Bosch E18 on a washing machine

What E18 actually means

Your machine tried to pump the water out at the end of the wash, did not see the level drop far enough within its timeout, and stopped with the drum still full. In the overwhelming majority of cases nothing is broken — the drain path is simply blocked. This is the single most common Bosch washing machine fault code, and it is one of the few that most people can clear themselves in twenty minutes with a bowl and a towel.

1. Blocked pump filter

   Most likely

   The filter trap in the bottom-front corner catches coins, hair grips, bra wires and tissue debris. Once it packs solid the pump cannot move enough water and the machine times out. Most households have never cleaned theirs.

   How to check: Open the small hatch at the bottom front of the machine and unscrew the round filter cap. If it comes out matted with debris, that was your fault.

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

2. Kinked, blocked or badly routed drain hose

   Common

   The corrugated hose at the back can be crushed against the wall, kinked behind the machine, or silted up with detergent scum. If the hose end sits too far down the standpipe the machine can also siphon and confuse the level sensor.

   How to check: Pull the machine out and run the hose through your hands looking for kinks. Detach it at the standpipe and check water flows freely through it into a bucket.

3. Blocked sink trap or standpipe

   Common

   If the machine drains into the same trap as a kitchen sink, a fat-blocked trap will back up and stop the machine draining even though the machine itself is spotless.

   How to check: Run the kitchen tap hard. If the sink is slow to clear, clean the trap before touching the machine.

4. Failed or jammed drain pump

   Occasional

   An object past the filter can jam the impeller, or the pump motor can fail outright. A pump that hums but moves no water, or is silent when it should run, has usually gone.

   How to check: With the filter out, reach in and turn the impeller with a finger. It should spin freely with a slight magnetic resistance. Grinding, or no movement at all, points to the pump.

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

5. Blocked pressure switch hose

   Rare

   A thin hose tells the board how much water is in the tub. If it silts up, the board never sees the level fall and reports a drain failure even though the machine has actually emptied.

   Pressure switch / level sensor£12–£32 for the partEngineer

1. 1

   Isolate the machine and get ready for water

   Unplug the machine at the wall. Lay towels along the front and have a shallow baking tray or roasting tin ready — the filter housing holds a surprising amount of water and it will come out fast.

   5 min
2. 2

   Drain the machine down through the emergency hose

   Open the hatch at the bottom front. Most Bosch machines have a short black emergency drain hose tucked beside the filter. Pull it out, hold it low over your tray, remove the bung and let it empty. Re-bung it when the tray fills, empty the tray, repeat until the flow stops.

   10 minShallow tray, Towels
3. 3

   Remove and clean the pump filter

   Unscrew the large round filter cap anticlockwise and pull it out. Clear everything caught in it under a running tap, including the mesh. Then shine a torch into the empty housing and turn the pump impeller with your finger — it should rotate freely. Fish out anything wedged against it.

   10 minTorch
4. 4

   Check the drain hose and the waste connection

   Pull the machine forward. Straighten any kink in the corrugated hose. Disconnect it from the standpipe or sink spigot and check water runs through it freely. While you are back there, make sure the hose end is not pushed more than about 10cm into the standpipe, which can cause siphoning.

   10 min
5. 5

   Refit, restore power and run a rinse and spin

   Screw the filter back in firmly by hand — hand-tight only, and make sure it seats squarely or it will leak. Plug in and run a short rinse-and-spin. Watch the front of the machine for the first minute to be sure the filter is not weeping.

   5 min

Related problems

• Washing machine won't drain the water away
• Washing machine won't spin and the drum is full of water

Other Bosch washing machines codes

• E17The machine did not fill with water within the expected time
• E23Aquastop triggered — water has been detected in the base of the machine
• F16The door is not closed, or the machine cannot confirm that it is
• F21Drum drive fault — the motor is not turning the drum as commanded
• F43The drum did not reach the speed the board asked for