Drain pump
Common dishwasher and washer water-removal part.
The LE error (also shown as 11E on some models) means your Samsung washer’s flood protection sensor detected water in the machine’s base pan. The machine has locked itself out to prevent your floor from flooding. Don’t just restart it — find and fix the leak first.
What This Error Means
Samsung front-load washers have a small float sensor sitting in a shallow pan under the drum. If any water collects there, the float rises, triggers the sensor, and the machine shuts down. This is a deliberate safety feature — it’s the machine telling you there’s a leak somewhere that needs attention.
The machine won’t run again until the base is completely dry and the float sensor drops back down.
Common Causes
- Torn door boot gasket — The rubber seal that wraps around the opening of the drum degrades over time. Tears, cracks, or areas where it has pulled away from the door rim allow water to drip down into the base.
- Loose or failed hose connection — The inlet hoses at the back, the internal hoses between the pump and tub, or the drain hose connection can loosen or crack.
- Pump seal failure — The pump itself has seals that wear out and allow water to drip.
- Detergent overuse — Using too much detergent, or the wrong type (non-HE detergent in an HE washer), creates excessive suds. Suds can escape through gasket gaps and pool in the base.
- Shipping bolts left in — On a new machine, the shipping bolts at the back can cause the drum to move incorrectly and stress the connections. They must be removed before first use.
Step-by-Step Fix
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Stop the machine and unplug it. Don’t try to restart with LE showing.
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Open the door and remove any clothes. Wring them out into a bucket.
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Tilt the machine back 45 degrees. This drains water from the base pan back through the pump. Put towels on the floor first. Hold the machine at an angle for about 30 seconds, then set it back down gently.
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Inspect the door boot gasket. Run your finger all the way around the inside lip of the gasket, feeling for tears, holes, or sections that have pulled away from the door frame. Look carefully at the bottom of the gasket — that’s where cracks tend to start.
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Check the inlet hose connections at the back. With the machine unplugged, feel around each hose connection at the back. Look for mineral deposits or drip marks that indicate where water has been running.
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Check the area under the machine. Use a flashlight and look into the base. If you see active dripping from a specific location, that’s your leak source.
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Dry the base completely before restarting. Even after fixing the leak, the float sensor won’t reset until the base is bone dry. A small fan aimed under the machine can speed this up. It may take 12–24 hours.
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Run a test cycle and watch for LE. If the machine completes a cycle without LE, the leak is fixed and the base has dried.
Parts You May Need
- Samsung washer door boot seal/gasket
- Washing machine hose clamp kit
- Samsung washer inlet hose set
- HE laundry detergent
When to Call a Technician
Replacing the door boot gasket on a Samsung front-loader is a DIY repair, but it’s involved — you’ll need to remove the front panel and the door seal ring. If you’re not comfortable with appliance repair or if the leak is coming from inside the machine (pump area, internal hoses), a technician will be able to find and fix it faster.