Bosch E24 fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
The machine cannot drain. Bosch publish a full owner procedure for this one, and two warnings about doing it that their UK page leaves out.
Take care
Has the kitchen been altered or the machine moved recently?
The right answer depends on what you can see. Pick the one that matches.
Choose the option on the left that matches what your appliance is doing, and the answer for that case appears here.
Yes, within the last few weeks
A sealed siphon connection is one of Bosch’s three named causes and it is extremely common after kitchen work. If the machine has never drained properly since, this is almost certainly it.
Check the blanking plug was knocked out of the waste spigot before booking an appliance engineer.
No, it has been fine for years
Then it is a blockage that has built up, or the pump. Work through the filter, the pump recess and the hose in that order.
Follow the steps above; most of these resolve without a call-out.
What E24 means
Bosch give E24 as water not being drained, and unlike the water protection codes they publish real steps for it. Their manual names three causes specifically: the wastewater hose blocked or kinked, the siphon connection still sealed, and the cover of the wastewater pump loose. That middle one catches out anyone who has just had a new kitchen or a new sink.
Where a dishwasher discharges into a sink waste or a waste disposal unit, the spigot it connects to arrives with a blanking plug or a sealed membrane in it, and somebody has to knock it out during installation. If nobody did, the machine has never been able to drain and never will until it comes out.
Two safety warnings belong on this page and Bosch state both, though their UK pages omit them while still telling owners to open the pump. The first is that leaking water may be very hot, with a risk of scalding. The second is that the pump may be blocked with glass fragments, with a risk of cutting yourself. Both are worth taking seriously given the job involves putting a hand into a wet recess you cannot see the bottom of.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Wastewater hose blocked or kinked | Named first by Bosch. Usually crushed behind the machine, or silted where it joins the household waste. | Common |
| Filters soiled | The assembly in the bottom of the tub. Bosch treat badly blocked filters as their own code, E22, but partial blockage contributes here too. | Common |
| Siphon connection still sealed | The blanking plug in a new sink waste or disposal unit spigot, never knocked out at installation. Common after kitchen work and easy to miss. | Occasional |
| Wastewater pump cover loose | Bosch name this directly, and it must click into position. Frequently the answer when the code appears immediately after someone cleaned the pump. | Occasional |
| Pump blocked or failed | Glass fragments and fruit stones are the usual cause of a jam. Bosch warn about the glass explicitly. | Occasional |
What to try yourself
Switch off at the socket. If the machine stopped part way through a hot programme, let it cool before you start — Bosch warn that the leaking water may be very hot and carries a risk of scalding.
This is Bosch’s own warning, and it applies to exactly this job. Do not open the pump on a machine that has just aborted a hot cycle.Bail out the standing water with a jug and a sponge until you can see the bottom of the tub. You cannot inspect anything through dirty water.
Lift out the bottom basket, twist out the filter assembly and wash both parts under a hot tap.
Look into the pump recess before putting a hand anywhere near it. Bosch warn the pump may be blocked with glass fragments and that there is a risk of cutting yourself — use a torch, and a cloth rather than bare fingers.
Broken glass is the single most common thing found in a blocked dishwasher pump. Look first.Refit the pump cover so it clicks positively into position, and seat the filter until it locks. Bosch list a loose pump cover as a cause in its own right, so a poor refit produces the same code again.
Check the waste hose for kinks along its whole run, and if the machine has just been installed, check the blanking plug was removed from the sink waste or disposal spigot.
Get a qualified appliance engineer to look at your Bosch E24
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 it costs to fix
Typical repair cost
£0–£180
Time on site
40 minutes
Usually free — filters, hoses and blanking plugs cost nothing. A replacement drain pump is around £100 to £180 fitted.
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 Bosch fault codes
- E15Stop — call an engineerThe water protection system has activated — there is water in the base of the machine. Turn the tap off and call service. Do not tilt it, whatever else you read.Related: same brand
- E18Get it checkedWater is not getting in. Bosch publish a full owner procedure including a flow rate you can measure with a jug.Related: same brand
- E22Get it checkedThe filters are soiled or blocked. Bosch give a one-line remedy — clean them — and it is genuinely the whole job.Related: same brand
- E16Stop — call an engineerWater is running into the machine continuously, whether or not it is switched on. Bosch give the same instruction as for a leak: tap off, call service.Related: same brand
- E12Get it checkedThe heating element has furred up with limescale. Descaling fixes today; setting the water softener correctly stops it coming back.Related: same brand
- E27Get it checkedThe mains voltage is too low. Bosch state plainly that this is not a fault on the appliance — you want an electrician, not an appliance engineer.Related: same brand
Own a Bosch dishwasher? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions about Bosch E24
I cleaned the pump and now it will not run at all.
Check the pump cover. Bosch list a loose cover as a named cause of this code and specify it must click into position. It is the commonest reason for a machine behaving worse after a clean than before it.
What is the difference between E24 and E25?
E24 is water not being drained; E25 is the wastewater pump being blocked or its cover loose. In the long-form codes they cross over — E24 is E:61-03 and E25 is E:61-02 — which several code tables online have backwards.
Is a bit of water in the bottom normal?
A small amount of clean water in the recess around the filter is normal and stops the seal drying out. Dirty water lying across the tub floor is not.
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
- Manufacturer support portal
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.