LC and LE mean the washer has detected water leaking or self-draining from the tub. This is a genuine leak warning, not a nuisance code — the machine stops to avoid running with water escaping where the electronics or the floor beneath it can be damaged.
What LC / LE means
The code is triggered either by a leak sensor in the base pan detecting moisture, or by the pressure switch registering water leaving the tub faster than the drain pump is running — in other words, water escaping through a seal or connection rather than through the pump.
Resetting the machine without finding the source risks the leak continuing unnoticed on the next wash, with water reaching the base electronics or the floor underneath.
Where the water is coming from
| Source | How likely | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Loosened hose clamp inside the cabinet | Common | Damp along a side panel or under the tub |
| Torn or displaced door gasket | Common | Water tracking down the front of the machine |
| Debris filter cap not seated correctly | Common | Damp directly below the filter after a wash |
| Overfilling from a stuck inlet valve | Occasional | Water visibly above the normal fill line |
| Cracked tub or sump | Less common | Persistent leak with no obvious hose or seal fault |
| Faulty leak sensor itself | Uncommon | Base pan and hoses genuinely dry but LC persists |
How to find and fix it
- Check the filter cap first
Make sure the drain pump filter cap is screwed in firmly against its seal — a loose cap after cleaning is one of the most common causes of a base-pan leak.
- Inspect the door gasket
Run a hand around the whole seal for splits, hardened sections or debris holding it fractionally open.
- Dry the base and run an empty cycle
Wipe the base pan dry, then run a short cycle with no laundry while you watch the machine. Note exactly when water reappears — during fill, wash or drain — as that narrows down the source considerably.
- Check hose connections
With the machine unplugged and pulled out, look at the fill and drain hose connections at the back for looseness or damage.
When to call a professional
If the filter, seal and visible hoses are all sound but LC keeps appearing, the leak is likely inside the cabinet — a hose clamp, the sump seal or the tub itself — and needs a technician to access and diagnose safely.
Stop and call a qualified appliance technician or electrician if you find scorched or melted wiring, smell burning, see water that has reached electrical components, or if the fault returns immediately after a repair. Never bypass a safety device — thermal fuses, door interlocks and flood switches fail for a reason, and defeating one converts a broken appliance into a fire or flood risk.
