Bosch E06 fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
The pump is blocked by something that got into it, or the outlet hose was kinked when the machine was last moved. Both are owner jobs.
Take care
Has the machine been moved or had anything done behind it 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, in the last few weeks
BSH attach this cause to the machine being moved, and a folded outlet hose costs nothing to fix. There may be nothing wrong inside the machine at all.
Pull the machine out, straighten the hose, and retest before you take the pump cover off.
No, it has been in the same place
Then the likelier of the two published causes is a foreign object in the pump, which is what the cleaning procedure is for.
Work through the pump chamber, then flush the hose, then judge the impeller.
What E06 means
E06 is the drainage code that points at foreign objects, and the second half of its published cause list is the part worth reading twice. BSH give two causes: the pump blocked by foreign objects, and the drain hose kinked or blocked when the appliance was moved. That second one attaches the fault to an event rather than to wear, and it is the reason this code so often appears after a kitchen has been rearranged, a floor has been laid, or the machine has come out to get at something behind it.
A washing machine pushed back into a gap that is barely deep enough for it will fold its own outlet hose flat against the wall, and nothing about the machine has failed. Where the pump itself is blocked, what is actually blocked is the chamber in front of the impeller. Coins, buttons, hair grips and the wires out of bras get through the drum holes, settle there, and either restrict the flow or jam the impeller outright.
BSH publish a full cleaning procedure for the pump on this platform, which is unusual — most manufacturers stop at telling you the filter exists. It includes a detail that is worth knowing before you start, because it saves a second trip: they have you pour a litre of water into the detergent drawer afterwards and run the pumping programme, as a test for leaks before you put the machine back.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign object in the pump chamber | Coins, buttons, hair grips and bra wires. BSH name foreign objects specifically rather than talking about a filter needing cleaning. | Common |
| Outlet hose kinked when the machine was moved | The published cause that dates the fault. If the machine has been out and back recently, look here before you open anything. | Common |
| Outlet hose blocked internally | Detergent sludge and lint building up over years, usually where the hose leaves the machine and turns. | Occasional |
| Pump impeller seized | Where the chamber is clear and the impeller will not turn by hand. This is the point at which it stops being a blockage and becomes a part. | Occasional |
What to try yourself
Before you open anything, pull the machine forward and look at where the outlet hose runs. BSH list a hose kinked during a move as a cause in its own right, and it takes ten seconds to rule in or out.
Switch off at the socket and put a wide, shallow container down. The pump chamber sits low, so you need something that fits under it rather than something with a big capacity.
Open the flap at the bottom front, drain the machine down through the emergency hose if there is one, then open the pump cover and lift out whatever is in the chamber. Turn the impeller with a finger to confirm it spins freely.
The water can still be hot enough to scald if the machine stopped during a warm wash. Let it stand for an hour first.Refit the cover and the flap, then pour about a litre of water into the detergent drawer and run the pumping or drain programme. BSH publish this as part of the procedure and it is the step that catches a cover you have not seated properly, before the machine goes back against the wall.
Take the outlet hose off at the waste end and flush it through with a tap. Look for sludge at the bend where it leaves the machine, which is where it collects.
Push the machine back slowly and watch the hose as it goes. Leave a loop rather than letting the cabinet press the hose against the wall, which is how this fault comes back in a fortnight.
Get a qualified appliance engineer to look at your Bosch E06
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–£170
Time on site
40 minutes
Usually nothing at all. A replacement drain pump is roughly £100 to £170 fitted if the impeller has seized, and a new outlet hose is a few pounds.
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
- E18Get it checkedThe machine could not pump out in the time allowed. Bosch point at the filter and the drain hose, and warn that the water you are about to release may be scalding.Related: drainage and pump
- E17Get it checkedProblems with the water connection: tap, kinked hose, blocked inlet filter or low pressure. Bosch’s AquaStop hose has a filter at the tap end most owners do not know about.Related: same brand
- E23Stop — call an engineerWater has been detected in the base of the machine and the AquaStop system has cut in. Bosch say to turn the tap off immediately and stop using it until it is repaired.Related: same brand
- E32Usually simple to fixAn unbalanced load, and Bosch headline it as the machine flashing "end" at the end of the programme. They state outright that this is not a fault.Related: same brand
- E16Get it checkedThe door is not locked properly. Bosch’s US index groups this with E34, F16 and F34 as one fault, and washing caught in the seal is the usual reason.Related: same brand
- E19Get it checkedA fault in the heating circuit. BSH offer nothing to try and send it straight to service, and they give E20 the same one-line answer.Related: same brand
Own a Bosch washing machine? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions about Bosch E06
How is E06 different from E18?
They describe the same subsystem from two directions. E18 is about time — the machine spent longer trying to pump out than it allows. E06 names the causes: a foreign object in the pump, or the hose kinked or blocked when the machine was moved. If you are looking at both codes in one table and wondering which applies, the checks are the same and there is no need to choose.
Why pour water into the detergent drawer?
Because it is how you test the pump and the cover you have just refitted without putting a wash on. BSH publish it as part of the procedure: a litre in through the drawer reaches the tub, and running the pumping programme sends it out through everything you have just had apart. If the cover is not seated you find out on a tiled floor rather than behind the machine.
What sort of objects actually get in there?
Coins, shirt buttons, hair grips, and above all the wires out of underwired bras, which are exactly the shape to slip through a drum hole and exactly the shape to jam an impeller. If you wash them, a mesh bag is the single most effective preventative measure available.
Can I just keep using it if the machine drains eventually?
It will get worse rather than better. A restricted pump works harder and runs hotter every cycle, and the failure mode at the end of that is a pump rather than a blockage. Clearing the chamber is a twenty-minute job now and a booking later.
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 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.