Baumatic E5 fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
A control electronics fault on the Candy-era machines. On a Baumatic built before 2014 the same E6 and E7 are thermistor faults, which is a far smaller bill.
Take care
Get a qualified appliance engineer to look at your Baumatic E5
We do not pass enquiries to a repair firm, so there is no form here. When you book a qualified appliance engineer, tell them the make, the model and the exact code or message on the display, and ask whether they carry parts for this make — that is what turns one visit into a repair rather than a quote.
What E5 means
Which Baumatic you own decides what this code is worth, and the difference is big enough to establish before you agree to any work. On the Baumatic-built machines that predate the Candy takeover — the BDF665W and its contemporaries — E6 is a thermistor open circuit and E7 a thermistor short circuit. A thermistor is a temperature sensor, a small and inexpensive part. On the Candy-built machines that replaced them, those same two numbers sit inside a row of five, E5 through EL, described only as a fault in the electronic control. That is the board. So identical characters on the display point at either a sensor or a circuit board, and nothing but the model number on the door edge separates the two readings.
Taking the Candy-era machines first, since most Baumatic owners have one: the 2016-era manuals give E5, E6, E7, Ef and EL a single row, a single meaning and a single instruction, which is to contact the Customer Care Department. No owner steps are offered, and the manual never says what distinguishes the five — so anyone naming a specific component for a specific one of them has gone past the document. The current manuals removed the row. What stands in its place covers any code they no longer list and comes down to one power-cycle attempt, then the service centre.
The useful conclusion is a commercial one. Baumatic are consistent about keeping owners out of the cabinet, and the manuals they wrote before the takeover are franker about cost than the Candy-era ones: they state in print that a visit under guarantee which turns out not to be an appliance fault may be charged to you. So establish two figures when you book — the fitted price of a board, and what happens if the engineer finds nothing wrong.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Control board failed | The literal reading. Boards fail with age, heat cycling and damp, all of which a dishwasher supplies in quantity. | Common |
| Wiring or connector fault | A corroded or loose connector that the machine reports as a control fault. The best outcome here, because the board itself is sound. | Occasional |
| Moisture reaching the electronics | Water from a leak elsewhere in the machine getting to the board, which means two faults rather than one. | Occasional |
| Power surge or supply disturbance | A spike or a brownout that damaged the board. More likely if other appliances misbehaved at the same time. | Occasional |
Can you fix it yourself?
Stop — this needs an engineer
What it costs to fix
Typical repair cost
£130–£300
A board runs £130 to £280 fitted. Get that figure, and the no-fault-found call-out policy, before anybody orders a part.
Typical UK prices including parts and labour, updated September 2026. Your quote may differ.
Own this appliance and had this code? . Nothing is published until a person has read it.
Related Baumatic fault codes
- E3Get it checkedCannot drain. Baumatic name the siphon specifically, which points at the plumbing under your sink rather than the machine.Related: same brand
- E2Get it checkedNo water reaching the machine. Baumatic’s Candy-built models word it three ways across editions — kinked hose, closed hose, "does not fill" — and the checks are the same.Related: same brand
- E4Stop — call an engineerWater leak. Baumatic’s published fix for this code is to check the drain hose — but the instruction they should have given is elsewhere in the same manual.Related: same brand
- E8Get it checkedHeating fault — or blocked filters. Baumatic give two quite different causes for one code, and one of them is free.Related: same brand
Own a Baumatic dishwasher? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions about Baumatic E5
I have E6, E7, Ef or EL instead. Is this the right page?
On a Candy-built Baumatic, yes. The 2016-era manuals publish all five — E5, E6, E7, Ef and EL — with the identical description of an electronic control fault and the identical instruction to contact Customer Care. On a pre-2014 Baumatic-built machine such as the BDF665W, E6 is the thermistor open circuit and E7 the thermistor short circuit — still a call to Baumatic, but a sensor rather than a board.
How do I decide whether to repair or replace?
Insist on the fitted price before the part is ordered, not after. Ask the age of the machine and what warranty comes with the board. An engineer who has already installed it has little reason left to talk you out of it.
Is one reset attempt worth making?
One, and no more. For a code they no longer list, the current manuals allow a single power cycle and a fresh programme; if the code comes back after that, they send you to an authorised service centre. Repeated resets tell you nothing new and put the machine through another fill.
Can I take the panels off and check the connectors myself?
Baumatic say no, in several places across both generations of manual: approved service agents only, genuine parts only, and the older documents add that the appliance must be off the mains before any maintenance at all. Mains-voltage electronics a few inches from standing water is the one part of a dishwasher where that is worth taking literally.
Technical review
Not reviewed by an engineer
No engineer has read this page. Severity follows what the manufacturer publishes, and we would rather tell you that than let a byline imply a sign-off.
Sources and how we verified this
We establish the facts from the sources below and then write the explanation ourselves. We do not copy manufacturer wording and we do not host their manuals.
- Manufacturer technical and service documentation
This page has not been reviewed by an engineer, and we would rather tell you that than imply otherwise. The severity rating follows what the manufacturer publishes: where they say isolate the appliance and call someone, so do we.