Dishwashers used to be seen as a bit of a luxury, but these days any household with the space can have one of these marvels of the modern age. The problem with having a dishwasher is that you can come very dependent on them, and when they stop working the dirty dishes soon pile up.
We have always bought Bosch because they seem to cost very little and last a long time. I think we pay about £60 for each of the dishwashers we bought. However, we don’t think of these machines as disposable in any way; A lot of the time they stop working they are actually quite easy to fix.
Most Bosch dishwashers have a complex series of error-checking programs that can tell you exactly why your dishes are still covered in remnants of last night’s vittles. If you can figure out which combination of buttons you need to click in what order, then you can get the error codes, your next task is figuring out what the hell they mean.
The Classixx range is somewhat easier to diagnose. thanks mainly to the clearly labelled error lights on the front panel. One error light that has troubled me more than most is the ‘Check Water’ error.
So I’m going to tell you how to fix it. The problem with hiring a repair man to fix a machine that costs so little is that the repair may well be higher than the cost of a new machine. That’s not to say it shouldn’t be fixed though, I think we’re all aware that reuse-recycle is much nicer to the trees and bees than chucking stuff away at the first sign of trouble.
How to fix the Bosch Classixx ‘check water’ error.
If you’ve got this error message there’s a chance your dishwasher has stopped mid-cycle, either through power-cut, the law of random-averages, or because your toddler has figured out how to open the door. These Classixx don’t like it up ’em, by which I mean they don’t like being stopped in the flow of their important work. As long as there actually is water going to your dishwasher then you might yourself scratching your noggin as you stare agape at the ‘Check Water’ error light, as fears of actually having to wield a washing up brush enter the darker parts of your psyche. Do not fear, here’s how to fix this error message:
Step-by-step guide:
- Switch your dishwasher off at the wall, leave it for the length of time it takes you to say ‘rum baba makes me wish doughnuts were sold in kebab shops’.
- Explain to whoever happens to be present why you just mentioned ‘rum baba’.
- Pull the dishwasher out of its little ‘ole
- Gently (and carefully if full!) tilt the wisher about 45-degree angle (sideways), first left, then right.
- Clear up the water that spills out.
- Put the dishwasher back
- Switch the device back on at the wall and wash your dishes!
- Buy me a pint; I’ve just saved you a wodge of cash.
Update – September 2019
This post is now five years old and is still visited many thousands of times a year. The advice hasn’t changed in all that time, and I still get a lot of messages from Bosch Classixx dishwasher owners thanking me for helping them fix this check water error. I’m guessing eventually the number of Bosch Classixx dishwashers still being used will decline, but in the meantime, I’m still really happy that this troubleshooting blog post is still helping so many people. I’m also still really happy that a few people (roughly 1 in 5,000) are so pleased they buy me a pint 🙂
Update – January 2021
Well, this post continues to be very popular and was viewed 8,424 times in 2020! The only change I’ve made to this page is to add a Bitcoin donations section. I REALLY appreciate the few people who are kind enough to click the link for ‘buy me a pint‘.
Update – February 2023
We’re still here and this page is still being read thousands of times a year! They really made these dishwashers to last, didn’t they?
Last Updated on February 21, 2023
Thank you If I ever see you, I'll buy you that pint. I'd checked the outlet, and the supply before googling to your blog, which did indeed save me time and money!
Excellent! That's great news.
Just realised 'buy me a pint' was a link. Enjoy!
Well thank you very much 🙂
Brilliant thanks✅
brilliant
Thanks, pint of Stella?
Well thank you very much!
Thanks so much for this, it worked perfectly. Such an easy solution too.
Thank you that worked fine you are a gent!
Hi, this fix works great so thank you. But it keeps happening, is there something else wrong do you think?
Cheers.
Hmm, I wish I knew!
Hi, this fix works great so thank you. But it keeps happening, is there something else wrong do you think?
Cheers.
Thanks. Worked a treat, I owe you a pint. 👍🏼
Thank you for the advice, guess we owe you a pint. Tilting worked first time.
hahaha so simple. just worked for me, and was worth a pint, enjoy
Thanks once again. I have used your post instructions successfully before (and bought you a pint) and have just needed to search them up again. Machine is purring away and you well deserve the pint!
You are a genius!! 🙂 thank you
Worked for me. Thanks. Just bought you a pint.
Thank you very much Alun, I really appreciate it!
Worked a treat but found that I had to unplug the dishwasher before I could pull it all the way out. This meant pulling out the washing machine to reach the wall socket. 'Tisn't easy. 'Tisn't.
Many thanks. Bought you a pint. Adnams Broadside is a goodun! 🙂
It's never easy is it :). I'm glad you got it sorted. Broadside for the win!
Worked a treat on our 8 year old machine, thank you so much, we also discovered that the kitchen fitters seem to have built the units around the dishwasher and we can't access anything other than the plug, so it saved us a lot of hassle, thanks again and enjoy your pint.
Thanks I owe you a pint
Advice still works. Just saved me a lot of hassle. Enjoy the well earned pint!
Cheers Andrew, saved me a right headache! Enjoy your pint!
Thank you for the blog, I am happy to be 1 in 5000 to buy you a drink, but I doubt that 3,50 will still stretch to a pint. If you do manage to find a pub that is open, pleae enjoy.
Peter
Cheers Peter, here's to you!
I'll buy you a pint if you can recommend a dishwasher for a low pressure area, please!!! Trying to get advice is like searching for hens' teeth. My friend has the Bosch Classixx in a low pressure area and has never had any trouble. Someone else said new machines these days come with a built-in pump???
Mate, I've bought you a pint. After lockdown 2 you'll be able to redeem it I'm sure. Tipping the bloody thing worked a treat. After taking it to bits and cleaning the Matrix etc,etc. It just needed a tip out.
Thank you. This saved me £300 on a new machine.
Enjoy your pint.
Glad to have able to have helped, thank you for the pint!
Thanks so much. Thought you were bonkers but it worked and have bought you a pint! 😁
Cheers mate, worked a treat and I bought you a pint.
My brand new dishwasher has check water light .checked everything ? Help please
My brand new dish washer has check water light on .tried everything ..help please ?
My brand new dishwasher says check water..checked everything ..
Hi
I’ve tried your method but it didn’t work 🙁
Any other suggestions?
Sadly not, I'm a bit of a one-trick pony where Dishwashers are concerned.
I tried your fix but it didn’t work 🙁
Any other suggestions?
I tried your fix but it didn’t work 🙁
Any other suggestions?
I don't have a Classix, but another Bosch model, but can confirm this advice works just as well on that. Have just tried & failed to use your link to get you a couple of pints, but will try again – very grateful!
Oh, that's good to know! Cheers Kevin!
Hi Andy,
took your advice with my dead Bosch classixx dishwasher and it did the trick. hope you enjoy the pint, Kind regards, Mike
Thanks Andrew. Worked a dream! I had already tried cleaning the filter and was about to start taking it apart… Gladly bought you a pint too – happy new year!
PS. The redirect page after paypal prints out error codes so you might want to look at that…
Oh, thanks for the tip. That link so SO old, I'll try and figure out what's going on.
Just sent you £4.30. Please don’t become an alkie.
Thank you David, I’ll do me best!
Hi, hoping you can help me,
Got the check water light on this morning, had done what you suggested and also cleaned out the pipes. I have water going in and coming out.have done the reset button but I’m still getting the light on. Do I need to get a new washer?.
Many thanks
Sorry I don’t have the answer, but I have approved your comment so hopefully someone else will read this page and have the answer for you.