Bosch Dishwasher E24 — Drain Error

What does Bosch E24 mean?

The dishwasher could not drain within the expected time. Water remains standing in the bottom of the tub.

What causes Bosch E24?

• Clogged drain filter (Bosch filters require monthly cleaning)
• Blocked drain hose or garbage disposal connection
• Drain pump impeller jammed by a small object (glass shard, food debris)
• Air gap on the sink clogged (if installed)

How a technician tells the causes apart

• Twist out the fine filter and lift the coarse filter beneath it, then hold both up to the light: a filter caked with a film of food residue is doing exactly what Bosch expects it to need monthly, and that alone explains most E24 calls.
• If the sink has an air gap fitting, pop off its chrome cap and look straight down into it — a gap packed with grease or debris blocks drainage even when everything downstream of it is perfectly clear.
• Run the connected garbage disposal for several seconds before starting the dishwasher again: a disposal chamber full of ground food shares the same drain line and can back up into the tub even when the dishwasher's own filter is spotless.
• With the dishwasher unplugged, remove the lower spray arm and pump cover and look directly at the impeller for a lodged glass shard, bone fragment, or bottle cap — small hard objects are the single most common reason a Bosch pump jams.
• Still with the unit unplugged, try turning the impeller by hand: one that spins freely but roughly, or won't turn at all, points past a simple jam toward a worn or seized pump bearing.
• Whether the impeller turns freely or not, cut power and check the drain pump motor with a multimeter in continuity mode — no beep and no reading between the two winding terminals means the motor itself is burned out, separate from whatever you found jammed in the impeller.

A jammed impeller often just needs the debris removed and the pump reassembled, but a burned-out motor means ordering a replacement drain pump specific to your model, since Bosch pumps aren't interchangeable across dishwasher generations. The rating plate lives on the edge of the door itself, visible once the door is open — check the top edge near the latch first, then the side edge if it isn't there.

How to fix Bosch E24 yourself

1. 1 Remove the lower rack. Twist out the cylindrical fine filter at the bottom of the tub (turn counterclockwise), lift out the flat coarse filter below it.
2. 2 Rinse both filters under warm water; use a soft brush to clean the fine filter.
3. 3 Inspect the pump area at the bottom of the tub — remove any glass fragments or hard debris.
4. 4 If connected to a garbage disposal, run the disposal before starting the dishwasher to clear blockages.
5. 5 Reinstall filters and run a short test cycle.