Dishwasher FAQs

Many times, a call to our support center can be avoided. If you don’t have your manual handy, no worries. Our customer support team has listed some helpful tips for each appliance below. If you need further support, contact us at 1-800-944-2904.

Helpful Hint: Keep your sales receipt and your model number in an accessible place. An easy way to do this is to write your complete model number and FD number on the owner’s manual and store your receipt with it. If you call Bosch customer support, having this information readily available will help us assist you more quickly and effectively.

Bosch dishwasher opened with a clean set of dishes

1. Why was my dishwasher wet when it first arrived at my home?

You may notice some water droplets inside the dishwasher when it arrives. Every Bosch dishwasher must pass 485 stringent quality checks- including running every single one with water- before leaving our factory. So you can rest assured that your dishwasher will be ready to take on whatever life throws your way.

2. How does condensation drying work?

All Bosch dishwashers use a condensation drying process known as PureDry™, which is the core drying system that delivers simply clean and dry dishes. PureDry™ is an energy efficient, closed drying system that does not pull in outside air or use an exposed heating element. With PureDry™ technology, moisture is gently whisked away from dishes as they cool. And with no exposed heating element, your plastics are safe in the lower rack.

Here's how it works:

An extra hot wash increases the temperature of dishes and items inside the dishwasher.
The stainless steel tub of the dishwasher cools faster than your dishes because stainless steel cools faster than glass and porcelain.
Once the water stops, the coolness of the stainless steel interior pulls hot water particles away from dishes onto the tub walls.
Remaining water droplets are drained away, leaving dry dishes.
With no exposed heating element, plastic utensils and dishes places on the lower rack will not melt.

3. Why should I use a rinse aid?

The use of rinse agents, such as Jet Dry®, aids the condensation drying process by reducing the surface tension of water. This in turn allows the water on your dishware surfaces to run off more freely, so they dry better.

4. Extra Dry & Sanitize options

Select models have an Extra Dry option, which adds extra heat to the final rinse to enhance drying results. The Sanitize option on select models increases the time and temperature of the final rinse to eliminate up to 99.9% of bacteria, and enhances drying results.

5. Filter maintenance

To maintain the perfect results from your Bosch dishwasher, your filter should be cleaned regularly. Click here for step by step directions on how to clean your filter.

6. Learn how to properly refill the rinse aid compartment here.

7. Store detergent in a dry location. You should avoid storing detergent under the sink because of the moisture and humidity that accumulates there which can make detergent ‘stale’ or less effective.

8. What does it mean when I see E24?

The E24 error code could be caused by any of the following:

The drain hose could be blocked
The dishwasher filter may need to be cleaned
Brand new garbage disposal. The installer may have forgotten to remove the “knockout” plug
After fixing the problem, reset the dishwasher according to the owner’s manual

9. To maintain your dishwasher, clean the following:

Spray arms. Click here for directions on how to clean dishwasher spray arms.
Filters. Click here for directions on how to clean your dishwasher filter.
Drain pump. The drain pump is located under the filter system. Refer to the owner’s manual for directions on how to remove the drain pump and any debris caught in it. This should be done if you notice water isn’t draining from the dishwasher.
Clean your dishwasher every 4-6 months to remove residue from its interior. Shop dishwasher cleaner here
If you live in an area with hard water, descale your dishwasher a few times a year to remove hard water deposits and limescale.Shop descaler here