E22Bosch · Dishwasher · Dishwasher

Bosch Dishwasher error code E22

Filter blocked, water not circulating

Book a technician

Also written as E-22

Quick answer

On Bosch Dishwasher (2000s onward), E22 is a fault. It means filter blocked, water not circulating. A first thing to check: Fine filter packed with food, glass, and detergent residue.

Applies to: Bosch Dishwasher; Bosch dishwasher codes · Dishwasher · 2000s onward
Type of code: Fault; Urgency: Book a technician
First safe check: Switch the machine off, pull out the bottom rack, and remove the fine filter from the floor of the tub.

Checked 2026-09-26

What E22 means on this model

The filter in the floor of the tub is packed enough that the control can no longer see the water moving. Bosch treats this as a serviceable fault rather than a nuisance because the same restriction quietly starves the pump and the spray arms over time.

Symptoms you will notice

Code appears at the start of a cycle
Dishes come out with grit or a film on them
Water sits in the bottom of the tub after the cycle
Machine stops and drains rather than continuing

Common causes

The code tells you what the control detected, not which part failed. These are the causes we see most often, roughly in order of likelihood:

Fine filter packed with food, glass, and detergent residue
Filter not seated correctly after cleaning, so the housing never seals
Sump collecting debris below the filter
Hard water and detergent film coating the filter mesh

What you can safely check

These are homeowner-level checks. None of them need you to open a live electrical compartment or work on gas.

Switch the machine off, pull out the bottom rack, and remove the fine filter from the floor of the tub.
Run it under the tap and work the debris out with a soft brush.
Check the filter seat for grit and confirm the filter clicks home level.
Check the sump area around the filter for glass and stems.

Do not do these

×Do not run a cycle with the filter out. A missing filter lets debris into the pump and spray arm, which is a much more expensive repair.
×Do not use a knife or a screwdriver to prise grit out of the mesh, which tears the fine screen.

When to call a technician

Worth scheduling, and worth your own checks first

You can usually keep living with this for a short while, but it will not fix itself. Do the safe checks below first, because a tripped switch or a blocked airflow is a five-minute fix that would otherwise cost you a service call.

If the appliance has stopped mid-cycle, is making a noise you have not heard before, or smells burnt, stop reading here and call. Those are symptoms of something the fault code does not describe well enough.

Cleaning the filter is one of the highest value ten-minute jobs on any dishwasher, and entirely a homeowner task.

What it costs to fix

Parts

Filter under $20. Pump $60 to $160 if debris reached it.

Labor

Fifteen minutes to clean. Two hours if the pump has to be opened.

DIY or technician