AEG E20 on a washing machine
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.
You can fix this yourself
No special tools or qualifications needed
About 1 hr to work through
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
Blocked filter
Most likelyOn 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 partDIYKinked or silted drain hose
CommonCrushed behind the appliance or narrowed by scum along its length.
Blocked sink trap, standpipe or waste spigot
CommonA fat-blocked kitchen waste stops the appliance draining. On a newly installed dishwasher, check the blanking plug was removed from the waste spigot.
Jammed or failed drain pump
OccasionalAn 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
Isolate and prepare for water
Unplug at the wall. Towels down and a shallow tray ready.
5 minTowels, Shallow trayDrain 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 brushFree the pump impeller
With the filter out, turn the impeller with a finger. It should spin freely — remove anything jamming it.
10 minGlovesCheck 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 minBucketReassemble 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 83 washing machine repair businesses across the UK, 38 of which are AEG-authorised. Diagnostic callouts typically start around £55, and many will put that towards the repair if you go ahead.
- 0115 8719265NottinghamSame day
- 0800 037 4915London
- 07407 734204Bonnybridge
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–£20Drain 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 £200. Worth getting the quote first, then deciding — on a machine under about five years old a repair usually still wins.