So your Bosch dishwasher finished a cycle, but there’s still dirty water sitting at the bottom? Yeah, that’s not supposed to happen. It’s one of the most annoying problems you can have with a dishwasher. But don’t panic—chances are, it’s not broken beyond repair. In fact, most of the time, it’s something small that can be fixed without calling a repair guy.
Let’s walk through why your Bosch dishwasher might not be draining and what you can do to fix it. No tech jargon—just clear, simple steps.
🛑 First, Is This a One-Time Glitch or a Repeating Problem?
Before we dig into hoses, filters, or pumps, hit the pause button. If your dishwasher hasn’t drained before, check if this is just a one-time hiccup. Maybe someone opened the door mid-cycle, or a power outage stopped it halfway through.
Try this:
- Press the Start button for about 3 seconds to cancel the cycle.
- Close the door and wait. It should automatically run a short drain cycle.
Still water in the bottom? Okay—time to look deeper.
🧽 1. Check the Filter (Spoiler: It’s Probably Nasty)
This is the number one cause. Food bits, paper labels, and gunk can clog your dishwasher’s filter. If water can’t get through the filter, it won’t drain.
Here’s how to check it:
- Open the dishwasher and pull out the bottom rack.
- Look for a round cover or mesh filter at the bottom—usually in the center.
- Twist or lift the filter out. You might need a gentle wiggle.
- Rinse it under hot water and scrub it with a toothbrush or sponge.
If it was filled with gross food sludge, congratulations! You may have just fixed the issue. Put it back in and try running a short cycle.
🌀 2. What About the Drain Pump?
If the filter was clean but the water still won’t drain, the pump might be blocked or damaged. The pump moves water out of your dishwasher and into the drain hose.
You can usually access the pump by removing the filter and unscrewing the small plastic cover underneath. Be careful—it might be holding some gross water.
Look inside for:
- Broken glass or food scraps
- A stuck impeller (it looks like a little fan)
- Loose wires or burnt smell (bad sign)
If you clean out the pump area and the impeller spins freely, that’s good. If not, the pump might need to be replaced. That’s when you might need to call a pro—or watch a repair video if you’re feeling brave.
🚰 3. The Drain Hose: Kinks, Clogs, and Ugh
The drain hose is what carries the water out of the dishwasher and into your sink’s plumbing. If it’s kinked, bent, or blocked, the water has nowhere to go.
Here’s what to do:
- Look under your sink and find the hose that connects the dishwasher to the drain or garbage disposal.
- Make sure it’s not twisted or squished.
- If it’s connected to a garbage disposal, run the disposal to make sure it’s clear.
- If you’re really motivated, disconnect the hose and blow through it. If it’s clogged, you’ll know.
Some setups also include a thing called an air gap—that’s the little cylinder next to your sink faucet. If that’s clogged, the dishwasher won’t drain either. Pop the cap off and clean out anything you find inside.
💡 What Do Bosch Error Codes E24 and E25 Mean?
Bosch dishwashers are pretty smart—they’ll often show error codes when something’s wrong. If yours says E24 or E25, here’s what that means:
- E24: The dishwasher can’t drain. Could be a clogged hose, filter, or a bent drain line.
- E25: The drain pump might be jammed or broken. Sometimes the pump cover isn’t clicked in right.
If you see one of those, go back and check the filter, hose, and pump again. In a lot of cases, you’ll fix the problem without needing any parts.
🧠 Other Weird Things That Could Be the Problem
- Child lock is on. Some models won’t run if the child lock is engaged. Look for a lock symbol on the screen.
- Float switch stuck. The float switch tells the dishwasher when to stop filling. If it’s stuck, it might think the dishwasher is flooding. Tap it gently from inside and listen for a click.
- Power surge scrambled the system. Reset the dishwasher by turning off the power at the breaker for one minute, then turning it back on.
🛠️ Quick Recap: What to Try First
- ✅ Cancel the cycle and run the drain again
- ✅ Clean the filter and pump
- ✅ Check the drain hose and air gap
- ✅ Look for error codes like E24 or E25
- ✅ Reset the machine if needed
Still stuck? You might need to replace the drain pump or get help from a technician. But honestly, most draining problems are fixed by cleaning the filter or hose.
🧼 How to Keep It From Happening Again
You’ve dealt with the mess. Now let’s make sure it doesn’t happen again next month. Here’s how to keep your Bosch dishwasher draining smoothly:
- Scrape, don’t rinse. Scrape off food chunks before loading, but don’t fully rinse—Bosch machines use sensors that need a bit of food residue to work right.
- Clean the filter once a week. Seriously. It takes two minutes and prevents 90% of issues.
- Run hot water before you start a cycle. It helps the dishwasher fill with hot water from the beginning.
- Use rinse aid. It doesn’t help draining directly, but it helps drying and stops buildup.
👎 When It’s Time to Throw In the Towel
If your Bosch is 10–15 years old and giving you constant errors—even after cleaning and replacing the pump—it might be time to retire it. Newer models use less energy and water, and they drain faster too.
Also, if you’ve already replaced multiple parts and it still won’t behave, your money might be better spent on a new unit.
Final Thoughts
Having a dishwasher that doesn’t drain is super frustrating—but it doesn’t always mean disaster. In most cases, a bit of gunk, a bent hose, or a clogged filter is all that’s causing the problem.
If you’re comfortable poking around inside and under your sink, you’ll probably fix it yourself. And once it’s draining properly again, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.
Just remember: a clean filter is a happy filter. And happy filters don’t flood your kitchen.