Code: 40E🧊 Samsung Refrigerator

Samsung Refrigerator Error Code 40E (40C): Ice Room Fan Error

Reviewed 2026-10-23 · Based on 5 manufacturer & service sources

What the code means

Samsung US and Samsung Latin America both list 40E and 40C as Ice Room Fan Error, and Samsung Canada's support note adds that this is the fan for an ice maker inside the refrigerator compartment (French-door models with the ice maker in the fridge) and that it means there is no feedback from the fan motor to the main board, which should be supplying the fan DC 7 to 12 V. Samsung's RF28K-series service manual explains how the board decides this: the brushless DC fan sends a pulse signal back to the main board while it spins. If no pulse arrives, the board turns the fan off and tries again 10 seconds later, repeats that four more times, then waits 10 minutes before trying again, a routine Samsung says exists to get past a fan blocked by foreign material. If the fan still never reports spinning, the code is set. For its other fan codes Samsung says the most common reason is a fan frozen in ice, often from a door left open or a gap in the door gasket, with fan motor failure as the other cause. So 40E can mean an iced-over or obstructed ice-room fan, a failed fan motor, a loose or corroded connection, or (less often) the main control board.

Likely causes

Safe DIY checks

⚠ Before you start

Unplug the appliance (or switch off its breaker) and shut off the water supply valves before removing panels or disconnecting hoses. Keep towels handy for residual water.

  1. Write down the code and your full model number, and take a photo of the display. Samsung asks you not to unplug the fridge or press buttons to make an error code go away unless its steps tell you to, because that makes it harder for a technician to diagnose.
  2. If you have a Family Hub model, you can see current and past codes with Self Check: open Apps, then Fridge Manager, Fridge Settings, Self Check, and Start.
  3. Check that the ice bucket is pushed in fully and locked. Samsung says an ice maker in the fridge compartment needs the bucket fully seated to stay sealed and cold enough.
  4. Make sure the doors close all the way and the gaskets aren't folded or gapped, and that nothing in the fridge is keeping a door from closing. Samsung ties its fan-error codes to fans freezing up after a door is left open or the gasket doesn't seal.
  5. Look for frost on the ice bucket or around the ice maker. Don't chip at it or use a hair dryer or heat gun; Samsung warns that defrosting the ice maker yourself can damage it, and that a stuck, frozen ice bucket should not be forced out.
  6. Use the ice already in the bucket and keep bagged ice on hand. The fridge and freezer should keep cooling while the ice room fan is out.
  7. Request service through Samsung's Support Center, or have an appliance technician check the fan. Reaching it means removing the ice maker housing and testing voltage at the main board.

🛠 When to call a pro

  • 40E stays on the display or comes back after the ice room has been cleared of frost.
  • The ice maker stops making ice or the ice bucket keeps freezing into a block.
  • Checking the fan supply at the main board: Samsung's RF28K service manual says the ice room fan should see about DC 8 to 12 V at main board connector CN52 pin 1 while the compressor runs, and if that voltage is missing in forced operation the main board is the suspect.
  • Replacing the ice room fan motor, which means removing the ice maker and its cover inside the fridge compartment.
  • The fridge is under warranty; Samsung warranty repairs need to go through a Samsung authorized service center.

Parts that commonly fix it

Always match the part number to your exact model.

⚙

Ice room (ice maker) fan motor

Only after frost has been ruled out and the fan is confirmed dead or not sending its signal. Samsung uses different fans on different models, so match the part to your full model number.

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⚙

Digital multimeter

For a technician-style check of the fan's DC supply at the main board. Only work inside the fridge with it unplugged unless you know how to take live voltage readings safely.

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Sources

  1. Samsung US: Samsung refrigerator error codes (40E, 40C: Ice Room Fan Error; fan errors usually a frozen fan from a door left open or gasket gap, or fan motor failure; don't unplug or clear codes unless directed; Family Hub Self Check)
  2. Samsung Latinoamérica: Códigos de error de refrigeradores Samsung (40E, 40C: error del ventilador de la cámara de hielo)
  3. Samsung Canada support: Error code 40E or 40C (ice room fan, icemaker inside refrigerator; no feedback from fan motor to PCB; DC 7-12 V)
  4. Samsung RF28K series service manual, 4-2-8 When the fan does not operate (Ice Room Fan): pulse signal, 10-second and 10-minute retries, CN52 #1 DC 8-12 V, fan motor, wiring and main PCB (via ManualsLib)
  5. Samsung US: Samsung ice maker is not working (ice bucket must be fully seated; don't defrost the ice maker or force a frozen bucket)

Last reviewed 2026-10-23. Always confirm against the manual for your exact model number.