One of the most common problems with dishwashers is dirty, standing water. The water hasn’t drained adequately out of the sink through the drain pump. There are a varied range of factors that allow this to happen. However, plenty of solutions exist to this problem as it is a widespread phenomenon with dishwashers.
The reason why there is standing dirty water has primarily to do with clogs. Often, small food debris can collect over time in various parts of the dishwasher. It could be in the air gap, the drain hose, or even the drain pump or the filter. Other less common yet probable reasons include technical failure, mechanical issues, or lack of maintenance. The only sensible solution is to investigate the insides of the dishwasher and get rid of debris.
How to Drain Standing Water in Bosch Dishwasher?
We ask you to keep reading for a detailed step-by-step solution to your problem.
1. Manually Getting Rid of The Water
Before trying out any solution, you would first want to manually get rid of the built-up dirty water. Before doing so, have some towels around the dishwasher area. Water may leak from the dishwasher so the towels should be there so as to not damage the floor.
The bottom rack of the dishwasher should be disassembled. Remove the excess water off by scooping it up using a cup. Collect all the water in a bucket. When the water has become too shallow to scoop anymore, use a sponge or a cloth to absorb it.
2. The Air Gap
In your Bosch dishwasher, the air gap (aka, an air cap) prevents dirty water from re-entering the dishwasher. That way, it is ensured that only clean water is used while cleaning your utensils.
Sometimes small pieces of food or debris can get stuck between the plastic lid and the built-in tube. That interrupts the hose from properly draining water.
However, not all Bosch dishwasher models have an air gap. If your model is one of those, then the water is directly drained through a hose into a drain pump.
To fix this, open the top lid. There you will find a plastic cap underneath, which needs to be opened by pressing it under the lid and popping it open. If you see any clogs or dirt accumulated, clean it. If there is dirt deep inside the pipe, use a wire hanger to pull them out and clean the pipe.
Rinse your dishwasher to see if that resolves the issue. If not, keep reading.
3. The Drain Hose
The drain hose is a tube that gets rid of dirty water from the dishwasher into the drain pump. Same with the air gap, the drain hose can also become clogged with debris. It is also possible that the hose may have sharp bends which constrict the flow of water. Straighten the hose if that is the case.
To fix the clogging, first, switch off the dishwasher. Unscrew the hose from the air gap using a screwdriver. Use a wire or a hanger to clean out the debris clogged up in the hose. Be sure to not ruin your floor as some water may leak. You may want to keep a bucket near you to collect the excess water off.
Alternatively, you can hold the hose on top of a bucket and turn on rinse mode on the dishwasher. If no water flows into the bucket, this means that clogs have built up in the hose.
4. The Drain Pump and Drain
The drain pump is where the drain hose clears out all the dirty water. The function of this part of the dishwasher is to transfer all the dirty water to the drain or garbage disposal. As with other parts, debris can also get clogged up here as well.
Cleaning out the drain pump is a bit more complicated. First, locate your drain. It will depend on your Bosch dishwasher model where they are. Then, remove the filter. Clean off any visible gunk or dirt using a wire hanger or by your hands, preferably wearing gloves.
Pour a mixture of baking soda and vinegar into the drain, one cup each. Allow the solution to stay there for 15-20 minutes. If you see the water is draining off, add in hot water and then turn on the rinse cycle of the dishwasher. What this does is any accumulated dirt of gunk in the drain is dissolved by the mixture.
Then go for the drain pump. We would recommend you wear gloves while cleaning out the pump as there is a possibility of sharp debris stuck within. Use a sponge if that area is wet before looking out for clogs.
5. Filter
The filter, alongside the drain basket, works to ensure large pieces of food don’t go into the drain. This prevents dirty water from circulating back into the washer while the dishes are being cleaned. The filter can accumulate food scraps and soap lather over time.
The filter is located at the bottom of your dishwasher with the basket. Refer to your Bosch Dishwasher owner’s manual if you are having trouble locating it. Some models even have two separate units of filter and drain basket. To clean this off, follow the manual to know how to remove the filter.
Empty the basket and clean it with a brush and a warm detergent solution. Rinse the basket and filter off to remove the soap solution residue. After cleaning them off, try rinsing the dishwasher to see if it would drain the water properly.
Some models do not contain a removable basket. For those only clean the filter and the area around it. Use a wire hanger to pull off debris from hard-to-reach places.
However, it is perfectly probable that you are having difficulties in doing any of these fixes yourselves. If that is so, have a plumber or anyone else qualified for fixing a dishwasher get the problem fixed.
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FAQs
How Can You Reset a Bosch Dishwasher?
If your model has buttons on the top of the door, open it. Be careful as the cycle is still continuing. Press down the start-reset button for about 5 seconds until the active status turns off. Close the door firmly, and wait for the dishwasher to drain off all the water.
Wait for about 1-2 minutes. You will see the control panel light up after it has finished the cycle by draining off the water. You can then start a new cycle.
How Can You Manually Reset a Dishwasher?
Some models may not have the option to reset it using the control panel. In that case, unplug the machine from the outlet and wait for 2-3 minutes before plugging back in. You can also turn off the circuit breaker if the plug is fixed in one place or hard to reach into.
Here you should wait for 5-10 minutes. After turning it on, the machine is reset and is ready to start a new cycle.
How Can You Fix Bosch Dishwasher Error Code e15?
Error code E15 is caused when the water touches the sensors, or if the water leaks from the machine. Look around for leakages within the machine. If any component seems busted, replace them. However, if you do not find any visible leaks, reset the machine and see if it starts working. If not, call a technician to have a look at the problem.
Conclusion
Standing dirty water at the bottom of the dishwasher tray is one of the most common issues faced by households. But as we have seen, the solution to this is quite non-technical and involves only a bit of clean-up being done.
You should most definitely have a look into your machine if it makes weird noises. And always be sure to conduct proper maintenance of the machine. Hope this article has helped you realize and solve your issue.