Samsung Dishwasher Drain Pump Replacement

What the Symptoms Mean#

Clear the Cheap Causes First#

The most common cause of a Samsung 5E is not the pump at all — it is a clogged filter trap or a kinked or high-looped drain hose. Twist out the cylindrical filter at the center of the tub floor and clean it, straighten and check the hose, and if the dishwasher drains into a new disposal, confirm the knockout plug was punched out. Only after those come up clean is the pump the suspect. A quick way to narrow it further: if washing works normally but draining does not, the drain pump is implicated, because Samsung uses a separate drain pump rather than a reversing wash motor. It also pays to read the code precisely — a 5E is the drain side, while a 4E points instead at the water-supply or fill side and is not a drain-pump fault at all.

Confirm the Pump#

With the power off, you can meter the pump motor — a healthy winding reads roughly 5 to 30 ohms, while OL (open) means a burned-out winding. Grinding on the drain phase usually means the impeller is fouled with glass shards or debris rather than the motor being dead, so inspecting the sump can save the part entirely.

Replacing the Pump#

1. Turn off the breaker and the water supply, and lay towels under the door.
2. Remove the kickplate panel (a couple of Phillips screws per side, or plastic clips).
3. Reach the drain pump at the bottom of the tub from underneath, tilting the unit back slightly if needed.
4. Disconnect the pump's 2-pin wire harness and the drain hose from the pump outlet.
5. Twist the pump counter-clockwise a quarter turn to unlock it from the sump housing and pull it free.
6. Clean the sump opening of debris and glass, then insert the new DD31-00005A and twist it clockwise until it locks.
7. Reconnect the hose and harness, restore water and power, and run a short cycle checking for a clean drain and no leaks.

A Phillips #2, towels and a pan for the residual water, pliers for the hose clamp, a multimeter, and a flashlight to inspect the sump are the tools. If you meet unexpected resistance or see signs of electrical damage such as melting or burning, stop and call a professional.

Lifespan and Care#

A Samsung dishwasher drain pump lasts about 7-10 years. Glass fragments and hard debris reaching the impeller are what kill it early, so scraping plates before loading and cleaning the filter regularly keep the pump breathing. Because a jammed impeller mimics a dead pump, always look in the sump before ordering — clearing a shard is free, and it is the difference between a two-minute cleanup and an unnecessary pump swap. Keeping the disposal connection clear and the drain hose free of a tight high loop also heads off the slow-draining complaints that get blamed on the pump in the first place.