What to check yourself
Step 1. Run a descaler through an empty hot cycle
Use a proper appliance descaler or dishwasher cleaner, not a kitchen limescale spray, and run the hottest programme with the machine empty. In hard water areas this needs repeating every few months, and doing it on schedule means this code never appears again.
Step 2. Fill the softener salt if your machine has a reservoir
Many Bosch dishwashers have a built-in water softener with a salt compartment in the tub floor. Running it empty in a hard water area guarantees scale. Use dishwasher salt specifically: table salt and softener salt pellets both damage the unit.
Step 3. Set the softener to match your water
The softener has a hardness setting, and it is often left on the factory default rather than set to the local supply. Your water company publishes the hardness figure for your area, and the manual explains how to enter it. This is the step that stops scale coming back.
Step 4. Use rinse aid
Not directly a scale fix, but it stops mineral deposits drying onto the tub and the heating surfaces between cycles.
What a technician will look at
Described so you know what you are paying for, not as steps to repeat.
Descale or replace the heat pump
If a household descale does not clear it, the deposit is heavy enough to need the pump removed and treated or replaced.
When to call a technician
If the code persists after two descaling cycles, or if the machine has also stopped heating properly, which suggests the scale has already affected the element.
What the repair costs
| Repair | Part only | Fitted by a technician |
|---|---|---|
| Descaler and dishwasher salt | - | $10 to $30 |
| Professional descale | - | $75 to $150 |
| Heat pump replacement if scale has killed it | - | $200 to $450 |
A new machine of the same class runs $500 to $1,500. Once a quote passes about a third of that on an older appliance, the repair stops making sense.
Codes people confuse this with
Questions people ask
- Can I use vinegar instead of a descaler?
- It is popular advice and we would avoid it. Vinegar at dishwasher temperatures is hard on rubber seals and the door gasket over time, and it is weaker against heavy scale than a product made for the job. A bottle of descaler costs a few dollars.
- How often should I descale?
- Every three to six months in hard water, once or twice a year in soft. If you are seeing white film on glasses, you are overdue regardless of the calendar.
Which machines this applies to
Applies to
Bosch dishwashers with an integrated heat pump. Machines with newer electronics show E2060 for the same fault.
Last checked
2026-08-04