Bosch Washer E17 Error: Why No Water Comes In and How to Fix It

E17 stops a Bosch washer before the wash even starts: the drum turns a little, you hear a trickle or nothing at all, and after a few minutes the code appears. It is a water supply code, not a drain code, so leave the pump filter at the bottom alone for now. That one belongs to E18.

The machine measures how long it takes to reach the right water level. When that takes too long, it stops and shows E17; older models show F17 for the same thing. The question is where the water is held up: at the tap, in the hose, at the filter, or inside the machine.

Start With These 30-Second Checks

1. 1Check the tap behind the washer is fully open. It is often left half closed after a move or a plumber's visit.
2. 2Run the cold tap at the kitchen sink. If the whole house has low pressure or no water, the washer is not the problem.
3. 3Look along the inlet hose for kinks, especially where it bends behind the machine after being pushed back.
4. 4In winter, check whether the hose runs along a cold outside wall or through a garage. A frozen hose gives exactly this code.

1. The Tap Is Partly Closed or the Hose Is Kinked

The most common cause by far, and the cheapest.

1. 1Unplug the washer and pull it out only as far as you need to see the tap and hose. It is heavy; slide it straight rather than rocking it.
2. 2Turn the tap fully open. A lever valve is open when the lever points along the pipe.
3. 3Straighten any kinks in the hose and make sure the machine will not pinch it when you push it back.
4. 4Push the washer back with the hose free, plug it in and start a program. If water now rushes in, you are done.

2. The Inlet Filter Is Clogged

A small mesh filter traps grit, rust flakes and limescale at the tap end of the hose. If your hose screws onto the back of the washer, there is a second filter there; if it goes into the machine with no fitting, leave that end alone.

1. 1Turn the tap off. To release the pressure in the hose, start any wash program, let it run for about 40 seconds, then switch the washer off and unplug it.
2. 2Put a towel and a shallow bowl under the tap connection and unscrew the hose from the tap by hand, or with pliers wrapped in a cloth.
3. 3Pull the small mesh filter out of the connection with needle nose pliers, gripping the center rather than the mesh. Rinse it and brush it with an old toothbrush; if the mesh is torn, replace it.
4. 4If your hose screws onto the back of the washer, clean the filter there too. If it goes into the machine with no fitting, leave that end alone.
5. 5Push the filters back in, screw the hose back on firmly by hand, open the tap slowly and check for drips before you plug the washer back in.

3. The Aquastop Has Tripped

Many Bosch washers use an Aquastop hose: the box at the tap end holds a safety valve that shuts the water off for good if the hose itself starts to leak. Once it trips it stays shut, and the machine shows E17.

1. 1Turn the tap off and unplug the washer.
2. 2Look at the small window on the Aquastop box at the tap end. Red means the safety valve has triggered.
3. 3A tripped Aquastop is not reset, the whole hose is replaced. Order the right one for your model; the model number is on the label inside the door.
4. 4Check the connection at the back of the washer. If the hose has a screw fitting there, you can swap it yourself; if it is fixed to the machine, Bosch service or a technician fits the new one.
5. 5With the new hose on, open the tap slowly and check both ends for drips before you plug the washer back in.

4. Low Water Pressure or a Frozen Hose

Bosch washers need a minimum water pressure to fill in time. The manual lists the range for your model.

1. 1Check other taps in the house. Low pressure everywhere is a matter for your water supplier or a plumber, not the washer.
2. 2If only this tap is weak, its valve may be partly blocked with limescale. A plumber can replace it.
3. 3For a frozen hose, turn the tap off and unplug the washer, then let the room warm up. Never use a heat gun or an open flame on the hose.
4. 4Once it has thawed, open the tap slowly and check the hose along its length for splits, then plug the washer back in and run a program.

5. The Inlet Valve Has Failed (When to Call a Pro)

If the tap is open, the pressure is good, the filter is clean, the Aquastop shows no red, and the washer still takes no water, the inlet valve inside the machine or its control may have failed.

1. 1Listen at the back of the machine when a program starts. A click with no water, or no click at all, points to the valve or its wiring.
2. 2Replacing it means taking panels off a mains powered machine, so it belongs to a technician unless you are confident with appliance wiring.
3. 3The valve itself usually costs roughly $30 to $70; with labour, expect somewhere around $150 to $250 in total.
4. 4If the washer is still under warranty, call Bosch service rather than opening it.

How to Clear E17 Once the Water Flows

E17 is not a fault the machine stores. Once water can get in, it clears.

1. 1Switch the washer off, with the program dial on Off or with the On/Off button on models that have one, and wait a few seconds.
2. 2Switch it back on, choose your program again and press Start.
3. 3Listen for the first minute: you should hear water rushing in steadily.
4. 4If E17 returns within minutes, go back to the inlet filter and the Aquastop window before anything else.