Stop using it for now. Carrying on with this fault risks further damage or a leak. Switch it off at the wall until it has been looked at.

What 2E actually means

The machine hasn't managed to empty its water within the time allowed, so it has stopped with a drum full of water.

Samsung's display font means this code is often read as 2E when it is in fact the 5E drain fault \u2014 the two are the same thing. The control board watches the water level while the pump runs, and if the level hasn't dropped far enough after about ten minutes of draining it gives up and flags the error. Pressing Start/Pause clears it and the machine will have another go at pumping out.

What usually causes it

Coins, hair clips or bra wires caught in the pump filter
A worn or failed drain pump \u2014 very common on Samsung machines
Drain hose kinked, or blocked where it joins the sink trap or standpipe
Pump impeller jammed with fluff and hair so it can't shift the water
Blocked pressure sensor hose or air chamber, so the machine misreads the water level

What you can safely check yourself

Work through these in order. Anything beyond this — panels off, testing parts, anything to do with the wiring — is an engineer's job, and not one to attempt with the machine plugged in.

Switch off at the wall, then open the filter flap at the bottom front, drain the water into a shallow tray and clean out the filter \u2014 check for coins and wires
Make sure the filter is screwed back in fully, or it will leak
Check the drain hose behind the machine isn't kinked, squashed against the wall or pushed too far into the standpipe
If it drains into a sink trap, check the spigot isn't blocked with grease
Turn off at the wall for a minute, then restart on a rinse and spin and watch whether water leaves at a decent rate

When to call someone

This sometimes clears with the checks above. If it comes back, it needs looking at properly. We cover Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire, and it's £66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it — £84 in total if it's repaired on the visit with no parts needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.

Outside our area? The explanation above still stands — take it to a local engineer and tell them the code. Knowing it saves them time and you money.

Samsung 2E error — washing machine

What 2E actually means

What usually causes it

What you can safely check yourself

When to call someone

Other Samsung washing machine codes

Need it looked at properly?