Samsung Ecobubble washer dryer s(5?)c error code but also doing strange things!

[Sheri d]

I have a Samsung Ecobubble washer / dryer which is about 7 years old.

Today I did a wash and once finished, opened the door to find the clothes still wringing wet (no error code). I set the machine to do just a spin, turning off the rinse function on that programme and split the load in half so it was a lighter weight to spin.

I then had the error code S(or5?)c, which I am familiar with as it can mean the filter is blocked and the water will not drain. I used the hose to let the water out (the small hose next to the filter) and tried again after realising the filter is clean.

Again, the same problem. I have also run a diagnostic test which I found on youtube…pressing buttons to allow the machine to test and again, it comes up with the code sc and stops.

I would be inclined to believe this is a drain fault, except that about a month ago, exactly this same thing happened and the machine ended up correcting itself, after being switched off, then running diagnostics (as detailed above) and there obviously never was a block or fault. This last time, we also tipped the machine upside down and checked the black sump pipe and felt no blockage.

This time, it does not seem to be correcting itself (I’ve been switching on and off all day and running diagnostics). However earlier we thought we’d corrected it, after finally finding a key right at the back of the filter after several checks! (Son never empties his pockets!). Still though, error code sc when testing, several times since.

Surely though, if a true blockage or drain problem, why did my wash cycle complete earlier today but leave my washing wetter than usual, but not give an error code at first?

My question is…do I get an engineer out at a cost of £70 (as we have done in the past), or assume this sounds like a fault with some internal computer as it is sporadic in the code showing and cut our losses and get a new machine, as it ‘may’ have had its day?

Any ideas or suggestions welcome as I’ve been pulling my hair out all day and don’t know what to do for the best!

many thanks, Sheri

edited to add: also, last month when trying to get it to correct, the display was doing funny things, such as showing odd timings on cycles which I know only take a certain time and weird other numbers - adding weight to me thinking it may be more of an issue than a drain error?

 

Edited July 4, 2022 by Sheri d

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

Hello there. The first thing I will say is that if it is a drain fault, then you should be finding that when the error occurs the washing machine drum is either full of water, or has quite a lot of water still inside it.

Obviously if a washing machine has not spun you to a fault then the clothes inside will be sopping wet. So it's important to try and discern whether there is water left inside because it hasn't drained it properly, or there are just sopping wet clothes in there that haven't been spun.

The thing is that just because a washing machine reports a specific error, it does not mean that that is the correct error. They sometimes just get it completely wrong. In this particular case, all washing machines will report an error if after a specific allowed time period it does not get the signal that the water has drained away successfully. In such cases, it will report a drain error. But what if the fault is on the system that tells the washing machine when the water has drained away?

In such cases, the program will not receive a message that the water has drained away, even when it has. So any washing machine reporting a draining error needs examining to determine whether or not the water is not draining out okay, all it is draining out okay - but there is a fault on the pressure system that tells the washing machine when the water has gone.

To understand how the pressure system works, I have written the following article - how a washing machine controls water levels

 

[Sheri d]

Thank you for your reply. The washing machine is full of water when the error code sc appears. In test mode, it stops and you can hear it cannot drain, then the error code appears again.

however, I accidentally pushed the black small hose in too far, so we had to tip the machine up and retrieve it by taking the bottom off.

decided to run the test again and it failed, showing error sc, tried it one more time and it’s worked, completing the test cycle successfully- draining water and all!

I have no clue now if it is a genuine pressure or drain fault or due to the intermittent nature of this happening and then miraculously correcting itself, the machine is just confused and on the way out?

I suppose we just wait and see if it happens again and take it from there?

 

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

Hi. If it is definitely not emptying out the water then you can ignore everything about the pressure system. Try this instead washing machine not pumping out water

[Sheri d]

Thank you again for your reply! That is a really useful article. I wonder if it is the pump, as when it has the fault and I test it on the test function you can hear what I assume is the pump not working properly. Then, as I said it’s corrected itself a couple of times randomly. If it were a pump failure, rather than something stuck (worst case scenario?) do you know if this is generally an expensive or a standard thing to fix?

just weighing up the expense spent on a 7 year old machine if it were to happen again,

many thanks,

sheri

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

Could be something that jams the pump and then dislodges. Every possible fault is in my article but you need to be able to work out which it is. 

[Sheri d]

If it happens again, I think I will call out our local repair company and see what they diagnose as if it is something dislodging and clogging back up, it’ll be better to get the machine fixed. Thanks again for your advice and the articles as they have helped to give some possibilities as to what is wrong, rather than thinking it could be absolutely anything 🙂