No water enters at all
You start a cycle, hear a click or faint hum, but the tub stays dry and the code appears quickly.
Start here: Start with the supply faucets, hose kinks, and a bucket test at the hoses.
Washer fill error
Samsung Washer 4C 4E Code
Direct answer: A Samsung washer 4C or 4E code usually means the machine is not getting enough water into the tub in time. Most of the time the fix is outside the cabinet: a closed faucet, kinked hose, clogged inlet screen, or low house pressure. If those check out and the washer still barely fills or only hums at the valve, the washer water inlet valve becomes the likely repair.
Most likely: Partly closed supply valves, kinked fill hoses, or debris packed into the washer inlet screens are the most common causes.
Start at the wall and work toward the washer. Separate a no-water fill from a slow-water fill early, because that tells you whether you are dealing with a shutoff, restriction, or a valve that is no longer opening properly. Reality check: this code is often fixed in ten minutes with the hoses off and the screens cleaned. Common wrong move: replacing the washer water inlet valve before checking the faucet is fully open and the hose screens are not packed with grit.
Don’t start with: Do not start by ordering a control board or tearing the washer apart. This code is usually a plain water-supply problem.
If the tub never starts fillingCheck both water supply faucets, hose kinks, and whether water actually comes out of the hoses into a bucket.
If it fills a little, then throws the codeLook for clogged washer inlet screens, weak house pressure, or a washer water inlet valve that hums but does not pass enough water.
Last reviewed: 2026-04-16
What this code usually looks like
A little water enters, then the code returns
The washer begins to fill but takes too long and stops with 4C or 4E.
Start here: Check the inlet screens for sediment and make sure both hot and cold sides have decent flow.
Only one temperature setting fails
Cold wash fails but warm works, or hot wash fails while cold still fills.
Start here: That usually points to a restriction or failure on one side of the washer water inlet valve or one supply hose.
The code shows up after plumbing work or a water shutoff
The washer worked before, then started showing 4C or 4E after the water was turned off and back on.
Start here: Suspect debris knocked loose into the hose screens or a faucet that was not reopened fully.
Most likely causes
1. Supply faucet not fully open or house pressure too low
The washer times how long filling takes. If the water is weak or one faucet is barely cracked open, it will throw a fill code even though some water may enter.
Quick check: Open both supply faucets fully and run each hose into a bucket for a few seconds to compare flow.
2. Kinked, pinched, or internally collapsed washer fill hose
A hose can look mostly fine from the front but be flattened behind the machine, especially after the washer was pushed back.
Quick check: Pull the washer forward enough to inspect the full hose path from faucet to cabinet.
3. Clogged washer inlet screens
Sediment from old plumbing or a recent shutoff often packs into the small screens where the hoses connect to the washer.
Quick check: Turn off water, remove the hoses at the washer, and inspect the screens with a flashlight.
4. Failing washer water inlet valve
If supply flow is strong and the screens are clear, but the washer still fills very slowly or only on one temperature, the valve may not be opening fully.
Quick check: Listen during fill. A steady hum with weak or no water after the supply side checks out points toward the valve.
Step-by-step fix
Step 1: Make sure the washer is actually being fed water
This is the fastest check and it catches the most common cause without opening the machine.
- Pause the cycle and turn the washer off.
- Confirm both wall supply faucets are fully open, not just partly turned on.
- Set the washer to a normal cycle and try a cold fill, then a warm fill if your machine allows it.
- Watch and listen for what happens in the first minute: no water, weak trickle, or normal fill.
- If the washer was just installed or moved, make sure the fill hoses are connected to the correct supply ports and not twisted tight.
Next move: If the washer fills normally once the faucets are fully open or the hose routing is corrected, run a full cycle and you are done. If the code comes back, move to the hose and flow checks.
What to conclude: A quick recovery here usually means the washer itself is fine and the problem was supply setup, not a failed internal part.
Stop if:
- A supply faucet is leaking at the stem or connection when you touch it.
- The hose connection is spraying or dripping enough to wet the floor.
- You cannot safely move the washer without straining the hoses or power cord.
Step 2: Check for kinked hoses and prove water flow with a bucket test
This separates a house-side water problem from a washer-side problem before you blame the machine.
- Unplug the washer.
- Pull the washer forward enough to inspect both fill hoses from end to end.
- Straighten any sharp bends or pinched spots behind the cabinet.
- Turn off both supply faucets and remove the fill hoses from the back of the washer.
- Aim each hose into a bucket or laundry sink, then briefly open one faucet at a time to confirm strong flow from both hot and cold sides.
Next move: If one hose had poor flow and the faucet side is the problem, fix that supply issue first and retest the washer. If both hoses have strong flow, the restriction is likely at the washer inlet screens or the washer water inlet valve.
What to conclude: Strong flow at the loose hoses tells you the house plumbing is probably not the reason for the 4C or 4E code.
Step 3: Clean the washer inlet screens carefully
Packed screens are one of the most common reasons a Samsung washer fills too slowly after plumbing work, sediment, or old galvanized piping.
- Leave the washer unplugged and the supply faucets off.
- Look inside the washer hose ports with a flashlight for the small inlet screens.
- If the screens are visibly packed with grit, gently lift debris out with needle-nose pliers or rinse the loose sediment away without tearing the screen.
- Rinse the hose ends if they also contain sediment.
- Reconnect the hoses, tighten them snugly, turn the water back on slowly, and check for leaks.
- Run a fill test again.
Next move: If the washer now fills at normal speed and the code stays gone, the clogged screens were the problem. If the screens were clean or cleaning did not change the fill speed, the washer water inlet valve is the next likely suspect.
Step 4: Narrow it down by temperature side
If only hot or only cold fill is weak, that is a strong clue that one side of the supply path or one side of the washer water inlet valve is failing.
- Start a cold-only cycle if available and note whether the tub fills at a normal rate.
- Then try a warm or hot selection and compare the fill behavior.
- Listen near the back of the washer for a click and valve hum when each fill is called for.
- If one side fills well and the other side barely fills despite strong hose flow and clean screens, note which side is failing.
Next move: If one temperature setting clearly fails while the other works, you have enough evidence to suspect the washer water inlet valve rather than a general supply problem. If both sides fail the same way even with strong supply flow, the valve can still be at fault, but a wiring or control issue becomes possible and this is a good place to stop if you are not comfortable opening the cabinet.
Step 5: Replace the washer water inlet valve only after the supply side checks out
Once the faucets, hose flow, and inlet screens are confirmed good, the inlet valve is the main repair part that fits this code.
- Unplug the washer and shut off both water supply faucets.
- Remove the access panel needed to reach the washer water inlet valve at the back of the cabinet.
- Transfer one hose and one wire connection at a time so nothing gets mixed up.
- Install the new washer water inlet valve, reassemble the panel, reconnect the hoses, and turn the water on slowly.
- Check carefully for leaks, then run a fill test on cold and warm settings.
- If the washer still throws 4C or 4E after a confirmed valve replacement, stop and schedule service for wiring or control diagnosis.
A good result: If the washer now fills promptly on all temperature settings and completes a cycle, the repair is confirmed.
If not: If the code remains with good supply and a new valve, the problem is no longer a simple homeowner parts guess.
What to conclude: A successful valve replacement confirms the old valve was restricted or not opening fully.
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FAQ
What does 4C or 4E mean on a Samsung washer?
It usually means the washer is not filling with water fast enough. The most common reasons are closed or partly closed supply faucets, kinked hoses, clogged inlet screens, weak water flow, or a failing washer water inlet valve.
Is 4C the same as 4E?
For practical troubleshooting, yes. Both codes point you toward a fill problem, so the same checks apply: faucets, hoses, screens, flow, then the washer water inlet valve.
Can low water pressure cause a 4C or 4E code?
Yes. If the house supply is weak, the washer may start filling but time out before it reaches the expected water level. A quick bucket test at each hose is the easiest way to prove that.
Why did the code start after my water was shut off?
That is a classic sediment clue. When water service is turned back on, grit often breaks loose and gets trapped in the washer inlet screens, which slows the fill enough to trigger the code.
Should I replace the washer water inlet valve right away?
No. Check the simple outside causes first. A lot of 4C and 4E calls end up being a partly closed faucet, a pinched hose, or packed inlet screens. Replace the valve only after those checks are done and the supply flow is proven good.
Can I keep using the washer if it sometimes fills and sometimes shows 4C?
You can try one more test cycle after cleaning the screens and checking flow, but do not ignore it for long. Intermittent fill problems often get worse, and repeated failed fills can leave you with a stalled load and extra water on the floor from repeated hose handling.