Bosch Dishwasher Error E24: What It Means & the Fixes

Last updated: October 2026

E24 on a Bosch dishwasher means one thing: the machine tried to drain and the water didn't leave. It's the most common Bosch fault code there is, and the good news is that the majority of E24s are blockages, not broken parts. Bosch's own service documentation for E24 gives the fix order away: remove the garbage disposal plug, clean the filters, make sure the drain hose is under 150 inches and includes a 20-inch high loop, and unclog the house drain line. Notice what's not on that list — a new pump, and definitely not a new control board. Work it in that order.

Fix 1: The garbage disposal knockout plug

If a garbage disposal was installed or replaced shortly before E24 appeared, this is your answer until proven otherwise. New disposals ship with a plastic plug sealing the dishwasher inlet. If the installer never knocked it out, the dishwasher drains against a wall. With the disposal off, look inside it for the loose plug (it often drops into the chamber when finally punched), or disconnect the dishwasher's drain hose at the disposal and check the inlet nipple. Plug out, hose on, E24 gone — for $0.

Fix 2: The filters

Remove the filter assembly from the bottom of the tub and rinse it thoroughly. A grease-and-debris-choked filter restricts drainage enough to trigger E24 — Bosch actually reserves a separate code, E22, for a blocked filter, and the two often travel together. Check the sump beneath the filter for debris while you're there.

Fix 3: The drain hose run

Bosch's service entry is specific here: the drain hose should be shorter than 150 inches and must rise in a high loop about 20 inches up (typically strapped under the countertop) before reaching the disposal or drain. A hose that's kinked behind the machine, sagging in a low spot, or missing its loop can all produce E24. If your sink has a countertop air gap instead, pop its cover and clean out the cap — a clogged air gap stops drainage as surely as a kink.

Fix 4: E25 territory — the pump and its cover

E24's close sibling is E25: the drain pump is blocked, or the small cover over the pump in the sump is missing or loose. With the power off, remove the filter, find the pump cover in the sump, and pop it off. Clear whatever is in the impeller — glass chips, seeds, and bone fragments are the usual finds — confirm the impeller spins freely, and reseat the cover firmly. A cover that isn't seated lets debris straight back in and the code returns within a wash or two.

Fix 5: Test the pump before replacing it

If the path is clear and the impeller is free but E24 persists, test the pump itself — unplugged, with a multimeter across its terminals. Bosch drain pumps commonly read higher than the generic dishwasher range (Bosch service data cites roughly 90 ohms for the pump winding on many models, and the three-wire pumps measure differently again), so compare against your model's specification rather than a universal number. An open (OL) or zero reading condemns the pump. A pump that tests in spec but never runs points to the control — and that's a technician conversation, with the age of the machine in mind.

When E24 means calling someone

If the full sequence above leaves E24 standing — clear path, free impeller, pump testing in spec — the remaining suspects are the pump failing under load or the control board, both technician diagnoses. A pro drain-pump replacement typically runs $150–350; typical Bosch repairs overall land around $150–320 for simpler jobs. Be skeptical of a large board quote for a drain-only fault before the pump and hose have been ruled out — for a drain problem, the board is statistically one of the least likely causes. More depth: our full dishwasher won't drain guide.