on this page and work the sequence above. |
One-page checklist — Won't drain
- Display read — code noted or none
- Machine unplugged, towels and tray ready
- Drum emergency-drained through the small hose
- Debris filter cleaned and refitted tightly
- Hose unkinked, unblocked, outlet at least 60 cm
- Drain step listened to: hum vs silent fork applied
- Path clear + pump fault: service booked
Official Samsung references
Frequently asked questions
Where is the emergency drain hose?
On front-loaders it sits behind the small access panel at the front bottom of the machine, next to the debris filter. Samsung UK's 5C guidance starts with it: use the emergency hose to drain excess water from the drum before opening the filter.
How high should the drain outlet be?
Samsung UK specifies the outlet drain hose installed at a height of at least 60 cm, straightened all the way to the drain system.
The pump hums but nothing drains. Filter and hose are clear.
Then the blockage — or a failed impeller — is inside the pump itself. That is the service line for this symptom; there is no further user check.
There is no code, just water left in the drum. Is this page right for me?
Yes. Samsung's no-drain family is a symptom group as much as a code group — its own linked guide is titled for the symptom. Work the sequence; the display check is step one precisely because a code may appear once the machine retries.
Can I open the door to bail the water out?
Not against a locked, full drum — you risk a flood. Emergency-drain through the hose first; if the wash was hot, let the water cool before opening the filter area.