Electrolux Dishwasher i40 — What It Means & How to Fix It
Also shown as E40 on some models.
i40 is Electrolux telling you food soils have built up in the sump — the company's fix is to clean the glass trap and filter and rerun the unit.
What this code means
i40 is Electrolux's clogged-filter-or-sump code: food soils have accumulated in the sump under the filters. The official US guide says it plainly — occur when food soils build up in the sump, clean out the glass trap and filter, and re-run the unit. In practice this is a maintenance nudge more often than a breakdown.
On the i-code display family (lowercase i plus digits), i40 is the filter/sump readout; some documentation pairs it with E40. If the same machine shows a persistent i40 on a spotless trap, tests point at the sump sensor area rather than the trap.
Most likely causes
| Cause | How likely | DIY-fixable? |
|---|---|---|
| Food soil accumulating in the glass trap and filter | Very common | Yes — wash it |
| Build-up in the sump around the chopper area | Common | Yes — wipe it out |
| Grease or foam film on the sump surfaces | Occasional | Yes — clean it |
| Underlying obstruction in the sump the cleaning won't shift | Less common | No — technician job |
What you can try yourself
- Remove the bottom rack and lift out the filter and glass trap from the tub floor.
- Rinse both thoroughly under running water and clear any debris from the opening beneath with a flashlight.
- Wipe out the exposed sump area, then rerun the unit as Electrolux's guide directs.
- Run a rinse-only or short cycle and confirm i40 doesn't return.
When to call a technician
- i40 comes back right away on a spotless trap — a sensor or sump-level issue is at play.
- i40 keeps appearing together with i20, a sign the same debris is choking the plumbing.
- You find a foreign object jammed in the sump you can't free — pull what's reachable and get help if it's stuck.
Typical professional repair cost: $0 if you clean it yourself; a service visit to clear a stubborn sump typically runs $100–$200.
Frequently asked questions
Is i40 a serious fault?
Almost never on its own — it's Electrolux's way of saying the filter area is carrying too much food soil. A thorough trap and sump cleaning resolves most cases with no parts and no service call.
How often should I clean the trap to avoid i40?
The trap and glass trap see the most soil on daily-use machines, so rinsing them whenever they look full — and especially after heavy loads — keeps i40 from appearing in the first place.
What if it still shows i40 after a deep clean?
A stubborn i40 on a clean trap points past the filter to the sump area itself — a sensor reading or an obstruction only a technician can reach. That's when a service visit earns its keep.
Sources checked
Error meanings can vary by model. This guide was checked against the documentation above; use the manual for the model number on your own appliance when it differs.
Related Electrolux codes
- Electrolux Dishwasher i20 The tub kept water when the cycle expected it empty — Electrolux's official checklist starts with the trap and filters, then the drain hose, its height off the floor, and the disposal connection.
- Electrolux Dishwasher PF PF is simply the machine telling you it lost power — a blip, an outage, or a tripped breaker. Electrolux's own guide says press START/CANCEL to clear it, and it's ready to go again.
- Electrolux Washer E11 E11 appears when the wash phase tries to fill but can't reach the right water level in time — water is arriving, just too slowly, or not at all.
- Electrolux Washer E13 E13 is the washer's leak alarm — it senses water where it shouldn't be, usually in or under the tub area, and stops the cycle to protect the electronics.
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