Bosch Dishwasher E24: New Install or Old?

What is the Bosch Dishwasher E24 error?#

E24 on a Bosch dishwasher means the machine could not drain within its expected time — a drain-timeout fault. It is not dangerous, though dirty water standing in the tub will start to smell, so it is not something to live with either.

What is worth knowing before you start pulling filters is that E24 has two entirely separate populations behind it. On a dishwasher that has never once drained properly, the cause is almost comically simple and it is nearly always the same one: the garbage-disposal knockout plug was never punched out at installation. On a machine that drained perfectly for years and only recently began timing out, that cause is impossible, and the answer is somewhere in a drain path that has gradually silted, kinked or jammed. There is also a sibling code to keep straight: E24 is the drain timing out, while E25 says the drain pump itself is reported blocked. Which of those three situations you are in decides where to start, and the table below sorts them.

When did E24 start? That decides which half of the list is yours#

Answer one question before you open anything: has this dishwasher ever drained properly in this kitchen? The rows split on that, because the most common cause of all is only possible in a brand-new hookup.

The first row is worth taking seriously even when the installation was months ago: a machine that has never drained since day one has never proved its own plumbing, however long it has been standing there.

Where these rows come from: the five steps of this page's own diagnostic sequence — hose kinks, triple filter, knockout plug, running the disposal, pump impeller — plus the E24-versus-E25 distinction in the field note, re-keyed on when the fault started rather than on the part. The likelihood words in the table above rank the causes and are not a measured rate; the field note's claim about new installations is Bosch-side field wisdom, not a count from our own jobs, so this table repeats no share.

E24 on a Bosch Dishwasher: likely causes and repair cost#

On a Bosch Dishwasher, the E24 code signals: drain issue.

Typical professional repair: up to $280 · Difficulty: moderate · often owner-fixable

Fastest thing to try first: Check drain hose for kinks and clean filter.

Symptoms that often accompany E24: Standing water after cycle; Gurgling sounds during drain; Bad odor from tub

Technician diagnostic sequence for E24:

1. Check drain hose path for kinks — straighten if needed
2. Clean the triple-filter assembly at tub bottom
3. If connected to garbage disposal, verify knockout plug was removed during install
4. Run disposal to clear shared drain line before restarting dishwasher
5. Check drain pump impeller for obstructions (glass shards, bones)

Parts a technician may check or replace: drain pump; filter assembly

Field note: E24 = drain pump timeout, E25 = drain pump blocked. The #1 cause of E24 in new installations is the garbage disposal knockout plug not being removed. For E25, check the pump impeller for broken glass — Bosch drain pumps are particularly sensitive to small debris.

How to troubleshoot the E24 error yourself#

Work the drain path in the order water travels it, and let the age of the installation tell you where to start. On a hookup that has never drained, go straight to the disposal: look at the connection where the dishwasher hose enters it and confirm the knockout plug was punched out and removed. A plug left in place blocks the outlet completely, and no amount of filter cleaning will change that. It is also worth checking the plug did not simply fall into the disposal body, where it rattles and can find its way back to the inlet.

On a machine with a working history, start behind and under the cabinet. A drain hose can be pinched by a drawer box, crushed against a wall when the machine was pushed back, or dropped out of its high loop, and any of those turns a good pump into a slow one. Then lift out the triple-filter assembly at the bottom of the tub and wash it properly, mesh and all, because a filter that merely looks dirty is already restricting.

If your kitchen shares a drain with a disposal, run the disposal for a few seconds and try the dishwasher again — food packed into a shared line stalls a drain in exactly this way and clears in seconds. What is left after all that is the pump itself, where broken glass and bone fragments jam the impeller. That is where the panel and the pump housing come off, and where I hand it over to a technician.

Is the Bosch Dishwasher E24 error worth fixing?#

There is barely a decision here, because most E24s do not cost anything. A knockout plug, a kinked hose, a filter wash and a run of the disposal cover the common cases between them and need no parts at all. The ceiling in the table above, up to $280, is the far end of the range — a technician opening the pump housing and clearing a jammed impeller with labour included — and even that is a small fraction of a replacement dishwasher.

So the practical order is: rule out the free causes before anyone quotes you, because on a new installation the free cause is also the most likely one. The single situation where the arithmetic changes is a machine already near the end of its life where the pump is failing rather than blocked, and the drain repair is arriving alongside other faults. A pump that is jammed clears; a pump that is worn comes back, and that difference — not the code — is what decides whether to spend.

Bosch Dishwasher E24: frequently asked questions#

What does the E24 error mean on a Bosch Dishwasher?#

E24 is a drain-timeout fault: the machine could not pump the water out in the expected time. Common causes are a kinked drain hose, a clogged filter, or a blocked disposal connection. Its sibling E25 specifically indicates the drain pump itself is blocked.

Is it safe to keep using a Bosch Dishwasher that shows the E24 error?#

It is safe, but you will be left with standing dirty water that soon smells, and the machine will keep failing to drain. There is no hazard. Clear the drain path before running another cycle.

Can I clear the E24 error myself, or do I need a technician?#

Usually yes — straighten the drain hose, clean the filter, and if the machine drains through a disposal, make sure the knockout plug was removed and the line is clear. A technician is needed only if the drain pump impeller is blocked by glass or bone fragments, which E25 flags directly.

How much does it cost to repair the E24 error on a Bosch Dishwasher?#

The table above shows a cost up to $280, which represents clearing a blocked drain pump with labor. Most E24 causes — a kinked hose, a dirty filter, or a leftover knockout plug — cost nothing to fix yourself.

Which parts usually fail when a dishwasher throws the E24 code?#

Often nothing fails: a kinked drain hose, a clogged filter, or an un-removed disposal knockout plug leads the list. When a part is at fault, it is the drain pump, whose impeller can be jammed by broken glass — that condition typically shows as E25.

Is a Bosch Dishwasher with the E24 error worth repairing?#

Almost always yes. Many E24 fixes are free, and even the top-of-range pump repair in the table above is far below replacement cost. Only a failing pump on an already end-of-life machine, alongside other faults, would tilt toward buying new.

Why does a kinked drain hose trigger the E24 error?#

A kinked or blocked drain hose stops the pump from moving water out within its timed window, so the board raises E24 to report a drain failure. Straightening the hose, clearing the filter, and confirming the disposal line is open lets the pump drain normally. A physically blocked pump instead reports E25.

How do I check the disposal knockout plug without pulling the dishwasher out?#

You do not need to move the machine at all — the check happens under the sink. Find where the dishwasher's drain hose clamps onto the side of the garbage disposal, undo the clamp and pull the hose off, and look straight into that inlet with a torch. A knockout plug still in place is a solid disc of metal or plastic completely blocking the opening; a punched-out one leaves a clean hole. While you are there, reach into the disposal body and feel for a loose disc, because a plug that was knocked out and never fished out sits in the grinding chamber and can find its way back against the inlet. That single look answers the most common cause of a new-installation E24 in about two minutes.