Bosch Dishwasher E24 Error Code: Causes & Fixes
E24 means the dishwasher could not drain within the expected time. The water is still in the tub when the cycle expects it gone. On Bosch machines this is one of the most frequent codes and one of the most frequently self-fixed: the great majority are a blocked filter or a restricted drain hose rather than a failed pump. In South Florida there is a local contributor — mineral scale collects on the filter mesh and narrows it long before anything mechanical goes wrong.
If the reset didn't clear E24
A technician can come out and diagnose it, the same day when a window is open — $69 diagnostic, applied to the repair.
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Common causes
Blocked filter assembly
The cylindrical filter in the base of the tub catches food debris and, here, scale. Once it is packed the pump cannot pull water through it fast enough for the cycle timer.
Kinked or clogged drain hose
The hose behind or under the unit gets crushed against the cabinet during installation, or silts up over years. A partial restriction produces E24 intermittently, which is what makes it confusing.
Garbage disposal knockout plug
On a new install where the drain ties into a disposal, the factory knockout plug inside the disposal inlet must be removed. Left in place, the dishwasher can never drain — and this shows up as E24 on the very first cycle.
Drain pump or its impeller
Glass fragments, a fruit stone or a toothpick jam the impeller. Less often the pump motor itself fails. This is the smaller share of E24 calls, not the larger one.
What you can safely try
- Bail out the standing water and remove the filter. Scoop the water out with a cup, then twist out the cylindrical filter and the flat screen under it. Rinse both under a hot tap and scrub the mesh — in this water there is usually scale as well as debris.
- Check the drain hose behind the machine. Look for a crush point where the hose passes the cabinet, and confirm it rises into a high loop or air gap before it drops to the drain. A hose lying flat lets water sit in it.
- If it was recently installed, check the disposal knockout. Where the drain connects into a garbage disposal, the plug inside that inlet has to be knocked out. On a new installation this is the single most common reason for E24.
When to call a professional
If the filter is clean, the hose is clear and the machine still holds water, the drain pump or its impeller needs opening up, and getting to it means tipping the unit or pulling it from under the counter. Call us. A dishwasher left standing full of water grows a smell within days and can push water past the door seal onto the floor.
What it costs
If you fix it yourself: $0 (cleaning the filter, clearing the hose, removing a knockout plug).
With a technician: A fixed price after diagnosis, agreed before any work starts; the diagnostic fee is applied to the repair when you approve it.
Frequently asked questions
Is E24 the same as E25 on a Bosch?
They are close relatives and it is worth knowing the difference. E24 says the water is not leaving within the expected time — usually a restriction in the filter or hose. E25 points more specifically at the pump or its impeller being obstructed. In practice both start with the same checks, because a blocked filter can produce either one.
Why does E24 come and go?
That pattern is the signature of a partial restriction rather than a complete block. A filter that is half packed or a hose with a slight kink drains just fast enough on a short cycle and not fast enough on a long one, so the code appears on some washes and not others. It will get worse rather than better.
The filter looks clean but I still get E24.
Check the flat screen underneath the cylindrical filter — it lifts out separately and is often missed. After that, the hose is the next suspect, particularly where it passes behind the cabinet. If both are genuinely clear, the pump needs looking at and that is a service call.
Related codes: Bosch E15, Samsung SE / 5E.