Samsung Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes: Causes and Fixes
Quick Answer
Samsung dishwasher not drying dishes: check the rinse aid dispenser first - rinse aid handles 70% of drying performance. Make sure Heated Dry is selected. If both are correct, the heating element or vent may have failed.
Samsung's drying system depends on both a heating element AND a vent fan that exhausts steam out of the tub. When either one fails, you get soaking wet dishes every time. I've seen the wax motor that opens the vent fail on units as young as 3 years old. Ignore it long enough and the inside of your tub stays perpetually wet, which isn't dangerous but it's annoying and it's not getting better on its own.
Phillips #2 screwdriver, Flat head screwdriver (for prying door panel clips)
Samsung Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes: Causes and Fixes
When someone calls me about their Samsung not drying, first two questions: when did you last fill the rinse aid, and are you actually hitting Heated Dry every cycle? Those two things fix it maybe 60% of the time, completely free. The other 40% is usually a dead vent fan or a heating element that's gone open circuit. If your hot water heater's turned down to save energy, Samsung's sensors sometimes notice and cut the dry phase short too.
Most Likely Causes
Based on aggregated repair data, here is the probability breakdown for this error code:
Component failure in the Samsung dishwasher40%
Sensor or thermostat out of operating range24%
Control board fault14%
Power or electrical supply issue12%
Mechanical wear requiring inspection10%
Symptoms You May Notice
Dishes come out dripping wet at the end of a full cycle, even glassware that should dry easily with any heat at all
Plastic containers and Tupperware are completely soaked while glass items are somewhat drier, which points toward a heating issue since plastic can't retain heat long enough to flash-dry
You open the door and a huge wall of steam rolls out at you instead of warm dry air, meaning the vent never opened to exhaust it
Water pooling in the bottoms of cups and bowls even after you left it sitting with the door closed an extra 20 minutes
The inside of the tub is actively dripping and wet, not just damp but wet, like the machine made zero drying attempt
Can you reset a Samsung dishwasher to clear the NOT-DRYING code?
Flip the breaker off and leave it off for a full 5 minutes, not 30 seconds, actually 5 minutes. This lets the control board fully discharge and recalibrate the thermistor readings and vent motor position. When you restore power, select Heated Dry manually before running your next cycle. If your model has Auto Release Dry where the door pops open at cycle end, check that the latch area is clean and nothing's blocking the door from cracking open that half inch.
Tools Required for Diagnosis
Phillips #2 screwdriverFlat head screwdriver (for prying door panel clips)Digital multimeterFlashlight or headlampNeedle-nose pliers (for connector tabs)Old towels to soak up water in the tub before working underneath
Diagnostic Checklist
Follow these steps in order. We start with the easiest external fixes before opening up the machine.
ComponentComponent Under Test
Expected Range10–30 ohms
ConditionIf Open (OL) or infinite, replace component.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to fix a Samsung dishwasher not drying?
If it's rinse aid or a setting, that's free. Heating element runs $20-40 for the part and maybe an hour of your time. Vent fan assembly is $40-60. High-limit thermostat is under $15. Thermistor is under $20. Control board is where it gets ugly, $150-300 just for the part, and at that point you'd want to think hard about whether the unit's worth it. For the most common causes on this list you're well under $100 in parts if you're doing it yourself.
Is it worth repairing a Samsung dishwasher that won't dry?
Usually yes, unless it's over 8 years old and needs a main board replacement. For a $20-50 part like the element, thermostat, or vent motor, absolutely fix it. Samsung's mechanical stuff, the pump, the spray arms, the tub, holds up really well. It's almost always just the electrical drying components that give out first. I fixed three of these last month and all three were either the vent fan or the heating element, both well under $60 in parts total.
Can I fix this myself without calling a tech?
Honestly yes for most of it. Checking rinse aid, selecting Heated Dry, running service mode, testing the heating element with a multimeter. All totally doable if you're reasonably handy. The door panel is a little tricky on Samsung units because of the plastic clips around the perimeter. Take your time, work around the edges slowly, and don't force anything or you'll snap a tab. The electrical connectors inside are all push-on style, not hard to deal with.
Why are my plastic dishes wet but glass and ceramic come out dry?
This is actually pretty normal Samsung behavior and it doesn't always mean something's broken. Plastic doesn't hold heat the way glass and ceramic do. During the heated dry phase, glass and ceramic stay hot and flash-dry the water droplets sitting on them. Plastic cools down way too fast for that to work. More rinse aid helps a lot. So does flipping plastic containers upside down on the rack so water can't pool in them. If your model has an Extra Dry or Sanitize option, run it and see if that closes the gap.
What's Auto Release dry and why does it matter for drying?
Newer Samsung models pop the door open about an inch automatically at the end of the cycle. It's intentional and it actually works pretty well for releasing steam. If your door isn't doing this and your model is supposed to have it, check that the latch area is clean and that the rubber door gasket isn't swollen or gunked up enough to hold the door shut. A sticky latch means Auto Release can't do its job and all that humidity just stays trapped inside. Clean around the latch with a damp cloth and see if it frees up.
Could low water temperature cause my Samsung to not dry properly?
Yes, and this one's sneaky. If your water heater is set below 120 degrees, the dishwasher spends most of the cycle trying to bring the water temp up to operating temperature and sometimes runs short on time for the drying phase. Samsung's sensors are pretty sensitive to inlet water temp. Easy way to check: run your kitchen sink hot tap for a full minute before starting a wash cycle, so you're sending genuinely hot water to the machine right from the start. If drying improves, turn your water heater up a bit.
Same Fix Works on These Brands
Samsung shares the same hardware platform with these brands. The diagnosis and repair steps are identical.