When your Bosch dishwasher is not draining, one of the first things you might check for is a blockage. But, what do you do if it is not blocked?
Well, some people might opt to call in a technician.
But before you decide to also take this route, hold on for a moment – I might have the solution you are looking for.
Read on to find out the secret to fixing your dishwasher and make it wash your dishes flawlessly once again.
Bosch dishwasher not draining but no blockage – what causes it and how you can fix it
Before we proceed, let me mention that this problem is also associated with the following error codes:
- E23
- E25
- E6101
- E6102
In other words, you can follow the steps below to help you clear/reset the above Bosch dishwasher fault codes.
Here is what might be causing your dishwasher problems.
The drain pump cover might be loose or missing
This is the most common cause that I have come across in Bosch dishwashers that are not draining even if there are no clogs.
To know if this is the cause of your dishwasher problems, start by checking if the cover is loose/missing.
To do so, start by taking out the dishwasher’s bottom basket and then remove the filter unit.
Pro tip: If there is residual water inside the pump housing, you can use a sponge (or a wet vacuum) to clean it.
Once you remove the filter, you should now see the drain pump cover… If you see the drain pump, it means that the cover is missing.
Something else: If your cover is shaky/loose, remove and re-insert it while making sure that it engages correctly.
You should hear an audible click to indicate that the cover has engaged properly.
In contrast, if you have misplaced the cover or it’s broken, you can order a replacement cover from Amazon and swap out the faulty one.
Pro tip: As a repair technician, I should mention that wrongly installing the cover might also result in your dishwasher not draining (or the E23/E25 error codes). So, make sure you’re pushing the tab till it clicks – this indicates that you’ve fully inserted the cover into place.
So if after replacing this part, the dishwasher runs for a while and then the code returns and no drainage occurs, it’s likely that the cover has not snapped tightly into place.
Something else: The cover wears out over time and needs to be replaced. That’s’ why it’s advisable to start here.
You might have recently changed the garbage disposer
And in the installation process, you might have forgotten to remove the plug found inside the pipe where the dishwasher’s hose gets connected.
Now, if this plug isn’t removed, it might result in your dishwasher not pumping out the waste water.
So, if you have recently installed the garbage disposer, be sure to confirm that you have removed this plug.
Also, remember to run the garbage disposer to get rid of any food particles that might be clogging it.
The drain pump wire connections might be loose/broken – inspect them
Like other electrical parts of a dishwasher, the drain pump relies on signals from the control board to run.
And, it receives these signals through the wire connectors – that’s why bad wires might result in the pump not running.
Here, the best course of action is to start by checking if the wires connecting the pump to the control board are broken.
Needless to say, if they are broken, replacing them will be your best chance to have the dishwasher draining again.
On the other hand, if the connections look good, disconnect and reconnect them (both at the drain pump and at the control board).
This could be a quick fix if your dishwasher is misbehaving due to the connections having worked themselves loose.
The drain pump might not be getting enough power (Bosch dishwasher not draining no power)
Remember that for the pump to run a drain cycle, it needs to get around 110-120v AC.
Pro tip: Before you perform this test- because that is the best way to check if the issue is power supply-be sure to first inspect the wires as we have talked about above.
Now, to confirm if yours is getting enough voltage, insert the multimeter probes into the wire harness pin holes connecting the pump to the control board.
Next, start your dishwasher and run a drain cycle.
What reading are you getting on your multimeter?
If the reading you’re getting is not within the 110-120v AC range, it means the control board might be bad.
Which brings me to the final part you should inspect – the control board.
The control board might be defective
Consequently, it won’t be sending the right signal to the drain pump.
Oftentimes, you can hard reset your dishwasher to see if this fixes the problem.
You might know that the most effective way to hard reset your Bosch dishwasher is by tripping the circuit breaker and letting the dishwasher sit for at least 5 minutes without power.
Reminder: A good sign of a faulty control board is if the pump is not receiving 110-120v AC.
Unfortunately, if the reset does not work, your remaining workaround is to replace the control board – purchase a replacement board on Amazon.
Bosch dishwasher not draining but no blockage – recap
In this guide, we have seen how you can troubleshoot and fix your dishwasher if it does not drain yet it has no clogs.
That said, let’s recap the parts you ought to check for clogs (it might be possible you had missed one)… Check for clogs/blockages in the following parts:
- The drain filter
- The drain pump
- Drain hose or airgap
- Garbage disposer
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