Samsung Refrigerator error code 33E
Ice pipe heater fault
Quick answer
On Samsung Refrigerator (2000s onward), 33E is a fault. It means ice pipe heater fault. A first thing to check: Ice pipe heater open, which on many Samsung models is a non-serviceable sealed heater block.
- Applies to
- Samsung Refrigerator
- Samsung refrigerator codes · Refrigerator · 2000s onward
- Type of code
- Fault
- Urgency: Needs attention soon
- First safe check
- Open the freezer and look at the ice pipe area for a lump of ice that will not release.
What 33E means on this model
The heater that releases frozen water from the ice pipe is not reporting correctly, so the pipe stays blocked and the ice maker cannot harvest. On many models the heater is bonded into a sealed block, which is not a part you separate or pry.
Symptoms you will notice
- Ice maker stops producing after working for a few months
- A lump of ice builds up at the back of the freezer
- Code appears on models with an internal ice maker
- Water running down into the fresh food compartment
Common causes
The code tells you what the control detected, not which part failed. These are the causes we see most often, roughly in order of likelihood:
- Ice pipe heater open, which on many Samsung models is a non-serviceable sealed heater block
- Heater thermostat or sensor on the pipe failed
- Defrost system fault causing ice to build where the pipe runs
- Low humidity, or a set of the ice maker fill level, leaving more ice than the pipe was designed to release
- Water supply problem leading to a thin, stuck pipe
What you can safely check
These are homeowner-level checks. None of them need you to open a live electrical compartment or work on gas.
- Open the freezer and look at the ice pipe area for a lump of ice that will not release.
- Check that the freezer is not set to its coldest setting with the humidistat low, which produces more ice than the pipe is sized for.
- Confirm the water supply and fill tube are clear.
Do not do these
- ×Do not try to pry a frozen ice pipe open. The heater block is bonded to the pipe and bending it will crack the refrigerant line.
- ×Do not ignore it. A blocked pipe eventually fills the space around it and blocks airflow in the freezer.
When to call a technician
Book a technician, do not keep resetting it
This fault will not clear on its own. Every power cycle gives the control one more failed attempt, and repeated attempts are what turn a cheap part replacement into a seized or contaminated system.
- If the appliance has stopped mid-cycle, is making a noise you have not heard before, or smells burnt, stop reading here and call. Those are symptoms of something the fault code does not describe well enough.
Technician work on most models. Set the humidistat and check the fill tube first, which is free and sometimes the whole answer.
What it costs to fix
Parts
Ice maker and heater assembly $120 to $300. Freezer back cover $20 to $60.
Labor
Two to four hours, which is most of the job access rather than the part.
DIY or technician
Technician work on most models. Set the humidistat and check the fill tube first, which is free and sometimes the whole answer.
Typical US part and labor ranges, 2026. They vary by region, model and contractor, so treat them as a planning figure, not a quote.
Scope of this code
- Code table
- Samsung refrigerator codes
- Models in scope
- Samsung Refrigerator, 2015 onward
- Checked
- Confirm on your own unit
- Find the model number on the data plate, then check this code in the service manual for that model. Manufacturers revise code tables between model years, and a revised board can renumber a fault.