Bosch Washing Machine Model Numbers Decoded: E-Nr, FD and What the Letters Mean

A Bosch washing machine model number tells you less than it looks like it should. Bosch does not publish a key to it, and when we compare real codes on Bosch's own product pages, the obvious rules break. WAN is a Serie 4 prefix on every page we checked, yet WGA appears on both a Serie 4 and a Serie 6 machine in the UAE. The digits "28" do not mean 8 kg, because WAN28081GB is a 7 kg machine and WAN28201GB is an 8 kg machine.

This page shows what the codes can tell you, with the evidence from Bosch pages for each point, and what they cannot. It also explains why a UK or Australian code does not describe a UAE machine, and how to photograph the rating plate so a repair starts with the right information. Where we are reading a pattern into the codes and Bosch has not said so, we label it as our reading.

We are an independent Bosch appliance repair company, not the manufacturer. If your machine is still inside Bosch's warranty, contact Bosch first. For the repair guide itself, see our Bosch washing machine repair page.

The short answer

• The number to give a technician is the E-Nr, the full model number printed on the rating plate. Photograph the whole plate.
• The prefix hints at the range, but is not proof. Check the series on a Bosch product page for your exact code.
• The final letters usually mark the market. GB, GC, AU, IN and others appear on codes sold in different countries, and machines with the same series and capacity differ between markets.
• FD is a second number. Bosch's pages do not define it, so we treat it as a lead for identifying the individual machine.

Bosch washing machine model numbers: the parts of a code

A code such as WAN28282GC can be read in four pieces. Bosch has not published this breakdown, so each piece below shows only what the evidence supports.

The prefix

All the verified codes we found begin with W for washing machine. After that, the letters vary with the range and the type of machine. We could confirm the following from Bosch pages:

• WAN is Serie 4: WAN28201GB and WAN28281GB on Bosch UK, WAN28282GC on Bosch UAE, and WAN28201ME on a Bosch Iraq-market page.
• WAT is Serie 6: Bosch UK titles the WAT28371GB "Series 6 washing machine, front loader 9 kg 1400 rpm".
• WGG is Serie 6 on Bosch UK: the WGG244FRGB is titled "Series 6 washing machine, front loader 9 kg 1400 rpm".
• WGA is both. In the UAE, the WGA14400GC is Serie 4 and the WGA244A0GC is Serie 6.
• WGB is Serie 8 on Bosch UAE.
• WIW is a built-in machine. The WIW24561GC is a built-in Serie 6 in the UAE.

The WGA case is the reason not to rely on a prefix. A buyer who read "WGA" as "Serie 4" would be wrong about the machine in the second case, and a seller who says "all WGA are the same" is wrong too. Check the series on the product page for the full code.

The digits

The digits after the prefix are the least decodable part. A pair of Bosch UK pages shows why:

All three are Serie 4, and all begin WAN28. The first has a 7 kg drum and the other two an 8 kg drum. So "28" is not a capacity code. The last digits differ with features: the WAN28281GB page lists energy class C and 52 dB(A) washing, and the WAN28081GB page lists energy class D and 52 dB(A) washing with a 75 dB(A) spin. We cannot give a rule for how those digits map to features, and we do not invent one.

One forum user on Elektroda asked the same question about Bosch codes and got no answer about the digits. That fits what we found: there is no published key, and the safe method is to look up the whole code.

The market letters

The last two letters of a code often identify the country the machine was built to be sold in. On the evidence:

A forum user on Elektroda states that a similar ending, "PL", "indicates only the destination country of the equipment, not the country of production". That is one person's statement and not a Bosch document, but it fits the table.

Our reading: GC is the ending Bosch uses for the machines it sells in the UAE. Every UAE code on Bosch UAE pages and UAE retailer listings that we found ends in GC. We cannot tell you what GC stands for, because Bosch does not say.

The variant after the slash

Bosch UK's product pages show numbers like WAN28201GB/24, WAN28201GB/31 and WAT28371GB/34. The pages we checked do not say what the number after the slash means, and the Bosch UK page for WAN28201GB/24 lists the product number only in a registration link. Our reading: it separates versions of the same model made at different times. That is a guess, and we do not rely on it. When a parts seller asks for the full number, give them everything printed, slash included.

E-Nr and FD: two numbers, two jobs

The rating plate carries more than one number. Two matter for a repair.

The E-Nr is the model number. It is what you see in retailer listings, for example WAN28282GC. A technician uses it to find the parts list and to check which pump, lock, sensor and control module your machine was built with. It is the number to give us when you book.

The FD number is a second identifier. UK repair-advice site White Goods Help says Bosch requires both the "E-nr number and Fd number". None of the Bosch pages we checked define FD. Our reading: because parts sellers ask for both, FD identifies the individual unit, and it is worth photographing with the E-Nr.

Reading the FD as a date

One third-party guide, from washerhouse.com, says the FD is a four-digit code for the decade, year and month of manufacture, with the first digit for the decade, the second for the year in that decade, and the last two for the month. It gives 9809 as September 2018.

We do not repeat a conversion table, for two reasons. The guide is not a Bosch document. And its second example, FD 8412, which it says is December 2009, gives December 2004 when you apply its own rule. A rule that fails on its own example should not decide whether you pay for a repair or a replacement. If the age of a used machine matters to a purchase or a warranty claim, ask Bosch to confirm the date from the numbers on the plate.

Where to find the rating plate

White Goods Help says the full rating plate on a washing machine is usually behind the door, either on the inner cabinet wall near the door seal or on the back of the door. If it is not there, it suggests three other places: behind the pump filter access door at the front base, behind the kick strip at the front base, and on the back of the machine. UK retailer RDO says to open the door and look at the back of the door for the serial number.

For a built-in machine, White Goods Help recommends checking behind the pump filter door first and then behind the kick strip, and pulling the appliance out only as a last resort because it risks damaging the flooring.

Our own advice, from the repairs we see:

1. Open the door fully and look around the opening first. Most plates are here.
2. Use your phone's torch, because plates sit in shadow and the print is small.
3. Photograph the whole plate, not only the number you think matters. A single photo of the full plate carries the E-Nr, the FD and the electrical ratings.
4. Wipe off detergent residue or limescale with a damp cloth if the print is covered. Do not scrape the label.
5. Send two photos: one close enough to read the numbers, and one wider to show where the plate is.
6. Write the number down as well. Characters such as 0 and O, or 1 and I, are easy to misread in a photo.

If the plate is gone or unreadable, tell us the machine's capacity, the spin speed on the front, the colour, the series name if it is printed on the front, and where and when you bought it. We can then narrow the options before the visit.

Prefixes and what they usually mean

This table lists only prefixes we could tie to a real code on a Bosch page.

Prefixes we saw only in searches, and could not tie to a Bosch page: WAW (searchers call it Serie 8), WAE, WAX, WAY and WNA, all with Australian endings. We list them in the table of searched codes below and do not guess what they mean.

One more point from this table. The same series name can sit on machines with different prefixes, and the same prefix can be sold in a different series. The WAJ2846WIN listing calls an Indian machine Serie 6, while the WAT28371GB is a Serie 6 with a different prefix. A prefix is a hint about the platform the machine was built on. It is not a promise about the features.

Market letters in practice: the UK and UAE Serie 4 compared

The clearest evidence that market letters matter is to compare two Serie 4 machines with the same capacity and spin speed.

All three are Serie 4, 8 kg, 1400 rpm. But the UK machine is 40 mm shallower and 1.7 kg lighter than the UAE one, and Bosch's UK and UAE pages show different noise and energy figures. A UK page for the WAN28281GB therefore does not describe a WAN28282GC. If you search for a UK code and read the UK specifications, check them against the page for your own code before relying on a dimension, a noise figure or an energy label.

The motor-name difference between the pages is one we also met on our 8 kg guide. Bosch's pages use both SilentPowerDrive and EcoSilence Drive, and we cannot tell from them whether they are different motors or different names for similar ones.

Codes people search for, explained

These are the codes in the searches this page covers. The right-hand column says how far we could confirm each one. "Confirmed" means a Bosch page for that exact code. "Sibling" means a Bosch page for a nearby code. "Searcher's description" means the search phrase itself describes the machine and we found no Bosch page.

Two things to take from the table. First, most of these codes carry GB, AU or IN endings, so they are machines built for other markets. Second, we do not claim a specification for any code we could not read on a Bosch page. If one of these is your machine, send us the photo of the plate and we confirm what it is.

Codes in this list that are not washing machines

Two of the codes that turn up with these searches are not washing machines. CMG633BS1 belongs to the CMG633 family, which retailers list as a Serie 8 compact oven with a microwave function. Our Serie 8 oven guide covers the Serie 8 compact ovens sold in the UAE. We could not confirm what VBD578FB0 is, so check its own rating plate before assuming it belongs to a washing machine.

The UAE codes side by side

These are the Bosch washing machine codes we have checked on UAE pages for our other guides, grouped by range. Each row comes from Bosch UAE or a UAE retailer listing dated 2 November 2026, and the guide named in the last column has the sources and prices.

Five things are visible across the table, and they are our observations from twelve codes. They are not rules Bosch states.

• The "A" in the sixth place lines up with i-DOS. WGA244A0GC, WGB244A0GC and WGB244AXGC carry an A and are listed with i-DOS. WGB24400GC has none and Bosch UAE lists no dosing. Our Serie 8 guide sets out the evidence for each code, and warns that the match is a prompt to check and not a way to identify a machine.
• "X" before the market letters appears on silver inox models. WGA1440XGC and WGB2440XGC are listed as silver inox. WGB2560XGC and WGB244AXGC also carry an X, but we did not find a finish for them, so the pattern is incomplete.
• A digit change can be a finish change. The WAN28282GC is white and the WAN28283GC is silver inox, and the two are otherwise the same machine on the listings we saw. Do not treat a one-digit difference as a different specification until you have checked.
• The two codes ending 00 with a stated finish are white. WGA14400GC and WGB24400GC are listed as white. We did not find a finish for the others.
• Capacity follows no single rule. The 9 kg codes begin WGA144, WGA244 or WGB244, and the 10 kg codes begin WGB256, so inside the WG platform the middle digits track capacity. The 8 kg WAN28282GC and WIW24561GC follow different patterns. Read the capacity off the listing.

None of this replaces the product page. It shows why two codes that look alike can differ in dosing, finish or capacity, and why we ask for the full number.

Five common misreadings

These mistakes come up when people use a code to decide on a machine or a repair.

1. "28 means 8 kg." It does not. WAN28081GB is 7 kg, and WAN28201GB is 8 kg.
2. "WAN means Serie 4 everywhere, so WGA means the same." WAN is Serie 4 on every page we checked, but WGA is Serie 4 on the WGA14400GC and Serie 6 on the WGA244A0GC.
3. "A UK page describes my UAE machine." The UK WAN28281GB is 550 mm deep and 68.5 kg. The UAE WAN28282GC is 590 mm deep and 70.2 kg.
4. "Codes that differ by one letter are the same machine." Sometimes. The 19-year-old engineer's answer on White Goods Help says machines differing in end letters are almost definitely the same inside. The Elektroda thread found a pair of Bosch codes that differed in weight and water use. Compare the specification sheets.
5. "The FD number gives the age." Only if the decoding rule is right, and the one guide we found has an example that fails its own rule. Treat any age from an FD as unconfirmed.

Buying or checking a machine by its code

The code is the most reliable thing you have when you buy, rent or inherit a machine. These checks use it.

Compare the full code with the seller's listing, letter for letter. A listing that gives only a prefix and a capacity ("Bosch 8 kg front loader") is not enough to compare.

Ask which market the machine was made for. The ending tells you. A GC ending matches the UAE machines we found on Bosch UAE pages and UAE retailer listings. A GB, AU or IN ending means the machine was built for another market. Our 8 kg guide notes that a machine from another market can differ in voltage, plug, water connection, warranty and part codes.

Look the code up on a Bosch site for your country. Bosch country sites have product pages by code, and the addresses of the ones we looked at contain the code. A page for your exact code is the best source for the series, capacity and features. Remember the UK and UAE comparison above: a page from another country may describe a different machine.

Do not assume two codes that look alike are the same machine. One 19-year-old forum answer from a verified engineer says machines that differ only in a letter or two at the end are "almost definitely the same inside". That is one engineer's view of older models. An Elektroda thread found two Bosch codes that differed by one letter before the market letters, WAN2427EPL and WAN2427SPL, and still differed in weight and in water and energy use. Compare the specification sheets.

Check the warranty against the market. Retailers in the UAE gave one-year warranties on the Bosch machines we saw. A machine bought abroad may carry a warranty that applies only in the country of purchase. Read the terms before you buy.

Photograph the plate on a used machine before you pay. A seller can say anything about a machine. The plate tells you what it is.

Replacing a machine in a built-in space

For a built-in machine such as the WIW24561GC, the code decides whether a replacement fits. Measure the opening, and confirm the width, height and depth against the specification for the new code. A free-standing machine in a built-in space is a different installation.

How the code affects a repair

We ask for the E-Nr when you book for three reasons.

It lets us check parts before the visit. Two machines of the same series and capacity can use different pumps, locks and control modules, and the parts list is keyed to the model number. If we know the code, we know whether the part is on the van or has to be ordered.

It makes the quote accurate. The price of a repair depends on the part. A drain pump for one version may cost more or less than the pump for another. The code lets us quote the right part.

It tells us what the machine can and cannot do. If the code shows i-DOS or Home Connect, there are extra parts and settings to check. If it shows neither, we do not look for them. Our Serie 8 guide shows how those features differ between UAE codes.

If the code is wrong or partial, we do not guess. The technician reads the plate on arrival and confirms the part before ordering. That can mean a second visit, which is why a photo before you book saves time.

What a visit costs

The AED 99 inspection includes the visit, the diagnosis and a written quote. If you approve the repair, the AED 99 comes off the repair price. If you decline, it is all you pay. Washing machine repairs typically range from AED 150 to AED 780 excluding 5% VAT, depending on the fault and the part. Our washing machine repair page has the price table by fault, and our Bosch service center page explains the process and the 90-day warranty.

What to tell us when you book

• A photo of the whole rating plate, with the E-Nr and FD visible, and a second photo showing where it is.
• The code as you read it, typed out, including any slash and number.
• Where and when you bought the machine, and whether it came from outside the UAE.
• The symptom, in your own words, and any code on the display.
• What you have already tried. Say if you cleaned the filter or checked the hoses.
• Built-in or freestanding, because a built-in machine takes longer to pull out.
• Access details. Building name, apartment, parking, and any approval your building needs for technicians.