Samsung · Washer · Error code 4C / 4E
Samsung washer 4C or 4E error code
likely causes and what to check
What it means
4C or 4E means the control expected water and didn't get it. The machine believes the taps are closed, the hoses are blocked, or the fill is far too slow.
Start here before touching the machine itself — on this code the most common causes live at the wall, not in the washer.
Likely causes, ranked
- Tap closed or hose kinkedthe most common cause, and it costs nothing to fix
- Clogged inlet screensgrit from the supply lines collects in the small mesh filters at the hose ends
- One water valve faileda stuck solenoid fills one side only and the control reads it as no fill
- Pressure sensor or its air hosea pinched air hose can hide a filling tub from the control
- Control boardrare, and only once everything above has checked out
Ranked for this washer in general. A model-specific diagnosis needs more information than this guide.
Verdict, in general terms
A 4C is usually free — taps, hoses, screens — or a $20–$45 inlet valve. Worth fixing at any age; this is one of the cheapest codes a washer can show.
The checks, in order
4 checksCheck 1 — Check both taps and both hoses
2 minutes · no tools
This eliminates: closed taps, kinked hoses.
The step-by-step opens inside a case.
Check 2 — Clean the screens in the hose ends
10 minutes · pliers
This eliminates: clogged inlet screens.
The step-by-step opens inside a case.
Check 3 — Test each temperature alone
10 minutes · no tools
This eliminates: which valve has failed.
The step-by-step opens inside a case.
Check 4 — Replace the inlet valve
30 minutes · one screwdriver
This eliminates: failed water valve.
The step-by-step opens inside a case.
Common questions
5 questions- Is 4E the same as 4C on a Samsung washer?
- Yes. Both are the same no-fill fault — the control expected water and didn't get it. The two labels are just two renderings of the same code, so the causes and the checks are identical.
- How do I clear the 4C code?
- There is no reset trick. Restore the fill — open the taps, straighten the hoses, clean the screens — then start the cycle again. The code clears on its own once the control sees water arriving in time.
- Why does 4C show up mid-cycle, at the rinse?
- Rinse fills are cold-only. A blocked cold-side screen or a dead cold valve solenoid can pass every warm wash and still starve the rinse. Test cold-only and hot-only fills separately to pin down which side failed.
- My taps are open and the hoses are fine — is the valve dead?
- Probably, but check the inlet screens first even on an open tap — grit throttles the fill to a trickle and reads as no fill at all. If both are clean and one temperature still never fills, the valve solenoid is the part: $20–$45, one screwdriver, about half an hour.
- How much does a 4C repair cost?
- The most common fixes cost nothing — taps, hoses, screens. A failed inlet valve is a $20–$45 part, or $140–$260 installed by a technician. Either way it is one of the cheapest codes a washer can show, which is why the usual verdict is fix it.
Stuck, or want a person?
Ty Fletcher answers a Second Opinion by email within 24 hours — 10 years of construction and maintenance, not a licensed technician. You send photos and the model plate; the answer names the next thing to do, or the stop line.
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