Samsung Dishwasher LC Error: Meaning, Causes & Safe Checks

LC Likely needs an engineer Safe checks first

Quick answer

Samsung dishwasher LC (or LE) is a leak warning: it may keep draining and beeping and won’t take a new programme. Turn off the water, then check the door and its seal, look for water under the unit, make sure you only use dishwasher detergent, and check the sink isn’t backing up. If it persists, contact Samsung.

Also shown as LE

What LC means on a Samsung dishwasher

The dishwasher has detected a leak.

Applies to: Samsung dishwashers with a digital display.

What you might notice

Likely causes

Why this isn’t a DIY job

If the water is coming from inside the dishwasher, the leak is near its electrical parts and hidden behind panels. Samsung’s checks are all from the outside: the door and seal, the detergent, and the sink connection. An internal leak needs Samsung support.

What you can safely check yourself

Stop and call a qualified engineer if:
  • The appliance reports water in its base (an anti-flood or AquaStop-type warning). Keep the water supply off and book an engineer.
  • Water is leaking from inside the appliance or is near the plug or socket. Don’t touch the plug with wet hands or while standing in water. Switch off at the consumer unit instead.
  • A hose is split, bulging, cracked or leaking at the connection. Stop using the appliance until the hose is replaced.
  • The code or problem comes back after you’ve done the safe checks on this page.
  • The next step would mean removing a cover or panel, or working on the pump, valves, heater, motor, door lock or wiring. That is a job for a qualified engineer.
  • The appliance is still under warranty. Contact the manufacturer first, because DIY work can affect your cover.

Work through these in order. Stop as soon as one of the signs above applies.

Turn off the water and switch the appliance off

  1. Close the water supply tap to the appliance.
  2. Switch the appliance off. Only unplug it at the wall if the plug, socket and floor around it are dry. Otherwise switch it off at the consumer unit.
  3. Mop up water on the floor so nobody slips.

Look for a visible leak, without moving the dishwasher

  1. Look at the floor in front of and around the base of the dishwasher for water.
  2. Where you can see them without moving the appliance (often under the sink), check the inlet and drain hoses and their connections for kinks, cracks or drips.
  3. If a hose is visibly damaged, it needs replacing with the correct part before the dishwasher is used again.

Don’t tip or tilt the dishwasher to drain the base. Manufacturers advise against home fixes for this fault.

Don’t remove the kick plate or any panel.

Check the door seal is clean and undamaged

  1. Open the door and wipe food and grease off the rubber seal and the door edge.
  2. Look for splits, gaps or a seal that has come out of its groove.
  3. A damaged seal needs replacing with the correct part. Ask the manufacturer or an engineer.

Use dishwasher detergent only

  1. Washing-up liquid, or too much detergent, creates foam that can leak out of the door or trigger a leak warning.
  2. Use only products made for dishwashers. If foam built up, wipe out what you can and run an empty rinse.

Never put washing-up liquid in a dishwasher.

Check the sink waste connection

  1. Run the sink tap. If the sink drains slowly, the household drain is blocked, not the dishwasher.
  2. Check the spigot on the sink waste where the dishwasher hose connects isn’t clogged with food debris.
  3. If the dishwasher was just installed or moved, check the blanking plug was removed from that spigot.
  4. If the hose connects to a waste disposal unit, check the plug in the disposal unit’s dishwasher inlet has been removed.

When to call an engineer

If the checks above don’t clear LC, or any of the stop signs apply, contact Samsung or a qualified appliance engineer. Have the model and serial number from the rating label ready, and start with Samsung UK support.

Repair or replace?

Most LC cases are cleared by the safe checks above. If they don’t help, the remaining causes are parts an engineer has to diagnose. We don’t publish repair prices because they vary by area, part and model.

Related problems

Related codes

Different code or symptom? Use the fault finder, see all Samsung dishwasher codes, or read how Samsung codes work. Not sure it’s safe? Read our safety information.

Sources

Last checked against these sources: .

We write every page in our own words from manufacturer guidance and check it against the sources above. If your manual says something different, follow your manual. How we check.