What Does The Bosch Dishwasher Red Light On Floor Mean?

Have you ever felt comfortable around red lights? Neither have we. That’s why it’s logical to worry about your dishes when the dishwasher has red lights on. But to do something about it, first, you must know what the bosch dishwasher red light on the floor means.

Bosch dishwasher red light flashing indicates the water is circulating inside the machine. It warns you from opening the door latch. However, when the red light starts blinking, it signals a lack of rinse aid, dishwasher salt, or control panel issues.

This article contains the solutions for each of the issues we mentioned right now. If you are struggling with a dishwasher that doesn’t start and has a red light on, keep reading till the end.

What Does Bosch Dishwasher Red Light On Floor Mean?

Bosch dishwashers are designed to exhibit a red light when a cycle is ongoing. It alerts you to not unlatch the door right now because the circulating water might splash on the floor.

However, it can be bad news when the dishwasher has stopped the cycle mid-way. Imagine the washing has suddenly stopped. But you can still see the red light flashing brightly. That’s when the trouble begins.

bosch dishwasher red light on floor

You can’t start the dishwasher at any cost. This is because it is already stuck in its previous failed cycle. There are various probabilities on why it happens. Take a look.

Faulty Door Latch

The dishwasher sends infrared light beams to check whether the door is closed or not. If the beam can pass through the crack, it means you haven’t closed the door properly.

As a result, the dishwasher refuses to start the cycle as per your command. Even during the washing cycle, if the latch gets opened, you will face the same issue.

Remember that, the machine halts the operation to provide safety to your kitchen floor. It only activates when the door can prevent water & debris from getting out.

Child Lock

Manufacturers recommend you use the “start” button to reset the dishwasher. But, why Are the buttons not working? On top of that, you are noticing a scary red light flashing on the floor. It happens because the “child lock” is active in the control panel.

This is an advanced technology that allows you to protect the dishwasher from your curious toddler. Once you activate it, no matter how many times the child presses a “start” or “stop” button. The machine won’t react at all.

But, that’s good only when there’s a child around. If you have mistakenly activated the lock, it will give you a real headache.

Sudden Power Outage

If the power goes out in the midst of a cycle, it can disrupt the whole function. You will notice that the machine is flashing red light even after the power has come.

If the electricity has gone over 10 minutes, the dishwasher won’t have the memory of its current cycle & instructions anymore. As a result, it can’t finish the remaining cycle without resetting.

Why Won’t Bosch Dishwasher Red Light On Floor Come On?

You have loaded the dishwasher, latched the door & pressed the “start” button. But you are not noticing any red light. As we said earlier, flashing red lights is a sign that the water is circulating inside the machine.

Why Won't Bosch Dishwasher Red Light On Floor Come On

So, it’s feasible to fear the worst when there’s no light. Here are the two reasons behind it.

Not plugged In

The most common reason is that the power cord is not plugged into the main socket correctly. The socket can be “too loose” for the plugs. That might lead to a connection error. As a result, you are unable to operate it by pressing the “start” button.  

Tripped Circuit Breaker

Even if it causes interruption, tripping breakers is a good thing for your devices. It occurs when the circuit’s components detect a sudden rise in energy that exceeds the ideal range for most of your devices. To save your dishwasher, the circuit halts its functions, or as we say it gets tripped.

Run your hand through the circuit’s centerline. If you find a breaker in the middle (instead of being on right or left), it’s the culprit you are looking for.

Here is a warning. Make sure to wear protective gear before touching the circuit. And, never attempt this DIY with wet gloves.

How To Troubleshoot And Fix Faulty Bosch Dishwasher Red Light On Floor?

We have three effective ways to troubleshoot the red light coming from the Bosch dishwasher. Instead of choosing any one of them, try all the techniques one after another. That way you have a higher chance of success.

Lock The Door

If the door unlatches in the middle of washing, it’s a huge problem. Your dishwasher won’t be able to finish any cycle completely.

To remove this disturbance, check the gasket that is attached to the door. It can be rusty or dirty. Use a brush to clean the edges. Also, you can tighten the latch plate for more safety.

Soft Reset

For a soft reset, you have to access the start button. Since the washer is stuck mid-way, some water might splash on you. Open the door slightly to press the “start” button for 3-5 seconds. The light will fade away slowly as the water starts to drain. Now, use the same button to restart another cycle.

Hard Reset

Cut off the power manually. Unplug the cord from the outlet. Leave it like that for 5 to 10 minutes. If that’s not possible, go for the circuit breaker. Flip the breaker to cut off the power supply temporarily.

It might cause an interruption for other electronic devices as well. The hard reset erases all the memory from the dishwasher, and it can easily move on from the unfinished cycle.

What Does A Blinking Red Light Mean On A Bosch Dishwasher?

Now, a blinking red light signals a different scenario. Just know that the red light should be steady and not flicker. Here are some problems that the blinking red lights might mean. Have a look.

What Does A Blinking Red Light Mean On A Bosch Dishwasher

Rinse Aid

The Bosch dishwasher has a reservoir for rinse air just beside the detergent box. When the rinse aid gets lower than the minimum level, the dishwasher can’t fulfill its job perfectly. As a result, it warns you to fill the aid again with a blinking red light.

Rinse aid has a pretty amazing role in the cleaning process. the rinse aid makes sure that the water doesn’t stick to the dishes. Otherwise, the water might leave a mark on the glass plates

Dishwasher Salt

If you have enough rinse aid in the reservoir, check the saltbox. The same issue can occur if dishwasher salt hits the bottom. Salt helps to soften the water spraying on the dishes. As a result, the water can thoroughly clean everything and dissolve the detergents more quickly.

Control Panel

A disturbance in the control panel can lead to other minor issues. One of such issues is the blinking light. For example, you lock the door, but the panel doesn’t recognize the sensors within the latch. As a result, the system keeps warning you to do it again. It can be very frustrating on a busy day.

Also, the keys stop working no matter how much you press them. As we said earlier, the child lock activation can be behind it. So, check for that feature. If not, the control panel has become faulty to a great extent.

The only way out of this situation is a manual reset. We will discuss the procedure shortly down below.

Overheating

The water that circulates inside the machine is normally above room temperature. Of course, lukewarm water is better for cleaning all the dirt and oil on the dish surfaces.

But sometimes an error in the control system can cause the water to be “too hot.” That’s when it poses a threat to the sensitive glass items in your dishwater. To avoid any damage, the machine signals you through blinking red lights.

Here is a reminder. Don’t use your bare hand to check the water temperature. If our doubt is true, you can get severely injured.

How Do You Reset A Dishwasher That Won’t Start With Blinking Red Light?

You don’t have to reset the dishwasher necessarily to stop the blinking red light. We have kept it as a last resort. Before that, let’s try something easier and quicker.

Load The Rinse Aid & Salt

This is the easiest and quickest fix. Once you notice an empty reservoir, go through your supplies and fill it again. Make sure to check whether you are putting supplies in the right box or not.

Deactivate Child Lock

Next, we will fix the child lock issue that causes the “CL” symbol to pop up on the screen. First of all, locate the child lock key on the keypad. Then, press it for 5 seconds before releasing.

You will hear a “beep” signaling that the mission is complete. Now, your control panel should respond to your commands as usual.

Reset The Control Panel

Is deactivating the child lock not working? Then, try to clean up the keypad area thoroughly. Sometimes, small debris gets its way inside the buttons.

Another technique is to unplug the cords for a while (3-5 seconds). Then, put it back inside and check the control panel. You can also try to press & hold the “power” button for a few seconds to reset the control panel.

Older models might require you to press the “cancel” button instead. So, keep that in mind. this also fails to revive the panel, you have to replace it with another set.

You May Also Read: Whirlpool Dishwasher Not Cleaning Dishes: Causes And Solutions

Conclusion

Red lights always represent damage or danger. That’s the same with our home appliances too. Luckily, the red lights coming out of your Bosch dishwasher are easy to fix.  All you have to do is understand the cause.

Once you can identify the culprit, the rest is a piece of cake. We have mentioned several quick DIYs here including the reset manual. But, it’s okay if you fail. You can always go ahead and ask for professional help.

Evans Wade

Evans Wade

Hi, this is Evans Wade, the founder and editorial head of Indoorhelper. I’m a Mechanical Engineer and a businessman. After completing my graduation, I worked for a dishwasher manufacturing company, and later I started my own business. I have created this site Indoorhelper to share my knowledge and experience about dishwashers with people who don’t know it properly.

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