# Dishwasher Will Not Drain: E24, C1, OE and 5C

> What Bosch E24 and E25, GE C1 and C3, LG dishwasher OE and Samsung 5C mean when a dishwasher will not drain, including filters, air gaps and the disposal knockout.

A dishwasher left full of water is a drain code: Bosch E24 or E25, GE C1 or C3, LG OE, or Samsung 5C. The shared checks are a blocked filter or pump cover, a kinked drain hose, and a garbage-disposal knockout that was never removed. Each brand's page adds its own steps. Do not use the washer drain steps on a dishwasher.

## Standing water is a drain code
At the end of a cycle the dishwasher pump sends water out a hose, usually to the sink drain or a garbage disposal, sometimes through an air gap on the counter. If that path is blocked, the tub stays wet and the control shows a drain code. The letters depend on the brand. A washer in the same kitchen can show OE or 5C for its own drain fault. Open the page for the appliance that has water in it.

| Code | What that brand says |
|---|---|
| [Bosch E24](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/bosch/e24/) | Not draining properly. Bosch's meaning on this code is that the drain filter is blocked. |
| [Bosch E25](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/bosch/e25/) | The drain pump is blocked, or the drain pump cover is loose or missing. |
| [Bosch E22](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/bosch/e22/) | Food particles have clogged the filter. |
| [Bosch E23](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/bosch/e23/) | An issue with the drain pump: blocked, clogged, or faulty. |
| [GE C1](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/ge/c1/) | Pump-out during drain has exceeded 2 minutes. |
| [GE C2](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/ge/c2/) | The total pump-out cycle exceeds 7 minutes. GE's only owner step on this row is Press RESET. |
| [GE C3](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/ge/c3/) | The dishwasher will not drain. GE does not list a specific cause. |
| [GE C5](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/ge/c5/) | The pump-out time is too short. |
| [LG OE](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/lg/oe/) | Outlet error: the tub is not fully drained. |
| [Samsung 5C](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/samsung/5c/) | Drain error. Some models show SC, 5E or SE. |
| [Samsung OC](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/samsung/oc/) | Over-level water. Samsung uses the same drain and overflow checks as 5C. Some models show 0C or oE. |

Switch the dishwasher off at the breaker before you remove a filter or a pump cover. The tub and the water are hot right after a cycle. LG says to wait 30 minutes before you handle the filter. Debris in the pump can be sharp. Bosch says so. Samsung says so.

## Bosch E24, E25, E23 and E22
**E22** is the filter by itself. Remove it and wash it under running water with mild soap and a soft brush. Reinstall it the way the owner's manual shows. If E22 returns, Bosch points you to its E22 guide or to Customer Support.

**E24** is "not draining properly," and the steps are wider than the filter:

- Check the inlet hose and make sure it is not kinked or damaged. Bosch includes the inlet hose on the drain page.
- Remove the filter so you can see the pump cover at the bottom, and make sure that cover is not loose. The owner's manual is where Bosch sends you if you cannot find the cover.
- If the drain hose goes to a garbage disposal, make sure the plug has been removed from the disposal's dishwasher connection. A new disposal ships with that plug in place. The dishwasher hose can be clamped on and still go nowhere.

**E25** is the pump itself or the cover. Remove the filter completely. Check that the pump cover is not loose. To clear a blockage, Bosch says to pry the pump cover off with a spoon until it clicks, grip it and pull upward until you feel resistance, then pull forward to remove it. Remove debris and standing water with a sponge. Some debris may be sharp.

**E23** is the drain pump itself: Bosch says it is blocked, clogged, or faulty, and its only step is to contact Bosch Customer Support. Bosch gives E23 no spoon or filter procedure, so do not borrow the E25 steps for it.

If E24 or E25 remains, contact Bosch Customer Support. Do not run the dishwasher to "see if it clears" while the cover is off.

## GE C1, C2, C3 and C5
**C1** means pump-out has exceeded 2 minutes. GE's causes are a blocked air gap, a kinked or misplaced drain hose, and a clogged disposer.

Steps: clean the air gap (the small chrome or plastic fitting on the sink deck, on installs that have one); replace or reposition the drain hose; run the garbage disposer to clean it out. If the problem persists, contact GE service.

**C2** means the total pump-out cycle exceeds 7 minutes. GE does not list a root cause on that row. The only solution GE writes for C2 is to press RESET to stop the beep. Do not apply the C1 air-gap, hose, or disposer steps to C2. If C2 returns after RESET, contact GE service. The same GE page says to schedule a repair with Bodewell when a reset does not clear a code.

**C3** means the dishwasher will not drain, and GE does not list a specific cause. The step GE gives is to disconnect power at the circuit breaker for about 30 seconds, then reset the dishwasher. If it persists, contact GE service. There is no filter procedure on the C3 entry we publish. The air-gap and hose checks live on C1. If your unit shows C3, do the reset GE wrote down, and do not invent the Bosch spoon procedure. C2 is not that 30-second reset either.

**C5** means the pump-out time is too short. GE's steps are to make sure that the water supply is turned on, try the same cycle again, and tap the float cover to un-stick the float. GE describes that cover as the plastic piece like an upside-down cup in the front left corner of the tub floor. C5 is not a long drain. C1 is the pump-out that has already passed 2 minutes, and that is where the air-gap, hose and disposer checks live. C2 is the total pump-out that exceeds 7 minutes, and GE's only owner step there is Press RESET. If the display says C5, do not start with the C1 hose steps. If it says C2, do not start with them either.

[GE C4](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/ge/c4/) is related but it is not a simple "will not drain" code. It means the machine filled twice after a power failure: a stuck or failed float, or a clogged drain or sump. GE's steps are to touch Start and then Cancel/Reset, tap the float cover (the plastic cover like an upside-down cup in the front left of the tub floor), and check the sump at the back bottom of the tub for debris. GE says that sump looks like an upside-down silverware basket.

## LG dishwasher OE
Causes: residue clogging the filter, and a drain hose that is pressed or bent.

Steps LG publishes:

- Clean the filter every one to two weeks. Remove the lower rack, turn the filter handle counter-clockwise and pull up, separate the inner filter and the stainless filter, wash both in running water, reassemble, and turn the handle clockwise until it clicks. Wait 30 minutes after a cycle because the tub is hot.
- Close the shut-off valve first, then straighten any pressed or kinked part of the drain hose.
- Make sure the end of the drain hose at the dishwasher is at least 30 cm (about 12 inches) above the floor. That height is LG's for this dishwasher code. It is not the washer standpipe height from Samsung or Whirlpool.
- If water was left after a power cut, power on and restart the cycle. For a lot of water, force a drain by powering on and long-pressing Start for at least 3 seconds. LG says that drain takes 2 to 3 minutes.

If water keeps pooling above the filter level, LG says to request service.

The washer with the same two letters is [LG washer OE](https://thefaultcode.com/washers/lg/oe/). Its pump-filter and spin-only test do not belong in a dishwasher.

## Samsung 5C and OC
**5C** causes: a blocked sink drain or garbage disposal; a drain hose that is pinched, kinked, or missing an air gap or a high loop; a dirty or incorrectly reassembled drain and filter area; a frozen drain line.

Steps:

- If you use a disposal, clear it of food. If the dishwasher drains straight into the sink drain, look down the drain for a blockage. If either was just installed, remove the disposal cap. Samsung names that cap, as Bosch does.
- Check the hose. Right after installation, Samsung says the most common cause is the dishwasher sitting on its own drain hose and pinching it shut. The hose also needs an air gap or a high loop, meaning part of the hose above its sink connection, and it must not be kinked.
- Run the connected sink for about 30 seconds. If the sink does not drain, call a plumber. The dishwasher cannot drain into a sink that is already stopped.
- Clean the drain and filter area the way your user manual shows, and put it back correctly. Sharp debris is called out.
- A frozen drain line: let the area warm up. Samsung notes that frozen lines are not covered under warranty service.

**OC** is too much water in the tub. Samsung says to use the same drain and overflow checks as 5C, including the frozen-line note on the code page we publish. If the tub still holds too much water, request service.

If 5C remains after the checks, Samsung says to request service through its Support Center.

## Hoses and air gaps
The shop button searches Amazon for a dishwasher drain hose. Replace a hose that is kinked flat or cracked, and route the new one with the high loop or air gap your brand's page requires. A hose that is too long and coiled under the machine is the pinch Samsung describes. The [drain hose](https://thefaultcode.com/parts/dishwasher-drain-hose/) page collects those points.

An air gap is a plumbing fitting, not a dishwasher part. GE's C1 step is to clean it. If you do not have one, you may have a high loop instead. Do not add an air gap by drilling the counter because a code appeared.

Filter cleaning without buying a hose is [Bosch E22](https://thefaultcode.com/dishwashers/bosch/e22/) and the [filter cleaning](https://thefaultcode.com/parts/dishwasher-filter-cleaning/) page. Clean the filter you have before you replace the hose.

## When it is a fill code instead
No water, or not enough water, is a different family: Bosch E16 and E17, GE H2O, LG IE, Samsung 4C and 9E. Those are in the [dishwasher will not fill](https://thefaultcode.com/guides/dishwasher-will-not-fill/) guide. A leak into the base is Bosch E15, LG AE and Samsung LC, in the [leak guide](https://thefaultcode.com/guides/dishwasher-leak-codes/). Standing water you can see in the tub is this page. Water you cannot see, in the base pan, is the leak page, and several of those codes tell you to shut the supply off and call.

> **Safety first:** Breaker off, tub cool, before a filter or a pump cover comes out. Do not reach into the pump with bare fingers. Glass and bones collect there. If the sink itself will not drain, stop and call a plumber.

## FAQ
### What is the garbage disposal knockout?

New disposals have a plug in the dishwasher drain nipple. Bosch E24 and Samsung 5C both say to remove that plug if the dishwasher drains into a disposal. If it is still in place, the dishwasher cannot drain no matter how clean the filter is.

### How is LG dishwasher OE different from LG washer OE?

Both mean the appliance is not draining, and the checks are not the same. The dishwasher steps are a filter you turn counter-clockwise, a drain hose at least 30 cm above the floor, and a long-press of Start to force a drain. The washer steps are a spin-only listen test and the washer's pump filter.

### What if the sink will not drain either?

Samsung says to run water in the connected sink for about 30 seconds. If the sink does not drain, the problem is in the home's plumbing, and Samsung says to call a plumber.

## Sources
- [Bosch dishwasher error codes](https://www.bosch-home.com/us/owner-support/dishwashers/error-codes)
- [GE dishwasher error codes](https://products.geappliances.com/appliance/gea-support-search-content?contentId=16673)
- [LG dishwasher guide to error codes](https://www.lg.com/us/support/help-library/lg-dishwasher-guide-to-error-codes--20154823515108)
- [Samsung dishwasher error codes (TSG10004499)](https://www.samsung.com/us/support/troubleshoot/TSG10004499/)

Canonical page: https://thefaultcode.com/guides/dishwasher-will-not-drain/