Samsung Refrigerator error code 88 88
Power interruption or communication reset
Quick answer
On Samsung Refrigerator (2000s onward), 88 88 is a fault. It means power interruption or communication reset. A first thing to check: Power cut, brownout, or a brief outage.
- Applies to
- Samsung Refrigerator
- Samsung refrigerator codes · Refrigerator · 2000s onward
- Type of code
- Fault
- Urgency: Book a technician
- First safe check
- Reset the cabinet and let it run a full cycle before deciding anything is wrong.
What 88 88 means on this model
The control lost power and came back needing to reset its state, and this is what it shows while it does so. It is a record of an event rather than a failed part, so check whether the cabinet is running normally before treating it as a fault.
Symptoms you will notice
- Code appears after a power cut, a storm, or a breaker trip
- Temperature settings lost and the display resets
- Several different codes appear in sequence after one event
- Unit runs normally once it has been reset
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:
- Power cut, brownout, or a brief outage
- Breaker tripped and was reset
- A surge through a supply that lacks protection
- Supply voltage outside the range the cabinet was built for
- Loose receptacle or cord plug causing an intermittent supply
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.
- Reset the cabinet and let it run a full cycle before deciding anything is wrong.
- Confirm the outlet and the cord are tight and undamaged.
- Check whether other appliances in the house showed odd behaviour at the same time, which points at the supply rather than the cabinet.
Do not do these
- ×Do not keep resetting a cabinet that trips the breaker. That is an electrical fault until proven otherwise.
- ×Do not leave a cabinet running on a receptacle that is warm, loose, or discolored.
When to call a technician
Worth scheduling, and worth your own checks first
You can usually keep living with this for a short while, but it will not fix itself. Do the safe checks below first, because a tripped switch or a blocked airflow is a five-minute fix that would otherwise cost you a service call.
- 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.
Resetting and moving the outlet is free. Receptacle work is a licensed job.
What it costs to fix
Parts
No parts in most cases. Receptacle repair $40 to $120 if the outlet is the problem.
Labor
No labour. An electrician is needed for a supply fault.
DIY or technician
Resetting and moving the outlet is free. Receptacle work is a licensed job.
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.