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Bosch Dishwasher Error Code E24: What It Means and How to Fix It
Before you touch a hose or price a pump, press one small plastic cover in the floor of the tub. E24 is Bosch's drainage fault, and its most common cause is the drain pump cover sitting a fraction loose after a filter clean, which takes two minutes to check and costs nothing. Work through the diagnosis in the order this guide sets out, cover first, then filters, then the exit path, and most E24 codes are settled inside twenty minutes without a single part being bought.
What is happening inside the machine
A Bosch dishwasher empties itself through a small drain pump set into a well in the floor of the tub. At each drain stage the pump draws water from the sump, under the filters, and pushes it out through the drain hose to the sink connection or garbage disposal. The control knows how long a drain should take and watches the water level fall. When the level does not drop as expected, it stops the programme and reports E24: a drainage fault.
Bosch machines test this system early. The control runs a short drain and level check near the start of a cycle, before it commits to washing, which is why E24 often appears in the first few minutes rather than at the end. That timing is a feature: the machine would rather refuse to start than wash for an hour and then fail to empty. The pump itself is a modest part with one design quirk that dominates this code. Its impeller works under a small removable cover beside the filter well, and that cover is a working part of the pump, shaping the flow so pressure can build. A cover left slightly unseated after cleaning lets the pump churn water in circles instead of pushing it out, and the control quite correctly reports a drainage fault on a machine whose pump is perfectly healthy.
Finding the cause
Start with the pump cover
Open the machine, remove the lower rack, and find the small cover with a tab in the tub floor beside the filter well. Press it down firmly. It should sit flat and click into place. A cover that rocks, lifts at one side, or clicks when you press it was not fully seated, and that alone explains E24 more often than any other single cause, particularly when the code arrived shortly after a filter clean. The finding matters as much as the fix: a cover that clicked under your finger has told you the pump was starved by its own housing, and you can test the machine before going any deeper.
Wash the filter system
Twist out the cylindrical filter and lift out the flat filter, then wash both thoroughly under a tap. The filters guard the pump inlet, and a matted layer of food debris slows the water reaching the pump until drainage falls behind the control's timing. Hold the mesh up to the light after washing: you should see through it evenly. Filters that run clear under the tap clear this suspect. Filters that stay coated no matter how you scrub are also restricting the wash, and the same clean helps both problems.
Look into the pump well, with gloves on
With the pump cover lifted by its tab, look into the opening it guards. Glass shards, labels, seeds and bone fragments migrate here and sit against the impeller, slowing or stalling it. Wear gloves for this step without exception, because dishwasher pumps collect sharp glass and it hides in dirty water. An impeller that turns freely once debris is lifted out was jammed, not failed. An impeller that still refuses to move, or a pump that stays silent on a drain stage with the well clear, is a different finding, and it points at the pump motor itself.
Walk the exit path to the sink
Water that leaves the pump still has to travel: along the drain hose, and into the sink plumbing or the garbage disposal. A hose kinked behind the machine strangles that journey. On a recent disposal install there is a more absolute blocker: every new disposal ships with a plastic knockout plug sealing its dishwasher inlet, and if that plug was never knocked out, the dishwasher has no drain path at all. Run the disposal to clear it, check the hose route for kinks, and bear in mind the sequence of your findings: a strong pump, clean filters and a blocked exit produce exactly the same code as a dead pump.
What your findings mean
| What you find | What it means | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| The pump cover clicks when pressed | It was sitting loose and the pump could not build pressure | Run a reset drain; if the tub empties in about a minute, you are done |
| Filters coated with a mat of food debris | The pump inlet was starved and drainage fell behind | Wash both filters, refit, and run the shortest cycle as a test |
| Glass, seeds or bone in the pump well | Debris was jamming or slowing the impeller | Remove it with gloved hands, confirm the impeller turns, retest |
| Disposal recently installed and its inlet still plugged | The dishwasher has had no drain path since the install | Knock out the plug, run the disposal, and retest the drain |
| Well clear, cover seated, hose clear, pump silent | The drain pump motor has failed | Price the pump replacement in the costs section, or book a service |
Fixing it
- Make the machine safe (2 minutes). Switch the dishwasher off at the panel and let any standing water cool. Scoop out excess water with a cup and sponge so you can see the tub floor.
- Seat the pump cover (2 minutes). Press the cover beside the filter well down until it clicks firmly into place.
- Wash both filters (10 minutes). Cylindrical and flat filters out, washed under a tap until the mesh runs clear, then refitted.
- Clear the pump well (10 minutes, gloves on). Lift the cover by its tab, remove any glass and debris, and confirm the impeller turns freely.
- Check the exit (5 minutes). Straighten any kink in the drain hose; on a new disposal, confirm the knockout plug is out, and run the disposal to clear the connection.
- Test with a reset drain (5 minutes). Press and hold Start for about 3 seconds to cancel and run the drain. A healthy drain empties the tub in about a minute. Follow with the shortest full cycle and confirm E24 stays away.
Reset and Clearing
On most Bosch models, pressing and holding Start for about 3 seconds cancels the cycle and runs a drain of roughly a minute. Let that finish completely before opening the door. E24 clears once a drain completes normally; if it returns at the start of the next cycle, recheck the pump cover seating first.
What it costs
| Item | DIY cost | Part only | Fitted by a service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pump cover reseat and filter wash | $0 | No part needed | Included in any visit |
| Drain pump replacement | Part cost only, for confident owners | $40 to $90 for the part (estimate) | $220 to $380 fitted by a repair service (estimate) |
All prices on this page are estimates based on typical US parts and service pricing. Your model, region and the actual failed part will move the real figure.
Repair or replace: E24 almost never justifies replacing the machine. The expensive version of this fault is a fitted drain pump at the top of the range above, and even that is a fraction of a new dishwasher. Replacement only enters the conversation when an older machine stacks a pump failure on top of other faults, not for a drainage code on its own.
Mistakes that make it worse
Starting with the hose and the pump price. Owners routinely price a drain pump, and sometimes buy one, before pressing the cover that causes most E24 codes. Two minutes with a fingertip settles the most likely cause first.
Refitting the pump cover without its click. This is how E24 survives a thorough clean and convinces you the fault is deeper than it is. The cover must click, every time, after every filter clean.
Sweeping the pump well with bare fingers. The well collects broken glass in dirty water where you cannot see it. A gloved hand or old tongs cost nothing; a cut hand costs the whole afternoon.
Forgetting the new disposal. If E24 arrived on the first cycle after a disposal install, the knockout plug is the diagnosis until proven otherwise. Checking anything else first is wasted effort.
Stop and Call a Professional If
- E24 returns with filters clean, the pump cover clicked in, and a clear hose
- The pump makes no sound at all during the drain stage
- You find a cracked pump cover that will not stay seated, which needs the replacement part
Never work on gas lines, sealed refrigerant systems or inside electrical panels. If anything in this guide conflicts with your model's manual or a safety warning on the machine, the manual and the warning win.
Bosch, Siemens and Neff share this platform, and E24 behaves the same across them. Back to the full list: Dishwasher Error Codes
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the pump cover trick for Bosch E24?
The small drain pump cover in the tub floor must click down fully. After filter cleaning it is often left slightly loose, which alone causes E24. Press it until it clicks before you suspect anything expensive.
Why does E24 appear in the first minutes of the cycle?
Bosch dishwashers test drainage at the start: the control drains and checks the water level before washing. A drain fault is therefore reported early, which is a feature, not a separate fault.
Can a new garbage disposal cause E24?
Yes, and it is a famous one: every new disposal ships with a knockout plug in the dishwasher inlet. If it was not removed, the dishwasher has nowhere to drain.