- Appliances
- Dryers
E03
Bosch E03 on a tumble dryer: condensation drain hose blocked
Risk level
Low
Usually safe to check without specialist tools.
Urgency
Medium
Quick answer
On a Bosch tumble dryer, E03 means the condensation drainage hose is blocked or kinked. Unplug the dryer and check that the hose runs down to the siphon without kinks and is not clogged.
Safety first
Stop and check this first
- Condensed water can run out when you loosen the hose: put a bucket and a cloth in place first and keep the dryer unplugged.
Safe checks you can perform
- Drain hose route
- Hose and siphon spigot cleaning
- Code still showing after the hose check
Leave these tasks to a qualified professional
- Do not attempt this professional task: Internal drain path check
- Do not attempt this professional task: Full cycle test
What a technician must be able to justify
Technician visit
These are the steps they must carry out and show you. Tick them as they work: if steps are skipped, do not accept a part swap.
These are not instructions for opening or handling the equipment yourself. They are the checks that should support a technical conclusion.
Internal drain path check
What they doWith the power off, the technician checks the internal condensate path up to the hose outlet.
They must show youthe point where water was held and the clear outlet after the work.
In writingwhich section was blocked, what was cleaned or replaced and why.
Full cycle test
What they doThe technician runs a programme with a damp load and checks condensate leaves through the hose with no E03.
They must show youwater leaving through the drain during the cycle.
In writingthe programme tested, the result and the date.
Before accepting a part or repair
Nothing has been shown yet. Do not accept a part swap based on the code alone.
Follow these steps
Note: Follow the documented order. An error code identifies the affected system, but it does not prove by itself which part has failed.
Drain hose route
- Who:
- you, no tools, dryer unplugged.
- How:
- carefully pull the dryer out and follow the hose from the back to the siphon.
- Result that matters:
- any kinks, squashed sections or loops that rise and fall.
- If there is a kink:
- straighten it and try again; if E03 clears, that was the cause.
- If the route is fine:
- move on to cleaning the hose and siphon.
- Evidence to keep:
- a photo of the hose as you found it.
Evidence: Dryer Error Code E03 | Bosch
Hose and siphon spigot cleaning
- Who:
- you, with a bucket and a cloth.
- How:
- loosen the hose clip on the siphon, carefully remove the hose and clean the hose and the spigot, as Bosch describes.
- Result that matters:
- water flowing freely through the hose and a clean spigot.
- If dirt came out:
- it confirms a blockage; refit the hose and secure the clip.
- If everything was clean:
- the hose is not the fault; check the installation against the manual.
- Evidence to keep:
- a photo of the dirt removed and of the refitted clip.
Evidence: Dryer Error Code E03 | Bosch
Code still showing after the hose check
- Who:
- a Bosch service technician.
- How:
- with the hose straight and clean, the technician checks the condensate drain path from inside the dryer.
- Result that matters:
- whether water reaches the hose or stays inside.
- If water does not reach the hose:
- the blockage is internal and not something you fix.
- If it reaches and drains well:
- the technician must find out why the control still shows E03.
- Evidence to keep:
- a job sheet with what was found.
Opening a dryer connected to the mains is technician work. You only handle the external hose with the appliance unplugged.
Evidence: Dryer Error Code E03 | Bosch
Still not solved
If the error persists, stop here. See what the technician must do and show you.
Where this code applies
A code is meaningful only inside the right product and version context.
Primary scope
- System
- Appliances
- Brand
- Bosch
- Product type
- Dryers
Known code variants
- Bosch dishwasher E03
- Bosch dryer E03
- Bosch dryer E03 condensation drain hose
- Bosch E03
- Bosch E03 error
- Bosch E03 error tumble dryer
- Bosch E03 secadora
- código E03 lavavajillas Bosch
- E 03
- E03 Bosch dishwasher
- E3
- E:03
- Error 03
- error E03 lavavajillas Bosch
- error E03 secadora Bosch
- lavavajillas Bosch E03
- Philips brew group error
- Philips cafetera E03
- Philips E03
- Philips error 03
- secadora Bosch E03 desagüe condensación
What it means
Bosch defines E03 as the condensation drainage hose blocked or kinked. It applies to dryers that send condensed water to a drain through a hose instead of into the tank. The control detects that water is not leaving that way. The code points at the hose and its siphon connection, but it does not say whether the problem is a kink, dirt inside the hose or a clogged siphon spigot.
Warnings and stop conditions
- Mediumeditorial warning
Condensed water can run out when you loosen the hose: put a bucket and a cloth in place first and keep the dryer unplugged.
Evidence: Dryer Error Code E03 | Bosch
Symptoms and causes
Probable causes · in order
- Hose kinked or squashedCommon
You see it when you pull the dryer out: the hose is folded or pinned against the wall.
Evidence: Dryer Error Code E03 | Bosch
- Hose or siphon spigot cloggedPossible
The hose is straight but, once removed, there is dirt inside it or on the siphon spigot it connects to.
Evidence: Dryer Error Code E03 | Bosch
- Hose not installed correctlyPossible
Bosch says to check the hose installation: if it is not fitted as the manual shows, water does not drain even when clean.
Evidence: Dryer Error Code E03 | Bosch
Virtual technician
Does E03 still appear after these checks?
Answer a few questions to narrow down the likely cause and the safest next action. Guidance only - it never replaces a professional.
Sources and technical references
- 1
BSH Home Appliances / Bosch · official_doc
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