The GradedAppliance Hub

AEG E20 on a dishwasher

Drainage fault — the machine could not pump the water away.

The same code appears on Zanussi and Electrolux machines — they share the same control platform.

Verdict

You can fix this yourself

No special tools or qualifications needed

Urgency
Fix soon

About 1 hr to work through

Typical cost

Free to £150

DIY: Up to £40 in parts

What E20 actually means

The pump ran and the level did not fall in time. On washing machines you are left with a full drum and a locked door; on dishwashers, standing water in the base. Either way it is a blockage far more often than a failure.

Before you start

  • Electrical safety: Unplug the machine before opening the pump filter or reaching into a dishwasher sump.

  • Water: On a washing machine the drum is still full — several litres will come out of the filter housing.

  • Sharp objects: On a dishwasher, check for broken glass in the filter before reaching in.

What causes it, most likely first

  1. Blocked filter

    Most likely

    On a washing machine, the pump filter behind the bottom flap. On a dishwasher, the filter stack in the tub floor. Both clog with debris and grease.

    Pump filter / trap£8–£20 for the partDIY

  2. Kinked or silted drain hose

    Common

    Crushed behind the appliance or narrowed by scum along its length.

  3. Blocked sink trap, standpipe or waste spigot

    Common

    A fat-blocked kitchen waste stops the appliance draining. On a newly installed dishwasher, check the blanking plug was removed from the waste spigot.

  4. Jammed or failed drain pump

    Occasional

    An object stalls the impeller or the motor fails outright.

    Drain pump£15–£40 for the partDIY with care

How to fix it, step by step

  1. Isolate and prepare for water

    Unplug at the wall. Towels down and a shallow tray ready.

    5 minTowels, Shallow tray

  2. Drain down and clean the filter

    On a washing machine, empty the drum via the emergency hose then unscrew and clean the pump filter. On a dishwasher, bail out the sump and lift out the filter stack for a hot soapy scrub.

    20 minTorch, Washing-up brush

  3. Free the pump impeller

    With the filter out, turn the impeller with a finger. It should spin freely — remove anything jamming it.

    10 minGloves

  4. Check the hose and waste connection

    Straighten the drain hose and confirm it runs clear into a bucket. Clean the sink trap. On a new dishwasher, check the spigot blanking plug has been knocked out.

    20 minBucket

  5. Reassemble and run a rinse cycle

    Refit the filter squarely and hand-tight, restore power, and run the shortest rinse programme while watching for leaks.

    10 min

Need an engineer for this E20?

We list 75 dishwasher repair businesses across the UK, 35 of which are AEG-authorised. Diagnostic callouts typically start around £55, and many will put that towards the repair if you go ahead.

Find dishwasher engineers near you

Parts you might need

Typical UK prices for the part alone, before fitting. Worth knowing before you accept a quote — the part is often a small share of what a repair is priced at.

  • Pump filter / trap

    A removable mesh trap in front of the pump that catches coins, hair grips and buttons before they reach the impeller.

    £8–£20

  • Drain pump

    The small electric pump that pushes waste water out of the drum and into your waste pipe at the end of a cycle.

    £15–£40

Worth repairing, or replace it?

At the top of this range the repair costs a significant share of a graded replacement, which typically starts around £190. Worth getting the quote first, then deciding — on a machine under about five years old a repair usually still wins.

Work out if it's worth fixingCompare graded dishwashers

Related problems