# Dishwasher Temperature, Detergent and Limescale Codes

> What GE C6 and C8, Samsung 3E and 1E, LG HE, and Bosch E12 mean: incoming water temperature, a blocked detergent cup, a heater fault, and limescale.

These codes are not drain or fill failures. GE C6 means incoming water is below the 120°F GE requires. Samsung 3E means the supply is too hot. LG HE is the dishwasher's own heater. GE C8 is a detergent cup that cannot open. Bosch E12 is limescale in the heat pump. Each page has its own numbers. Do not mix them.

## Heat, soap and scale are separate faults
A dishwasher can fail to clean because the water never got hot, because the detergent never left the cup, because the heater inside the door or the base did not run, or because scale has coated a heat pump. The codes below are those cases. Drain and fill codes are the [drain guide](https://thefaultcode.com/guides/dishwasher-will-not-drain/) and the [fill guide](https://thefaultcode.com/guides/dishwasher-will-not-fill/). Leak and suds codes are the [leak guide](https://thefaultcode.com/guides/dishwasher-leak-codes/).

| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| [GE C6](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/ge/c6/) | Incoming water is too low. GE requires 120°F minimum and allows up to 150°F. |
| [GE C8](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/ge/c8/) | Something is stopping the detergent cup from opening fully. |
| [Samsung 3E](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/samsung/3e/) | High temperature water supply. The water is too hot. |
| [Samsung 1E](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/samsung/1e/) | On Waterwall models, a clogged filter. On Rotary models, high temperature in the heater. Some models show IE. |
| [Samsung HE](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/samsung/he/) | Heater error. The temperature inside the dishwasher is being detected incorrectly. |
| [Samsung HC](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/samsung/hc/) | High temperature heater error. Samsung says the temperature inside is too hot. |
| [Samsung tE](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/samsung/te/) | Temperature sensor error. The temperature inside the dishwasher is being detected incorrectly. |
| [LG HE](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/lg/he/) | The heater is not heating the water, or the water went above 90°C (194°F). |
| [LG tE](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/lg/te/) | Temperature sensor contact problem or sensor failure. LG sends this one to a technician. |
| [Bosch E12](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/bosch/e12/) | Limescale build-up in the heat pump. |
| [Bosch E09](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/bosch/e09/) and [E20](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/bosch/e20/) | Heat pump internal heater fault. Bosch writes both codes with the same sentence. The step is a 30-second breaker reset, then Customer Support. Not the E12 descaler. |

GE notes that [C7](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/ge/c7/) is a different fault: the water temperature sensor circuit has stopped working. Do not use the C6 thermometer test as a fix for C7. GE's only owner step for C7 is to switch the dishwasher off at the breaker for about 30 seconds and reset it; if C7 comes back, GE says to contact service.

## GE C6, water that arrives cold
GE's causes:

- Incoming hot water below 120°F. The range GE states is 120°F minimum and 150°F maximum.
- Cold water sitting in the pipe between the water heater and the dishwasher, especially when the heater is far away.
- Water heater set too low.
- Hot water being used by showers or the washing machine while the dishwasher fills.
- The dishwasher hooked to the cold line. GE says a dishwasher cannot heat cold water up to 120°F.

The test GE describes: turn on the hot faucet nearest the dishwasher, put a candy or meat thermometer in a glass, and let the water run into the glass until the reading stops rising, one minute or more. It should read between 120°F and 150°F. Water near 150°F can scald. Test it in the glass, not with your hand. The code page says that.

Other steps:

- Before you start the dishwasher, run the hot water at the sink next to it until it comes out hot, so the cold slug in the pipe is purged.
- If the water never reaches 120°F, the water heater temperature may need to be adjusted. Follow the water heater maker's instructions. A gas water heater is not a dishwasher repair. If you are not familiar with that appliance, leave the thermostat to someone who is.
- Do not run the washing machine or take showers while the dishwasher is running.
- Use cycle options that make the dishwasher run longer and add more heat, if your model has them.
- Look under the sink and confirm the dishwasher is on the hot line, not the cold line.

GE says that if switching power off for a minute or two does not clear a code, service may be required. C6's list above is the work to do before that call. If the glass reads inside 120 to 150°F and C6 remains, the call is the right next step. You have already ruled out the incoming water GE named.

## Samsung 3E, water that arrives too hot
Samsung's cause is a hot water supply set too high. The step is to verify it is not set above 176°F. If it is not set that high and the error still occurs, request service.

176°F is Samsung's 3E figure. It is not GE's 150°F maximum, and it is not the 149°F ceiling Samsung puts on [dishwasher 4C](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/samsung/4c/). Quote the number that belongs to the code on the display. A supply that is above 149°F can be a 4C problem (pressure or temperature outside the fill range) even when it is still under 176°F and therefore not a 3E problem. Read the code.

Do not turn a water heater up to chase a cleaning complaint. GE's floor is 120°F. Samsung's 4C band starts at 120°F and stops at 149°F. Going past the brand's ceiling is how you trade a cold-water code for a scald risk and a high-temperature code.

## Samsung 1E depends on the model
Samsung says 1E or IE means two different things:

- Waterwall models: a clogged fine filter. Water is not making it through the filter. Clean the fine filter at the bottom. The user manual is where Samsung sends you for that procedure. If the code returns, request service.
- Rotary models: high temperature in the heater. Switch the power off at the breaker for 30 seconds, turn it back on, empty the dishwasher, fill the detergent drawer, and start a Normal cycle. If the code returns, request service.

You need to know which mechanism you own before you pick a step. The model documentation says Waterwall or Rotary. Guessing wrong means you reset a filter problem, or you clean a filter on a unit whose code is a heater temperature fault.

## Samsung HC
Samsung's meaning for HC is that the temperature inside the dishwasher is too hot. The steps on that entry:

1. Switch the power off at the circuit breaker for 30 seconds, then back on.
2. Empty the dishwasher.
3. Fill the detergent drawer and start a Normal cycle.

If HC returns, request service.

[HE](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/samsung/he/) is the code for a temperature that is being detected incorrectly. HE's list does not start with that 30-second breaker reset. [tE](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/samsung/te/) uses that same detection sentence, and its steps start with an empty tub and a normal cycle, not with HC's breaker reset. [3E](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/samsung/3e/) is the water arriving too hot, and the figure there is 176°F, not a heater reset. Rotary [1E](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/samsung/1e/) uses the same breaker, empty, detergent and Normal-cycle steps as HC, but only when the model is Rotary. On a Waterwall model, 1E is the fine filter. Use the characters on the display.

## Samsung tE
Samsung's meaning for tE is a temperature sensor error: the temperature inside the dishwasher is being detected incorrectly. The steps on that entry:

1. Empty the dishwasher.
2. Add detergent and run a normal cycle.

If tE still occurs, switch off power to the dishwasher at the circuit breaker and request service through Samsung's Support Center.

[HE](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/samsung/he/) is the heater error. Samsung uses the same detection sentence for HE, and HE's steps start the same way: empty the dishwasher, add detergent, and run a normal cycle, then the breaker-off and service request if it returns. [HC](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/samsung/hc/) means the temperature inside is too hot, and its steps start with a 30-second breaker reset. [3E](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/samsung/3e/) is water arriving too hot, above 176°F. [LG tE](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/lg/te/) is a different brand. LG's causes are a sensor contact problem or a sensor failure, and LG sends that code to a technician. Do not run this Samsung cycle on an LG tE.

## LG HE
LG's meaning is a heater that is not heating the water supplied to the dishwasher, or water that overheated above 90°C (194°F).

The only homeowner sequence LG gives:

1. Press Power to turn the dishwasher off. One reset.
2. Switch off the dishwasher's circuit breaker for 10 seconds.
3. Restore power and try another cycle.
4. If HE appears again, request LG service.

LG says HE requires inspection by a service technician if it returns after a reset. The heater is line voltage. There is no ohm check, no element part number, and no "replace the heater" step on this page.

90°C is an overheat threshold, not a target. Do not try to make the dishwasher hotter because HE appeared. The code can mean the water is already too hot.

## LG tE
[tE](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/lg/te/) is the temperature sensor. LG's causes are a contact problem or a sensor failure. LG gives no reset and no cleaning step. The published instruction is to request service.

That is different from HE, which allows one power reset before the same request. Do not spend the HE sequence on tE. LG washer tE is a different appliance: a heating error, usually a faulty thermistor, with its own unplug-and-drain steps on the [washer tE](https://thefaultcode.com/washers/lg/te/) page.

## GE C8, the cup that will not open
C8 means something is stopping the detergent cup from opening fully. Causes GE lists:

- Silverware, a pan, pot handles or other tall items touching the cup.
- A detergent pod or tablet not lined up in the cup, binding the cover.
- Old detergent residue left in the cup.
- Old, lumpy powder detergent.

Steps:

- Remove the obstruction, close and latch the door, and wait 30 seconds for the cup to open.
- Reload so nothing touches the cup. On flip-open cups, GE says it is normal for the cover to open about 45 degrees and rest against the upper rack.
- Wipe out old detergent.
- Line pods or tablets up in the opening so they cannot bind the cover. Powder should be fresh and loose, not lumpy.

If the cup still does not open, GE says service may be needed. The wax motor or the latch that opens the cup is not in the homeowner steps.

Detergent that is the wrong kind, as opposed to a cup that cannot open, is the leak and suds problem: dish soap on [LG bE](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/lg/be/) and [Samsung LC](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/samsung/lc/). Use a detergent labelled for dishwashers, in the cup, not beside it.

## Bosch E12, limescale
Bosch's meaning is limescale build-up in the heat pump, especially in hard water. The steps: descale with a dishwasher descaler (Bosch sells its own) and follow the product instructions. To help prevent it, use softening salt if your dishwasher has a water softener.

If E12 returns after descaling, contact Bosch Customer Support. Do not scrape a heat pump. The descaler is the repair Bosch published.

## Bosch E09 and E20, the heater fault
Bosch's error-code page uses one sentence for both [E09](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/bosch/e09/) and [E20](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/bosch/e20/): a heat pump internal heater fault. The step is to reset power at the breaker for 30 seconds. If the code is still there, call Bosch Customer Support. That is not the E12 descaler, and it is not [E21](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/bosch/e21/), which Bosch calls a blocked heat pump. [E01](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/bosch/e01/) is the heat pump motor circuit at the main control board, and it gets the same 30-second reset.

A different Bosch code, [E21](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/bosch/e21/), means the heat pump is blocked, not scaled. Bosch's step there is a 30-second breaker reset, then Customer Support. Descaler is not the E21 fix.

Salt is only for machines that have a softener and a salt compartment. Pouring salt into a detergent cup is not what Bosch wrote. The [salt](https://thefaultcode.com/parts/dishwasher-salt/) and [descaler](https://thefaultcode.com/parts/dishwasher-descaler/) pages say the same thing.

## What the shop buttons are
This page searches Amazon for dishwasher detergent, dishwasher descaler, and dishwasher softening salt. Those are the supplies the codes above name. They are not heater elements and not control boards. Match a descaler to the instructions on its package and to Bosch's E12 note if that is your code. Match salt to a machine that has a softener. A detergent pod still has to fit the cup the way GE describes for C8, or it becomes the obstruction.

## Water heater work is not dishwasher work
Adjusting a storage water heater to land inside the band your dishwasher brand states is a separate appliance. Gas valves, flues and electric elements on a water heater are outside every dishwasher step on this page. GE says to follow the water heater maker's instructions. If the glass test never reaches 120°F, the dishwasher is telling you the truth about the water it is receiving. Fixing the heater is how that reading changes. It is also how people get scalded when the thermostat is turned up too far and left there. Stay inside the range the dishwasher page states, and inside the water heater manual.

> **Safety first:** Breaker off before you reach into the tub. Test hot water with a thermometer in a glass. Do not open a water-heater access panel as part of a dishwasher code. Heater circuits inside the dishwasher are a service job once the one reset LG or Samsung allows has failed.

## FAQ
### What temperature does GE want at the dishwasher?

GE says incoming hot water should read between 120°F and 150°F. GE also says a dishwasher cannot heat cold water up to 120°F, so a unit hooked to the cold line will not get there by running longer.

### What is Samsung's high-temperature limit?

For 3E, Samsung says to verify the hot water supply is not set above 176°F. For 4C, the supply range Samsung specifies is 120 to 149°F. Those are two different codes with two different figures.

### What does LG HE mean if the reset does not clear it?

LG says the heater is not heating the water, or the water overheated above 90°C (194°F). If HE returns after one power reset, request service. A related code, tE, is the temperature sensor. LG says tE needs a technician and does not publish the HE reset for it.

## Sources
- [GE dishwasher error codes](https://products.geappliances.com/appliance/gea-support-search-content?contentId=16673)
- [Samsung dishwasher error codes (TSG10004499)](https://www.samsung.com/us/support/troubleshoot/TSG10004499/)
- [LG dishwasher guide to error codes](https://www.lg.com/us/support/help-library/lg-dishwasher-guide-to-error-codes--20154823515108)
- [Bosch dishwasher error codes](https://www.bosch-home.com/us/owner-support/dishwashers/error-codes)

Canonical page: https://thefaultcode.com/guides/dishwasher-temperature-and-detergent/