Blomberg E17 washing machine: what it means & what to check

What E17 actually means

The machine has found too much foam in the drum and paused to deal with it — it's a warning about detergent, not a breakdown.

Blomberg machines watch for excessive foam during the wash. If foam is detected five or more times in a cycle, E17 is shown. The machine will usually run extra rinses to clear the suds, so the programme takes longer, and foam may appear at the detergent drawer or door seal.

What E17 looks like on a Blomberg washing machine

Most people find this page having searched for what the machine is doing rather than the code itself. On a Blomberg washing machine, E17 usually shows up as one or more of these:

Machine door won't open
Door won't lock or click shut
Door lock light flashing
Door stuck shut with the load inside
Won't start even with the door closed
Not filling with water
No water going in
Takes for ever to fill

Recognise any of those? That is this fault, and the rest of this page explains what causes it and what you can check yourself.

What usually causes it

Too much detergent for the load size or water hardness
Hand-wash or non-automatic detergent used in the machine
A very small load with a normal dose of detergent
Detergent that foams heavily, or doubling up with extra liquid and capsules
Residue build-up in the drawer from previous overdosing

What you can safely check yourself

Work through these in order. Anything beyond this — panels off, testing parts, anything to do with the wiring — is an engineer's job, and not one to attempt with the machine plugged in.

Let the machine finish — it will often rinse the foam away on its own
Run a rinse-and-spin cycle with no detergent to clear the suds
Next wash, cut the detergent to the dose on the pack for your water hardness and load size
Check you're using detergent made for automatic washing machines
Rinse out the detergent drawer under the tap and refit it
Turn the machine off at the socket for a minute and restart if the code stays on with the door shut

Which Blomberg models show E17

E17 means the same thing on all 9 of these models. If yours is not listed, the explanation above still applies — the code is set by the control board, not the model number.

7100541100 · 7153341200 · 7166382200 · 7170881500 · 7171884000 · 7173581400 · 7174182800 · 7174184000 · 7178381300

Common questions about Blomberg E17

What does E17 mean on a Blomberg washing machine?

The machine has found too much foam in the drum and paused to deal with it — it's a warning about detergent, not a breakdown. Blomberg machines watch for excessive foam during the wash. If foam is detected five or more times in a cycle, E17 is shown. The machine will usually run extra rinses to clear the suds, so the programme takes longer, and foam may appear at the detergent drawer or door seal.

Can I fix Blomberg E17 myself?

There are 6 checks you can safely do yourself first.

Let the machine finish — it will often rinse the foam away on its own.
Run a rinse-and-spin cycle with no detergent to clear the suds.
Next wash, cut the detergent to the dose on the pack for your water hardness and load size.
Check you're using detergent made for automatic washing machines.
Rinse out the detergent drawer under the tap and refit it.
Turn the machine off at the socket for a minute and restart if the code stays on with the door shut.

This often clears with those checks, and rarely needs an engineer.

How much does it cost to repair Blomberg E17?

£66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.

Tried the checks and it's still showing E17?

This often clears with the checks above, and rarely needs an engineer. Then it wants someone who can open it up.

What it costs, before you call: the price is the same whatever the fault turns out to be — £66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.

Our own engineers, not a call centre. We cover Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire — most washing machine faults are seen same day or next day.

Call 0115 648 0929 Book online — postcode and number is all we need

Outside our area? The explanation above still stands — take it to a local engineer and tell them the code. Knowing it saves them time and you money.

Other Blomberg washing machine codes

All Blomberg fault codes and repairs →

What this looks like when it happens

Repairs we cover near you

Written by the engineers at ASAP Repairs, 0115 648 0929. We repair these machines for a living in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.

Blomberg E17 error — washing machine