Fix dishwasher that won't drain - brittag/maintenance GitHub Wiki
| Aspect | Info |
|---|---|
| Context | Residence |
| Date started | 2024-09 |
| Date finished | 2024-09 |
| Status | Complete |
| Summary of outcome | Success |
Bosch SilencePlus 44dBA dishwasher purchased in 2020.
The dishwasher wasn't draining. It displayed an E24 error code, which means a drainage problem.
Based on guidance from the manual: removed the filter and drain pump cover, cleaned the filter, checked the drain pump (including impeller) for debris, and reinstalled the filter and drain pump cover. The error code didn't go away.
Checked the visible segments of drain hose under the sink, but they didn't seem to have any blockages.
Checked the dishwasher air gap using the following steps (no tools needed):
- Take off the decorative opaque plastic cap
- Take apart the inner cap
- Found several bits blocking the top of the air gap tube, mostly lemon seeds. Unlike most food components, seeds resist dissolving in water!
- Fish out the bits with a toothpick or similar
- Put the air gap back together
- Try running the dishwasher again
Diagram of air gap, which explains why this blockage prevented the dishwasher from draining:
This worked.
If you juice lemons and want to put the lemon juicer into the dishwasher, scrape off the seeds first. Also avoid putting other small seeds into the dishwasher, like sunflower seeds and pine nuts, because they can get stuck in the drain pump impeller.