If your Samsung dishwasher isn’t draining properly, you’ll likely find standing water at the end of a cycle — a frustrating problem that can interrupt dish cleaning and even lead to odors or leaks. Fortunately, most drainage issues can be diagnosed and fixed with systematic checks and simple repairs.
A Samsung dishwasher that won’t drain is usually caused by a clogged filter, blocked drain hose, faulty drain pump, or a disposal connection issue. Cleaning the filter and checking the drain system often solves the problem without a service call.
Common Symptoms of a Drainage Problem
Before troubleshooting, determine which of these applies:
- Slow draining with partial water at the bottom.
- Water remains after the wash cycle.
- Dishwasher displays a drain-related error code (like 5C, 5E/SE, OC/OE). Or, the Delicate light keeps flashing.
- Dishwasher runs but never empties.
Why Your Samsung Dishwasher Won’t Drain (Top Causes)
1. Clogged Filter or Drain Basket
Food scraps, grease, and debris build up in the filter and drain area over time. A blocked filter commonly prevents water from entering the drain pump.
2. Blocked or Kinked Drain Hose
A drain hose that’s bent, pinched, or clogged can restrict water flow from the dishwasher to the sink drain or garbage disposal. Without proper hose routing (such as a high loop or air gap), water may backflow.
3. Garbage Disposal Clog or Kick-out Plug
If your dishwasher drains into a garbage disposal, a clogged disposal or an unremoved disposal plug from installation will stop drainage.
4. Faulty Drain Pump or Check Valve
If the drain pump or its internal check valve fails, water can’t exit the dishwasher even if there’s no visible clog. These parts may need testing and replacement.
Some older Samsung dishwashers rely on a drain solenoid (located at the bottom near drain hose). That is an electrical component that opens and closes to control the draining of water out of the appliance. A faulty solenoid could get stuck in the closed position, preventing the dishwasher from draining.
5. Something Stuck in Impeller or Pump
Objects like broken glass or food particles can jam the impeller (the part that pushes water out), blocking drainage.
6. Water Inlet Assembly Clogged
When draining your Samsung dishwasher, the water will flow through the water inlet assembly on the way to the drain hose and out of the appliance. If you have checked the above possibilities, the water may get stuck in debris in this area.
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Step-By-Step Troubleshooting & Fixes
🛠️ Step 1 — Check and Clean the Filter
- Slide out the bottom dish rack.
- Remove the filter (usually twists out).
- Rinse it under warm water and remove debris.
- Replace and test a new cycle.
Tip: Clean the filter every few months to prevent clogs.
🛠️ Step 2 — Inspect the Drain Hose
- Turn off power and water.
- Check under the sink where the hose connects to the disposal or drain.
- Look for kinks, sharp bends, or crushed sections.
- If blocked, disconnect and clear debris (wire or small drain snake).
- Ensure a proper “high loop” or air gap is installed per dishwasher instructions.
🛠️ Step 3 — Clear the Air Gap (if equipped)
If there’s an air gap on your countertop:
- Remove the cap.
- Clear out any debris inside with a brush.
- Reassemble and test draining.
A blocked air gap can stop drainage and cause water to back up.
🛠️ Step 4 — Check Sink and Garbage Disposal
Run water in the sink:
- If sink water doesn’t drain quickly, the issue may be with your plumbing, not the dishwasher.
- If disposal is used, run it for a few seconds to break up any clog.
🛠️ Step 5 — Inspect the Drain Pump
If all else checks out:
- Unplug the dishwasher and access the drain pump (usually at the bottom).
- Listen during a drain cycle — a working pump should hum.
- If silent or grinding, test with a
multimeter for continuity. - Replace the pump if it fails electrical tests.
When to Call a Professional
If you’ve checked filters, hoses, and visible blockages and the dishwasher still won’t drain:
- The internal drain pump, check valve, or electronic controls could be failing.
- Error codes that persist after cleaning often require expert diagnosis.
Preventing Future Drainage Issues
✅ Scrape and pre-rinse dishes before loading.
✅ Clean filters regularly.
✅ Avoid dishwasher detergent or dish soap residues.
✅ Check plumbing connections annually.
Samsung Dishwasher Drainage FAQs
Q: Why does water stay in the bottom but slowly drain later?
A: Partial hose restriction or slow pump performance can cause delayed draining.
Q: Can incorrect installation cause drainage problems?
A: Yes — improper hose routing or a missing high loop can lead to backflow.
False Error codes
Occasionally, a dishwasher will displays a code suggesting a draining issue, even though the appliance is draining normally. You’ll know it is a false error code if the dishwasher stops mid-cycle after 9 minutes, for no apparent reason. If this happens, the problem might not be with the drain, but with the Drain or ECS Sensor.
Locate these sensors using the owner’s manual and clean them. If this does not correct the error code, you’ll need to replace the Samsung Dishwasher ECS Sensor. You can get an ECS sensor here.
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So I have a Samsung DW80R5060US. We’ve had issues for a while with it not draining properly. The landlord asked us to reset it as it was an issue about a year ago and had several techs out to try and service it. It would usually run the length of the cycle and then toward the end give an OC code and water would be in the bottom of the tub. Unplugging the dishwasher for 30 min and then plugging it back in would usually reset it and it would drain again. This worked several times and then stopped draining all together this week even when trying to reset it. When a load did complete I would see a fair amount of water running out from the gray circle grid thing on the side of the machine into the basin. If I saw this I would soak it up with paper towels. Also, this week, I would try to start a cycle and the drain pump would not start at the very beginning of the cycle as well as the dishwasher would only run for a few minutes and then start the OC code. After taking the filters off, I saw the check valve was broken apart but I can’t find it in any of the hoses I looked into. I’m not sure what to do from here. Any suggestions or thoughts would be great!
Can you tell if you have all of the pieces of the check valve? If you’re missing pieces, they could be stuck somewhere, clogging the drain route. It sounds like you already looked into that, but I have to ask.
Have you replaced the check valve yet? Some of the more sophisticated machines will not operate if it senses a malfunction in one or more parts.
Here is a link to the User’s manual, in, in case that’s helpful.
Thank you for all these informations! I did all the proposed inspections.
The thing is that the draining is working properly when I force it manually (press start for 3s). The pump is running and all the water is draining, I can hear it going through the pipes under my sink. I did replace the check valve, a small rubber flap since it was twisted, I thought I found the cause. Unfortunately it seems like the drain is simply not initiated at all during the cycle. The cycle starts and go for around 20 minutes, and then it just errors out without even starting the pump.
I have a DW80R9950US, almost two years old in a new construction home, and recently it’s intermittently showing a 5C code. I pre-rinse all dishes, I’ve checked the drain hose, the fine filter is clean, the drain pump entry area is clear. In about 1/3 of the cycles that I run I’m getting the code, and the code is only throwing at the last drain of the cycle. It will go almost an entire cycle without problems (draining fine in each part of the cycle sequence), and then the last drain of the cycle will throw the code. It’s happened in a Normal cycle, an Express 60 cycle, even a Cancel&Drain cycle.
Seems more electrical than mechanical. ??
Thanks for the site!
I have very similar problem with my Samsung dishwasher DW80R7061UG. Has run perfectly for 1and1/2years. Now I get an error code 5C at the last minute of the RINSE end of a full cycle or express (60 min) cycle. That prevents going into drying. Unit under warranty. Three times technicians came out and confirmed my observations which included the drain pump working fine all during the wash and rinse cycle up until the end of the rinse cycle. Before I called into the warranty company I checked and disconnected all drain plumbing connections with all OK. Also had electrician check all electrical. After 3 warranty Tec attempts to find out what was going on and the replacement of a course filter, drain pump and circulating pump the error code still came in. On a call to Samsung by the 3rd Technician they connected an electrical meter to the power connection, ran the unit in rinse cycle to a bucket at ground level ( not up to the air gap) with NO code. Now they tell me its my problem but can’t explain why the unit works all during a full cycle up until the end when connected to the air gap at top of sink. I have no idea what the Warranty company will come up with next? I am very frustrated. No dishwasher for 3 months.