Samsung washing machine 4C error: what if no water comes in?

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Your Samsung washing machine shows 4C, 4E or E1: it is not getting enough water. Most of the time the tap, the hose or a filter is blocking the flow. Allow about twenty minutes to check everything.

Common symptoms and causes

The machine fills slowly or not at all, and the code appears. All the buttons then stay locked for 3 minutes.

Wait for that delay to end. The control panel then works again.

• 4C, 4E and E1 all point to a poor water supply and are fixed the same way.
• Water pressure or flow is too low.
• The water tap is closed or frozen.
• The inlet hose is kinked, damaged or blocked.
• The water inlet filters are clogged.
• The hot and cold hoses are swapped.
• For the 4C code, a clogged detergent drawer.

Before you start

Have a towel or a bowl ready for the water left in the hose, and find the machine’s water tap. Also note the model and serial number printed on the label of the appliance: Samsung support will ask for them if the fault stays.

Warning: unplug the appliance from the mains before any work; never work on a plugged-in appliance; the capacitors in some appliances stay charged after unplugging, so do not touch them. The inlet hose holds pressurised water and the socket is often right beside it: mop up any leak before plugging the machine back in.

Solution 1: check the water tap and the water pressure

1. Open the machine’s water tap fully.
2. Check that the tap is not frozen.
3. If your setup has two hoses, make sure the cold hose and the hot hose are each connected to the right tap.
4. Make sure your mains pressure is between 0.5 and 8 bar (about 7 to 116 psi), the range Samsung requires.

The tap is fully open and water reaches the machine.

Tip: open the tap of the nearby sink. A weak or empty trickle points to a supply cut or a pressure drop on the mains, not to a fault in the machine.

Solution 2: inspect the inlet hose

Unplug the machine before moving it.

1. Gently pull the machine toward you to free the connector from the tap.
2. Follow the inlet hose along its whole length and straighten out any kink.
3. Look over the hose: it must not be damaged.
4. Make sure nothing is blocking the hose.

The hose runs in a smooth curve, with no kink.

If the hose is cracked or crushed, here is a replacement water inlet hose with a 3/4 inch thread.

Lichtblau Aquastop water inlet hose, 1.5 m, 3/4 inch thread

Replaces a damaged or kinked water inlet hose, with a mechanical safety valve that stops the water if it leaks. It screws onto the tap and the machine with a 3/4 inch thread.

• AmazonSee at Amazon

Solution 3: clean the water inlet filter

The inlet filters are fine mesh screens. You reach them by unscrewing the hose at both ends: the tap side and the machine side.

1. Turn off the water tap.
2. Unscrew the inlet hose on the tap side.
3. Unscrew the L-shaped elbow of the hose on the machine side.
4. Pull out the mesh filters.
5. Rinse them under running water until they are clean.
6. Put the filters back in place.
7. Screw the hose back on the machine side first, then on the tap side, and tighten the connectors.
8. Turn on the tap and check that no drop escapes from the connectors.

The screens are clean and the connectors are tight and dry.

Tip: an old toothbrush lifts limescale and grains of sand out of the mesh better than a jet of water alone.

Good to know: Samsung recommends cleaning these filters at least twice a year, even when nothing is wrong.

Solution 4: clean the detergent drawer

1. Pull the detergent drawer out of the machine.
2. Check that no deposit is clogging its compartments, and clean it.
3. Slide the drawer back in.

The drawer is clean and slides all the way into its housing.

Good to know: Samsung lists a clogged drawer among the causes of the 4C code. For care of the filters and the drawer, see also our guide on a smelly washing machine.

If nothing works

Does the code come back although the tap, pressure, hose, filters and drawer are all fine? Stop there.

The part at fault could be the water inlet valve, the valve that lets water into the machine, but Samsung does not officially confirm this. Replacing it is a job for a technician.

Contact Samsung customer support, which offers online troubleshooting, appointment booking and remote assistance. Have these ready:

• the model reference and the serial number (on the appliance label);
• the code displayed and the checks you have already made.

If water enters but the machine later stops on another code, see our guides on a washing machine that won’t drain and a washing machine that won’t spin.

Take better care of your washing machine: our toolbox

A few products to help prevent the next water supply or limescale problem.

Frequently asked questions

What does the 4C code mean on a Samsung washing machine?

The 4C code means the machine is getting too little water. Samsung links it to a closed or frozen tap, low pressure, a kinked or blocked hose, clogged filters or a clogged detergent drawer. The buttons stay locked for 3 minutes after it appears.

How do I clear the 4C error on a Samsung washer?

The Samsung support pages we checked do not describe any procedure to clear the code. Fix the cause first, then wait out the 3 minutes during which the buttons stay locked before starting a cycle again.

Where is the water inlet filter on a Samsung washing machine?

The mesh filters come out after you unscrew the hose on the tap side and the L-shaped elbow on the machine side. Samsung does not say exactly where each one sits, and it can vary by model. Turn off the tap before unscrewing anything.

What is the difference between the 4C, 4E and E1 codes?

None in substance: Samsung groups them under the same water supply fault, with the same troubleshooting. A Samsung washer showing 4E is handled just like one showing 4C.

Can the 4C code come from a water pressure problem?

Yes, pressure or flow that is too low is one of the causes Samsung lists. The pressure required at the tap is between 0.5 and 8 bar. Also check that the tap is fully open.