The reading in two sentences
Read E23 as this: the water protection system on the inlet hose has been activated. Do not reset it and carry on: the device has shut the water off for a reason, and that reason is usually water where it should not be. You can settle whether this is a one-off or a real fault yourself; naming the failed part is not owner work.
Error codes
Reference| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| E23 | These error codes indicate that the AquaStop Hose has been activated. |
What else is happening when this shows
- Water or damp at the hose, under the machine or behind it — That is what the device reacted to, and where it is found matters more than the code.
- The appliance stops mid-cycle and will not restart — Leak protection latches deliberately: it is designed not to let you carry on.
- NEAR MISS — water only when the cycle drains — That points at the drain connection rather than a leak inside, and it is a different check.
What triggers E23, most likely first
- Water reaching the protection device from a leak — It goes first because it is what the device is for: a weeping fitting, a split hose or water in the base reaches the sensing part of the system and the supply is shut off before a flood.
- A device triggered mechanically by a knock or a pressure surge — Moving the machine or a surge in the supply can trip the system without an actual leak, which is a real possibility but not one to assume.
- A false trigger from condensation or a wet sensor — Last: it is possible, but a leak protection has to be treated as real until a technician has proved otherwise, because the cost of being wrong is a floor.
The order to work through
- Feel along the inlet hose and its fittings for damp — A slow weep is dry by the time you look, so feel as well as look, and check for mineral trails.
- Turn the tap off, then look for water under and behind the machine — Water off first, because that is the step that limits what the fault can cost.
- Turn the water off at the tap first — Before any diagnosis: this is the one step that limits what the fault can cost.
- Body: Locate before you open anything — where and when the water appears decides which half of the path a technician opens.
The reset and the checks that follow it
- Turn the water supply off at the tap — Do this before anything else and leave it off until the appliance has been looked at.
About 5 min
- Turn the water off at the tap, switch the machine off at the breaker, then dry the floor and put paper down — Paper on a dry floor shows where water is coming from far better than a wet floor does.
Tools: towels, paperAbout 20 min
- Switch the appliance off at the breaker — Water and live terminals in the same cabinet is the one combination not to leave powered.
About 5 min
- STOP HERE — do not reset a triggered leak protection and carry on — A protection that has acted has a reason. Overriding it is how a contained leak becomes a flood.
Before a panel comes off
Safety
Unplug the machine or switch off its breaker before any panel comes off — a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Close the supply tap before touching a hose, expect standing water when a filter comes out, and never work round the door interlock.
Where an owner check ends
Call at once, and do not reset the protection to get one more cycle out of it.
Other codes on a Bosch washing machine
What is deliberately not here
Treat this as the general Bosch washing machine reading. It stops short of anything model-specific — part numbers, harness colours, connector layouts and service-mode entry — because those differ by family and a technician takes them from the rating plate rather than from a code. A family- or model-specific page, where one exists, is linked from the code index below and is the closer answer.
Links: - [Bosch washing machine error codes](/blog/bosch-washer-error-codes)
Next steps
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
