Samsung washer not draining: what it means and what to check
Your Samsung washer may stop with water in the tub, leave clothes soaked, or show ND, 5C, SE, SC, or SUDS. This page walks through the safe checks first, then the parts a technician tests when the drain path is clear.
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A Samsung washer not draining means the control can't confirm that water is leaving the tub fast enough. The single most common overall cause is an incorrectly installed drain hose, while front-load models also commonly stop from a packed debris filter.
Check these first
Safe to do yourself. Unplug the appliance before you start.
- Pause if the water may be hot
If you just ran Sanitize, Pure Cycle, or another hot cycle, let the water cool for about one hour before opening the filter area. Keep towels and a shallow pan nearby because trapped water can come out fast.
- Check that the washer is level
A Samsung washer that is tilted can have drain trouble. Press the corners to see if it rocks, then adjust the feet if the cabinet moves.
- Inspect the drain hose setup
Look behind the washer for a kink, crushed section, or hose shoved too far into the standpipe. Samsung calls drain hose installation the most common drain issue: the hose should sit 6 to 8 inches into the pipe, have an air gap, avoid extensions, and stay within the height limits in the manual.
- Clean the front-load pump filter
This applies to front-load Samsung washers. Open the small lower front door, use the emergency drain tube first, then twist out the debris filter and remove lint, coins, hair, bobby pins, or small cloth pieces. Top-load Samsung washers do not have a removable pump filter.
- Run a drain test
After the hose and filter are back in place, run Drain/Spin or Rinse/Spin. The washer should start moving water early in that cycle. If it hums, grinds, or stays silent with water still in the drum, a technician should test the pump circuit.
Conditions that make this more likely
The house drain can be the real problem
Older homes often have narrow or partly blocked standpipes and drain lines. If the machine's own filter and hose are clear, the house drain is the next suspect, and that's a plumbing call rather than an appliance call.
Boards fail earlier in hot rooms
Electronics are rated for room temperature. In a garage or an unconditioned laundry room in summer, a control board can sit well above that for hours a day. Before replacing a board, a good technician confirms the parts it controls test good, since a shorted pump or valve can take out a new board too.
What a technician tests
Most likely part first. These are for a technician with a meter and the tech sheet, not a weekend project.
Don't see your symptom?
Describe it on the phone. The company on the other end works on these every day and will know what to ask.
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Read the fix →Common questions about appliance repair
Can I reset a Samsung washer that won't drain?
Unplugging the washer for a minute can clear a control hiccup. It won't clear a clogged filter, kinked hose, or bad pump, so use reset as a quick check after the drain path is inspected.
How do I drain the water from a Samsung front-load washer?
Open the small lower front access door, pull out the emergency drain tube, and drain into a shallow pan before removing the pump filter. If a hot cycle just ran, wait about one hour first.
Do Samsung top-load washers have a pump filter?
Samsung top-load washers do not have the removable front pump filter used on front-load models. They can still clog at the pump inlet, sump hose, or drain hose, which usually means a technician has to open the cabinet.
Why won't my Samsung washer spin when it won't drain?
The washer will often hold back spin when it still senses water in the tub. Fixing the drain fault usually brings spin back unless there is a second issue.
Is a Samsung washer drain pump worth replacing?
On a clean washer with a good tub and quiet bearings, the drain pump is a normal repair. If the diagnosis points to the main board on an older washer, replacement of the machine may make more sense.
Still showing the problem after the checks?
Call and describe what you tried. You'll be connected with an independent repair company near you.