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The sheet pan problem
Bakers and anyone who roasts vegetables on Sunday know the squeeze. A half-sheet pan is long, a stockpot is tall, and both want the same bottom rack. If either one sticks out past the basket, it can stop a spray arm in its tracks, and the machine ends up washing the inside of a pan instead of everything else.
Where E26 fits
E26 has no confirmed meaning that holds for all Bertazzoni dishwasher generations, so do not read a specific fault into it. A blocked arm is one ordinary reason a control might report an unexpected water movement, but it is not a promise.
Spin test
Load the machine as you did for the cycle that showed E26, close the door, and open it again. Reach in and turn each spray arm by hand. It should turn a full circle without catching. If one arm scrapes a handle or a pan edge, you have found a likely candidate. An arm that spins freely when the tub is empty but stalls once it is loaded points to the load, while one that feels stiff with nothing in the way is a different report.
How to reload
- Put long pans on the side or back of the lower rack, standing on edge rather than flat.
- Keep pots with deep sides facing downward at an angle.
- Leave the middle of the lower rack free for the arm’s sweep.
- Check that the top-rack arm is clear of tall glasses.
The small items
Spatulas, measuring spoons and lids fall through baskets and drift into the arm’s path. Check the base of the tub after loading, and place small items in a closed basket.
Handwash what does not fit
Some items simply do not suit the machine: oversized griddles, very tall stockpots, wood-handled knives. Washing them by hand removes a common source of both blockage and noise.
If E26 comes back with a tidy load
Run a short cycle with only a few plates and watch it. A clogged removable filter restricts the water the arms receive, and the manual shows how to lift it out and rinse it. If the code returns even with a clear rack and clean filter, the circulation path should be tested by a technician, with the machine opened and running. The visit begins with diagnosis and a written estimate, and no part is replaced without your approval.
Mention what you loaded when the code first showed, because it helps decide whether a blocked arm is still a candidate.
Details worth passing on
Tell the technician which items were on the lower rack when the code appeared, and whether any arm showed scrape marks. Scuffs on plastic arms or a bent rack tine tell a story that no code can, and they take seconds to photograph.
If you have an adjustable upper rack, note its height setting as well.
Frequently asked questions
It can change how water moves and how the control reads it, so it is a sensible first thing to rule out.
Then the load is probably not the cause, and a clean filter and a short test cycle come next.
No, but they need to be loaded so that they do not block the arm.
Model compatibility: Bertazzoni reuses codes across series and model years, so E26 may mean something different on another appliance or generation. Confirm this against your model’s documentation and record your full model number before acting.
