Thermador Dishwasher E9240: Water Will Not Leave the Tub

What E9240 means

For E9240 Thermador gives owners its longest list of things to try, and each one is about letting water out: the filter, the drain pump together with its cover, the hose and the airgap. It is the general drainage message of the four-digit control generation, so many routes lead to it. Many different causes lead to the same number, which is why the list is long.

Usual causes of E9240

A filter caked with food after months without washing
Scraps wedged beneath the drain pump cover
A drain hose bent or kinked behind the cabinet
An airgap fitting choked with grease and coffee grounds

✓ A safe check worth trying

1. Turn the machine off. 2. Remove the filter and scrub it under running water with a soft brush. 3. Lift off the drain pump cover and clean beneath it. 4. Look for a bent drain hose, and clean the airgap if one is installed. 5. Finish with a rinse cycle and see whether the code comes back.

! Why you should stop here

If every step of the drain path is clear and the number reappears on the test rinse, the pump or the board output that drives it is what remains.
Rerouting a hose normally requires moving the dishwasher, which can strain the water connection when done quickly.

Taking off a panel yourself does not by default void a manufacturer warranty, yet it can lead to accidental damage, and some manufacturers attach their own service terms. Read your warranty paperwork, or ask us, before you decide.

→Same appliance

More Dishwasher codes

E9240E9240 questions

I washed the filter and the code returned right away. What did I overlook?

Usually the pump cover beneath it. The filter is merely the first stage, and anything slipping past it settles in the pump well. The appliance stays as safe as we found it.

How frequently should the filter come out?

Monthly works for most households, and sooner if you run it daily, have hard water, or rarely scrape plates. That is the order we follow on every visit.

My sink has nothing like an airgap. Do I skip that step?

Yes. Only some installations have one, usually a small cylinder near the faucet. Without it, the other checks still apply. Nobody needs to guess at this one.