Thermador appliance repair

About Thermador appliances

Who makes Thermador. Thermador was founded in 1916 in the United States and has been owned by BSH since 1998; BSH has been wholly owned by Bosch since 2015. Thermador's U.S. headquarters are in Irvine, California. Thermador is credited with the first wall oven and cooktop, the first residential "Pro Range" (1948), the first home warming drawer (1952) and the first self-cleaning oven (1963). In Canada, Thermador sells through thermador.ca, and its Canadian releases come from Mississauga, Ontario.

Thermador and Bosch share BSH engineering, the E-Nr model-number system and the BSH parts catalogue, but Thermador parts are model-specific. A Bosch part that looks the same is not assumed to fit.

Ranges and the Star burner. Thermador's Canadian site describes two pro-style lines. Pro Harmony is built to sit flush at a standard 61 cm (24 in.) cabinet depth. Pro Grand is the larger line, and the Pro Grand Steam adds a steam-and-convection oven. Both use Thermador's patented Star burners, which Thermador says give 56% more coverage with better flame spread. Three features change how we diagnose them:

• ExtraLow. Thermador says ExtraLow controls a very low simmer by cycling the burner on and off, down to about 38°C (100°F). A burner that goes out and relights on its own at ExtraLow is doing what it was designed to do. A burner that clicks without lighting, or will not relight, is a different thing; see our burner clicking guide.
• QuickClean Base. The burners sit on a raised pedestal over a porcelain maintop. Spills that get under a burner cap can still wet the igniter and cause clicking.
• Fast self-clean. Thermador advertises a self-clean cycle of 2 hours including cool-down. A self-clean that stops early, or a door that will not unlock afterwards, is a common call; see oven self-clean problems.

Freedom refrigeration. Thermador's Canadian refrigeration line centres on the Freedom collection: refrigerator columns from 46 to 122 cm (18 to 48 in.), freezer columns, bottom-freezer models from 76 to 122 cm (30 to 48 in.), wine refrigeration, and under-counter drawers, glass-door and combo units. Many are panel-ready. Thermador's 2017 Canadian release described Freedom columns with a ThermaFresh system and a 61 cm (24 in.) wine column with independent temperature zones. Connected models use Home Connect for remote temperature and humidity settings. Columns are sealed systems like any fridge. We diagnose them; refrigerant work is done for us by a certified refrigeration technician.

Dishwashers and cooktops. The same 2017 release introduced the Star-Sapphire dishwasher with a third-rack "Entertainer's Drawer", and the Liberty induction cooktop with 11 oval inductors across three zones for 8 to 28 cm (3 to 11 in.) cookware.

Recalls. On October 19, 2017, the Government of Canada published an expanded recall of BSH dishwashers sold under the Bosch, Thermador, Gaggenau, Kenmore and Jenn-Air brands. The notice says the power cord can overheat, posing a fire hazard. About 106,200 units were affected in Canada, sold from January 2013 to May 2015, including 45,200 from an earlier 2015 recall. Owners were told to stop using the dishwasher and call the recall hotline for a free inspection and repair. Thermador Canada's safety notices page also lists older notices, including an oven self-clean insulation recall (2007, expanded 2010), a ceramic cooktop recall (2007), a range-tipping notice (2008) and a notice on certain 48-inch all-gas Professional ranges (2002). Check your E-Nr against those pages before paying for a repair.

If you smell gas near a Thermador range or cooktop, leave the home and call your gas utility from outside. Our gas smell guide explains what to do next.

Finding your Thermador model and serial number

Thermador identifies each appliance by its model number, the E-Nr, on a rating plate. Thermador's model-number page has a separate view for cooktops, ovens, steam ovens, ventilation, refrigeration, dishwashers, coffee machines, warming drawers, ranges, and microwaves and speed ovens. Each view shows the rating-plate position as a photo rather than in words, so open that page, pick your appliance type, and match the photo. For refrigeration, it shows separate plate positions for column refrigerators, freezer and wine columns, French-door and bottom-mount models, side-by-side models, 76 cm (30 in.) bottom-freezer models and under-counter units, where the plate can be on the drawer front, the left side or the right side.

Once you have the E-Nr, Thermador's parts search lists parts for it, and individual Thermador parts carry an 8-digit part number. Send us a photo of the whole rating plate, not just the E-Nr, because the other codes on the plate can matter for parts. Our model and serial number guide has more help.

General guide to model and serial labels →

Parts and compatibility

Thermador parts are ordered by E-Nr through BSH's parts channel. Many are specific to Thermador even when a Bosch appliance looks similar, especially controls, displays, Star burner parts, steam-oven components, Freedom column controls and panel-ready door hardware. We quote original parts in writing, with the price and expected lead time, before any work starts. Some parts may be stocked in Canada and others may have to ship from further away; we do not promise a date we cannot back.

What makes Thermador service different:

• Panel-ready columns and dishwashers. Custom panels belong to your cabinetry. A gasket, hinge or door-spring repair can mean removing the panel, which we plan for and protect.
• Column pairs. Refrigerator and freezer columns are often installed side by side. Pulling one out is a two-person job and may need trim removed.
• Dual-fuel ranges. The electric oven is our repair; the Star burners, igniters and valves go to the certified gas contractor we work with. The written finding says which side the fault is on.
• Steam ovens. Water, scale and pump faults are part of normal steam-oven life. Follow the descaling steps in your use-and-care manual between visits.

Installed parts and our labour carry our 90-day warranty. If your Thermador is still under Thermador's own warranty, contact Thermador first.