Samsung Washer 4C — What It Means & How to Fix It
Also shown as 4E on some models.
Your Samsung washer isn't getting water — usually a closed tap, kinked fill hose, or clogged inlet screen rather than a broken machine.
What this code means
The 4C code (shown as 4E on older Samsung models) is a water supply error: the washer started a fill but didn't detect enough water arriving within the expected time. The machine itself is often fine — something between your tap and the drum is blocking or restricting the flow.
4C is consistent across modern Samsung washers, but if your display shows something different or your model predates ~2015, confirm in your manual: search "Samsung" plus your model number (on the sticker inside the door frame) plus "manual".
Most likely causes
| Cause | How likely | DIY-fixable? |
|---|---|---|
| Water tap not fully open, or supply turned off | Very common | Yes — no tools |
| Kinked or pinched fill hose behind the machine | Common | Yes — no tools |
| Clogged mesh filter screens at the hose inlets | Common | Yes — pliers, 15 min |
| Frozen fill hose (garage or outdoor installs in winter) | Occasional | Yes — wait for thaw |
| Faulty water inlet valve inside the washer | Less common | No — technician job |
What you can try yourself
- Open both the hot and cold taps behind the washer fully. If your home's water was recently shut off, run a sink tap first to clear air from the line.
- Pull the washer forward a little and check both fill hoses for kinks or flattened sections where the machine sits against the wall.
- Turn off the taps, unscrew the fill hoses at the washer end (have a towel ready), and inspect the small mesh screens in the inlets. Rinse out any grit or scale, then reconnect.
- If you use the detergent drawer, pull it out and rinse it — a clogged drawer can slow water flow enough to trigger 4C on some models.
- Press Start to resume, or turn the washer off and on to clear the code and re-run the cycle.
When to call a technician
- Water pressure at the taps is fine and the screens are clean, but the washer still won't fill — the inlet valve has likely failed.
- You hear a humming or buzzing from the back of the machine during fill with no water flowing.
- The code appears mid-cycle on every wash even after the checks above.
Typical professional repair cost: Inlet valve replacement typically runs $100–$200 including labor; a diagnostic visit alone is usually $75–$130.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Samsung 4C code the same as 4E?
Yes. 4E is the older label for the same water-supply error. Samsung switched to 4C on newer displays because E and C looked similar on segment displays.
Can I just restart the washer to clear a 4C code?
You can — turn it off, wait a minute, and restart the cycle. But if the underlying supply problem isn't fixed, the code will come back at the next fill.
Why does 4C only appear on certain cycles?
Some cycles fill with hot water, others cold. If only one tap is closed or one hose is blocked, the code shows up only on cycles that use that supply.
Does 4C mean a leak?
No — 4C is the opposite problem: water not arriving. Samsung's leak code is LC. If you see water on the floor with a 4C, check the hose connections you recently touched.
Related Samsung codes
- Samsung Washer 5C The washer can't drain — nine times out of ten the culprit is a clogged debris filter or a blocked drain hose, both of which you can clear yourself.
- Samsung Washer UE The load inside the drum is unbalanced, so the washer stopped before spinning at full speed — usually fixed by rearranging the laundry, not by repairs.
- Samsung Washer dC The washer thinks its door is open or not locked — most often a bit of laundry trapped in the door seal or debris in the latch, occasionally a failed door lock.
- Samsung Washer LC The washer's base-pan sensor detected water where it shouldn't be — sometimes a genuine leak, but quite often just oversudsing or a recently moved drain hose.
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