Samsung Dishwasher LC Error? 6 Causes of the Leak Code (Even When Nothing Is Wet)

Your Samsung dishwasher is beeping, the display says LC, and the drain pump keeps running in short bursts. LC is the leak code: a sensor in the base pan under the tub has detected water. That sounds serious, and sometimes it is, but on Samsung machines it is famous for tripping when nothing is actually leaking. This guide sorts the false alarms from the real ones, cheapest check first.

The question that decides your afternoon: when you pull the machine out and look under it, is the base pan dry with just a damp patch near the sensor, or is there a puddle with a trail leading to it? A damp patch is suds or a splash. A trail is a leak, and the trail tells you where from.

Start With These 30-Second Checks

1. 1Unplug the dishwasher or switch off its breaker. LC keeps the drain pump cycling, and you do not want it running while you look underneath.
2. 2Check the floor in front of and beside the machine. Wet floor means a real leak; dry floor means the water is only in the base pan.
3. 3Think about the last cycle: a new detergent, a full tablet in a half-empty machine, or hand dishwashing liquid used by mistake all make enough foam to trip the sensor.
4. 4If the dishwasher was moved, delivered or installed in the last few days, condensation or shipping water in the base is the usual cause.

1. Dry the Base Pan and Reset

Whatever the cause, the code will not clear until the sensor is dry, so this step comes first every time.

1. 1Confirm the dishwasher is unplugged or off at the breaker before you move it.
2. 2Remove the two screws holding the frame to the countertop, lay a towel in front and, with a second person, tilt the machine back about 30 degrees for a minute. Water in the base runs out at the back.
3. 3If it does not tilt easily, pull the lower kick panel off (two screws) and dry the base with a towel and a hair dryer on low for five minutes. The sensor is a small plastic float or probe near the front.
4. 4Leave the machine unplugged for 15 minutes, then restore power and run a short rinse cycle with the door closed.
5. 5If LC does not return, you had a false alarm. If it returns during the rinse cycle, keep going: something is putting water in the base.

2. Too Much Detergent or the Wrong Kind

Foam climbs over the tub lip and drips into the base, and the sensor cannot tell foam from a leak. This is the single most common cause of an LC that goes away after drying.

1. 1Look in the tub after the failed cycle. A ring of dried foam around the door opening is the fingerprint of a suds problem.
2. 2Check what went in: hand dishwashing liquid, a rinse aid dispenser cracked open, or two tablets in a small load are the usual suspects.
3. 3Run an empty rinse cycle with nothing added, then a second one with a tablespoon of vegetable oil in the bottom, which kills leftover foam.
4. 4Go back to one tablet per full load, and use powder or gel at half dose in soft water areas.

3. A Door Gasket That Leaks at the Bottom Corners

Water that escapes at the lower corners of the door runs down the front panel and straight into the base pan, where the sensor sits. On Samsung models the lower door gasket is a separate strip and wears out first.

1. 1Unplug the dishwasher before you work around the door and base.
2. 2Open the door and run a finger along the rubber strip at the bottom edge of the door. Cracks, a flattened section or a missing end cap mean it needs replacing.
3. 3Look at the side gasket in the tub opening for food stuck under it, and wipe it clean with a damp cloth.
4. 4Order the lower door gasket for your model (the model number is on the sticker inside the door frame). It presses into a channel and takes ten minutes to swap; the side gasket pulls out of its groove and pushes back in.
5. 5Run a rinse cycle and hold a dry paper towel under the door edge in the last minutes to confirm it is dry.

4. Inlet Hose, Drain Hose or a Loose Clamp

A hose weeping at a clamp only leaks while water is flowing, which is why the floor can be dry and the base wet. The trail in the base pan usually points straight at it.

1. 1Unplug the dishwasher and turn off the water supply valve under the sink before you touch any hose.
2. 2Remove the kick panel and, with a torch, look at where the inlet hose meets the water valve at the front left and where the drain hose leaves the pump. Mineral crust or a wet patch marks the leak.
3. 3Tighten the inlet hose nut a quarter turn by hand, then with pliers only until the drip stops. Replace the rubber washer if the nut is already tight; they cost under a dollar.
4. 4Push a loose drain hose fully onto its spigot and fit a fresh spring clamp.
5. 5Restore water and power and run a rinse cycle with the kick panel off, watching the base with a torch for the first five minutes.

5. A Spray Arm or Sump Seal Leaking Inside

Less common, but if the trail in the base starts under the middle of the tub rather than at the front or sides, a seal in the sump or the water guide on the back wall is passing water.

1. 1Unplug the dishwasher before you reach into the tub.
2. 2Remove the lower spray arm (it twists or pulls off) and check the plastic nozzle it sits on for cracks. A cracked nozzle sprays water at the tub wall where it can find the seam.
3. 3Check the water guide clipped to the back wall that feeds the upper arm. If it has popped off its inlet, water jets against the rear seam.
4. 4Refit or replace the cracked part (spray arm nozzles and guides are $10 to $20) and run a rinse cycle with the kick panel off to confirm the base stays dry.

6. When to Call a Pro

Call a technician when the base keeps getting wet and you cannot find a trail, when the sensor trips with the base bone dry (a faulty sensor or a corroded connector on the board), or when the leak comes from the tub itself. If water is also under the machine on the floor, treat it as urgent and switch it off at the breaker. The general version of the leak hunt is in dishwasher leaking from the bottom.

1. 1LC with a dry base after two drying attempts: the sensor or its wiring, a $20 to $40 part but a fiddly job.
2. 2A crack in the plastic tub or sump: usually not worth repairing on a machine over eight years old.
3. 3Any sign of water reaching the control board behind the door panel: switch off and do not run it again.
4. 4LC1 on newer models, which points at the inlet valve assembly rather than the base: the valve is a pro job because it is hardwired.