Bosch Dishwasher Not Draining? Fixing E24 and E25 Errors

Reviewed by PRO MAX HVAC & Appliance Repair technicians, EPA 608 certified

A Bosch dishwasher not draining is usually blocked, not broken. E24 means the machine could not pump water out in time, which points to the filter, the drain hose or the sink connection. E25 points more specifically to the drain pump, where a shard of glass, an olive pit or a jar label gets wedged under the pump cover. Clear those yourself and most machines run again the same evening.

It is worth the effort. ENERGY STAR says a certified dishwasher can save about 3,870 gallons of water over its lifetime compared with washing by hand, so a working machine is the cheaper way to get through holiday cooking season. On SMUD's time-of-day rate, running it after the 5 to 8 p.m. peak window trims the electric side of that bill too.

What E24 and E25 Mean

E24 is a drain error. The dishwasher started its drain, watched the water level, and the water did not go down fast enough. Anything that slows the water on its way out can trigger it: a clogged filter, a kinked hose, a full garbage disposal.

E25 is the narrower one. It usually means the drain pump itself is blocked, often by something small enough to slip past the filter. The fix for both starts in the same place, at the bottom of the tub.

Cut Power and Remove the Water

Before you reach into the sump, shut off power to the dishwasher at the breaker or unplug it under the sink. The drain pump sits right under where your fingers will be.

Pull out the bottom rack. Use a cup to scoop out most of the standing water, then soak up the rest with a sponge or old towel. A shallow baking pan helps catch drips. Do not try to force a drain cycle with water in the tub and a blockage still in place; you will only get the same code again.

Clean the Filter

Most Bosch models have a cylindrical fine filter in the center of the tub floor. Twist it counterclockwise, lift it out, and the flat micro-filter around it comes up with it. Rinse both under warm running water and scrub the mesh with a soft brush to get grease and food off.

A greasy filter is the most common reason for E24, and it is easy to see. If the mesh is coated, that alone can explain the error. Bosch designs these filters to be cleaned by the owner, so plan on checking it every few weeks, more often during big holiday meals.

Clear the Drain Pump Cover

With the filter out, look into the sump. You will see a small cover, usually white or gray, with a tab or slot on one side. That cover sits over the drain pump impeller.

Put on cut-resistant gloves first and keep them on, because broken glass is common here and the pump has sharp edges. Pry the cover up gently with the handle of a spoon. It snaps loose and lifts out. Check underneath for anything solid: glass, pits, bones, twist ties, the corner of a jar label, and lift it out with tongs rather than your fingers. Then turn the impeller with the spoon handle, never a finger. It should turn freely with a little resistance from its magnet. If it is stuck, whatever is jamming it is still in there.

This is the step that usually fixes E25.

Check the Hose and the Disposal

If the filter and pump are clear, the blockage is downstream, under the sink. Run the garbage disposal for a few seconds first. A Bosch dishwasher usually drains into the disposal, and a disposal full of food blocks that path.

Then check the drain hose. It runs from the back of the dishwasher to the disposal or the sink drain, and it kinks easily if the dishwasher was pushed back after a repair or a floor cleaning. Look along it for flattened spots.

One more thing catches people after a remodel. A new garbage disposal comes with a knockout plug inside the dishwasher inlet, and it has to be knocked out during installation. If the dishwasher has never drained properly since the disposal went in, that plug is the likely cause. It shows up a lot in 1970s tract kitchens around Sacramento and Roseville that got a new disposal and a new Bosch in the same remodel.

Reassemble and Reset

Snap the pump cover back into place, set the flat filter down, drop the cylindrical filter in and twist it clockwise until it locks. A filter that is not locked can let debris straight into the pump, which is how the problem starts over.

Restore power and reset the dishwasher. On many Bosch models you press and hold Start for a few seconds to cancel and drain, but the exact steps vary by series, so follow the manual for your model. A reset only clears the code. If something is still blocked, the same error comes right back.

While you have the model number out, check the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission site for any recalls on it. It takes a minute.

When to Call a Pro

Call a technician when the error returns with the filter clean, the pump cover clear, the hose straight and the disposal running. At that point the drain pump motor has usually failed, or there is a fault in the wiring or control board, and both need testing with a meter. Also call if you find water under the dishwasher, which is a different problem from a drain error.

Clean the filter and clear the pump cover yourself, because those two steps fix most E24 and E25 codes. The typical case is a six- or seven-year-old Bosch that throws E24 after a big family dinner, with a filter packed with grease and rice, and ten minutes at the sink fixes it. Do not keep resetting a machine that keeps throwing the code, because running a drain pump against a jam can burn out the motor.

PRO MAX HVAC & Appliance Repair handles Bosch dishwasher repair across Sacramento and Roseville. Call us at (916) 234-5925 or book a visit online on our contact page.

How to clear a Bosch dishwasher drain error

1. 1

   Cut power and remove the water

   Switch off the dishwasher's breaker or unplug it, pull out the bottom rack, and scoop or sponge out the standing water.

2. 2

   Clean the filter

   Twist the cylindrical filter counterclockwise, lift it out with the flat filter under it, and rinse both under warm water.

3. 3

   Clear the drain pump cover

   Put on cut-resistant gloves, pry the small pump cover in the sump up with a spoon handle, and lift out glass, pits or labels with tongs. Turn the impeller with the spoon handle, never a finger, to check that it moves freely.

4. 4

   Check the hose and disposal

   Run the garbage disposal, look under the sink for a kinked drain hose, and confirm a new disposal's knockout plug was removed.

5. 5

   Reassemble and reset

   Snap the pump cover back, lock the filter in place, restore power and reset the dishwasher following your model's manual.

Sources

• ENERGY STAR
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission