Dishwasher lights flashing? What the machine is trying to tell you

A dishwasher with lights flashing, or a display showing a code, is doing its version of a warning light. It's spotted something it doesn't like and stopped. The pattern is different on every make, so a flashing light that means one thing on your machine means something else entirely on another, but the causes behind them fall into a few groups.

First, find what it's telling you

Look up your model's flashing pattern or code, in the manual or on the maker's site. The code points at what the machine thinks is wrong, which isn't always the same as the part that's failed, but it's the place to start. A Bosch reports faults differently to a Beko or a Hotpoint.

The common groups

Most flashing-light faults land in one of these. A drainage warning, where the machine can't clear its water, and our guide on a dishwasher not draining is the place to start, because a blocked filter sets a lot of these off. A fill warning, where it can't draw water in, covered in our guide on a dishwasher not filling. A heating warning, where the water isn't getting up to temperature. And an anti-flood warning, where the safety device in the base has tripped, sometimes on a genuine small leak.

What to try

Turn it off at the wall for a few minutes and back on, which clears a one-off glitch. Clean the filter and check it drains, since drainage is behind so many of them. If the code comes straight back, it's pointing at a real fault.

What a repair costs

Once it's a genuine fault, dishwasher repairs run £79 to £160 depending on what the code turns out to be, with any parts quoted separately and the price confirmed first.

Book a dishwasher repair

If the lights keep flashing after a reset and a filter clean, book a dishwasher repair or find your local dishwasher engineer.

Frequently asked questions

What do flashing lights on a dishwasher mean?

They're the machine reporting a fault it's found, usually drainage, water fill, heating or an anti-flood trigger. The exact pattern is specific to your make and model.

How do I reset a dishwasher with flashing lights?

Turn it off at the wall for a few minutes and switch it back on. That clears a one-off glitch. If the lights return, there's a real fault behind the code.

Why does my dishwasher keep flashing at the end of the cycle?

An end-of-cycle warning most often means a drainage problem, so it can't clear its water. Clean the filter and check it drains before anything else.

How much does it cost to fix?

Once diagnosed, dishwasher repairs run £79 to £160 depending on the fault, with any parts quoted separately.