Bosch Dryer E:15 Means the Heating Circuit Is Not Working

What E:15 means

A cold, wet load after a full cycle is the classic sign of E:15. The drum turns, the timer finishes, and nothing dries. Bosch ties the code to a damaged heater or heater control, and its remedy is a check of the heating circuit and the bimetal, a thermal safety switch that shuts the heater off when temperatures climb too high. Most machines with this code continue to tumble as normal.

Common causes of E:15

Heating element that has burned out and no longer conducts
Bimetal safety switch that has opened or worn out
Damaged heater driver on the control module

✓ One safe check you can try

1. Run a short cycle and let it go for five minutes. 2. Open the door and feel the drum wall. 3. A warm drum means some heat is being produced. A cold drum that kept turning matches E:15, so stop there and call us. 4. Leave the cabinet closed; hunting for the bimetal yourself is unsafe.

! Why to stop there

Swapping a tripped bimetal without tracing why it tripped puts the same heat back in the same spot, because a blocked vent is a typical trigger.
Heater wiring carries heavy current, and the terminals remain live until the breaker is off.
Element, bimetal and control board all produce the same outward sign, and a new element bought only because the clothes stay cold is often wasted money.
Opening the rear for the heating assembly can affect coverage on a newer dryer, so read your terms first.

Opening a panel yourself does not automatically cancel a manufacturer warranty, but it can cause accidental damage, and some manufacturers set their own service conditions. Check your warranty terms, or ask us, before deciding.

→Same appliance

Other Dryer codes

E:11Bosch Dryer E:11 Is a Quiet Early Warning About Airflow E:17Bosch Dryer E:17 Reports the Exhaust Air Sensor Is Off E:18Bosch Dryer E:18 Flags the Sensor Above the Heater E:03Bosch Dryer E:03 Appears When Laundry Will Not Get Dry Enough E24Bosch Dryer E24 Means the Self-Check Found an Electronics Error E10Bosch Dryer E10 Points to the Control Module or Its Wiring E12Bosch Dryer E12 Means It Overheated From Blocked Airflow E52Bosch Dryer E52 Signals a Problem With the NTC Temperature Sensor

E:15E:15 questions

Does the drum still spin if E:15 is active?

Normally yes, and that is exactly what confuses people. Everything seems to run for the entire cycle, yet the laundry comes out cold and soaked.

If the bimetal tripped, is something else wrong?

Possibly. Its job is to cut the heater during restricted airflow, so a trip is a prompt to inspect the lint path and exhaust duct as well.

Will the heater repair be worth the money?

Often it is, because the element is a single part. We give a written price before starting so you can compare it with a new dryer; our work carries a 30-day workmanship warranty.