LC (shown as LE or 1E on some models) on a Samsung dishwasher means the leak sensor in the base tripped — it detected moisture in the bottom pan. Sometimes that's a real leak; sometimes it's a false trip from a little condensation or a sensor fault. Either way the dishwasher usually stops and may keep draining. Here's the order a tech works it.
The most important one to rule out. A loose hose clamp, a worn door gasket, or a cracked spray arm/sump can drip into the base pan and trip the leak sensor.
Check it: Look for water under the dishwasher and around the door. Check the door gasket for tears and the fill/drain hose connections. A visible leak is a tech repair on the specific part.
Excess suds or non-dishwasher soap overflow past the seals into the base and read as a leak.
Check it: Use only dishwasher detergent and the recommended amount. If someone used dish soap, run rinse cycles to clear the suds, dry the base, and see if LC clears.
A little moisture or condensation in the base pan from a prior event can keep the sensor tripped even after the leak is gone.
Check it: Unplug the dishwasher, tip it back gently, and let the base pan dry out fully (a wet/dry vac helps). Restore power — if there's no real leak, LC often clears.
The leak sensor or its float in the base can fail and trip LC with no actual water present.
Check it: If the base is dry and there's no leak but LC stays, a tech tests and replaces the leak sensor — an affordable part.
Usually repair — a hose clamp, gasket, or leak sensor is an affordable, common part with flat labor, well below a new dishwasher. The key is finding whether it's a real leak (fix the source) or a false trip (dry it out or replace the sensor).
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First rule out a real leak — check under the machine, the door gasket, and the hose connections, and shut off the water if you see any. If there's no leak, it's often oversudsing (use only dishwasher detergent) or a wet base pan that needs to dry out: unplug it, dry the base fully, and restore power. If LC stays with a dry, leak-free base, the leak sensor has failed and gets replaced.
Yes — Samsung shows the leak-sensor code as LC, LE, or 1E depending on the model. Same meaning: the base leak sensor tripped.
No — it means the leak sensor tripped, which can be a real leak, too much detergent, condensation in the base, or a failed sensor. Rule out a real leak first (shut off the water if you find one), then dry the base and see if it clears.