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Troubleshooting Guide
Washer Leaking Water?
8 Common Causes and Where to Look
You find a puddle beside the washer or a damp floor under it after a load. Where the water shows up, and when in the cycle, tells you most of what you need to know.
Quick answer: A washer leaking water is most often pushing out suds from too much or non-HE detergent, leaking past a dirty or torn door seal on a front-loader, or dripping from a loose fill hose at the back. Close the water valves, dry the floor, and run an empty rinse and spin to see where water appears. If it drips from under the center of the washer, call a technician.
Washer still leaking? A technician can often come the same day in Chino and nearby cities. $75 diagnostic, applied to the repair.
Below are the eight leak sources we find most often in Chino and nearby cities, in the order to check them, what you can fix yourself, and when to book washer repair in Chino.
The eight causes
- Too much detergent, or detergent that isn't HE
- Dirty, torn or blocked door seal
- Loose fittings or worn fill hoses
- Drain hose or standpipe overflowing
- Pump filter cap or drain pump
- Overfilling, or an inlet valve that won't close
- Washer not level, or walking during the spin
- Worn tub seal, bearing or cracked tub
1. Too much detergent, or detergent that isn't HE
Suds are the most common reason a washer leaks without anything being broken. Extra detergent, or regular detergent in a high-efficiency washer, makes more foam than the tub can hold, and the foam carries water out past the door seal, through the dispenser drawer or out of a vent. Whirlpool adds that thickened no-splash chlorine bleach can over-suds too.
Signs it's too many suds:
- Foam in the drum or the dispenser drawer at the end of the wash
- The water shows up during the wash or rinse, not only the drain
- Regular detergent, liquid added on top of a pod, or a cap filled to the top
Can you fix it yourself? Yes, and it's the first thing to try.
- Run rinse and spin cycles with no detergent until no foam appears.
- Switch to HE detergent and stay at or below the MAX line in the drawer.
- Pull out and rinse the dispenser drawer so built-up detergent can't overflow it.
2. Dirty, torn or blocked door seal Front-load
On a front-load washer, the rubber door boot (gasket) seals the door against the tub, and it only works when nothing lies across it. Samsung's leak guide (opens in a new tab) points out that even one hair or a loose thread on the seal can let water out. A boot torn by a zipper or an underwire, or one that has slipped off its clamp, leaks on every load.
A few drops when you open the door after the cycle are normal. Water coming out while the door is closed is a leak.
Signs it's the door seal:
- Water at the front of the washer, under the door
- Drips running down the front panel during the wash
- Hair, lint or black residue in the folds, or a visible split
Can you fix it yourself? Partly.
- Pull back the folds of the seal and remove hair, lint and anything caught inside.
- Wipe the seal and the edge of the door glass with a mild cleaner or diluted bleach, never straight bleach.
- Check all the way around the seal, including the bottom folds, for splits or holes.
Replacing a torn boot means removing its clamps and usually the front panel, which is a job for a technician.
3. Loose fittings or worn fill hoses Back
A washer's two fill hoses run from the hot and cold valves on the wall to the back of the machine, and each end has a rubber washer inside the fitting. A fitting that has worked loose, or a rubber washer that has flattened or cracked, drips whenever the valves are open, whether the washer is running or not. The hoses age too: GE recommends replacing fill hoses every five years (opens in a new tab).
Signs it's a fill hose:
- Water behind the washer or running down the wall
- A damp floor even when the washer hasn't run
- Drips at the wall valves or where the hoses meet the washer
Can you fix it yourself? Yes.
- Turn off both water valves and unplug the washer.
- Tighten each fitting by hand, then snug it gently with pliers. If it still drips, replace the rubber washer inside it.
- Replace any hose that bulges, has cracks or is more than five years old.
4. Drain hose or standpipe overflowing Back
The drain hose carries water from the washer's pump to a standpipe or a laundry sink. A hose that has slipped out, cracked or isn't clipped in place sprays during the drain, and a standpipe that is partly clogged can't keep up with the pump and overflows behind the washer, which looks exactly like a washer leak. Whirlpool says a drain should carry away at least 17 gallons of water a minute, and Samsung recommends inserting the hose 6 to 8 inches into the standpipe without sealing the opening.
If the house drain is also backing up into the washer, see washer not draining.
Signs it's the drain hose or standpipe:
- Water appears only during the drain or the spin
- Water spills out of the top of the standpipe or runs down the wall behind it
- A nearby sink or floor drain gurgles or backs up
Can you fix it yourself? Often. Reseat the hose and clip it so it can't pop out, and replace it if it's cracked. A standpipe that overflows needs its line cleared, and that's a plumber's job if a basic drain auger doesn't fix it.
5. Pump filter cap or drain pump Underneath
On most front-load washers, the pump filter sits behind a small panel at the bottom front. If its cap went back in crooked after a cleaning, or its seal is worn, water seeps out under the front of the washer. The drain pump itself can crack or leak at its seal or hose connections on any washer, and a coin or underwire that reaches the pump can damage it.
Signs it's the pump area:
- Water under the front of the washer, near the filter panel
- The leak started right after the pump filter was cleaned
- Drips during the drain, with a puddle that grows during the spin
Can you fix it yourself? Sometimes. Unplug the washer, let any hot water cool and set a shallow pan and towels under the panel. Then unscrew the cap, check its seal and thread it back in straight, without over-tightening. A leak from the pump body or its hoses needs a technician.
6. Overfilling, or an inlet valve that won't close
The water inlet valve on the back of a washer opens to fill and should close tight when the control says stop. Grit inside the valve or a cracked valve body can let water trickle in with the washer off, and a failed water level switch can let a top-loader overfill until water spills over the tub. Adding clothes after the tub has filled can do the same: Whirlpool advises adding no more than one or two small items to a wash already running at its highest water level.
The same valve causes slow fills and one-temperature fills, covered in washer not filling with water.
Signs it's the inlet valve or overfilling:
- Water in the drum after the washer has been off for hours
- The water level is much higher than usual, or water spills over the tub
- A drip from the valve itself at the back, while the hose fittings are dry
Can you fix it yourself? Partly. Closing both supply valves when you're not doing laundry stops a slow trickle right away. Replacing the inlet valve or the water level switch means opening the cabinet, so it's a job for a technician.
7. Washer not level, or walking during the spin
A washer that rocks or walks during the spin can slosh water out of a top-loader, strain the door seal on a front-loader and pull the hoses tight until a fitting works loose. Check it with a level on top, front to back and side to side, adjust the feet until all four sit firmly on the floor, then tighten their lock nuts. If the washer moves or bangs on every spin, see washer shaking violently.
Signs it's the leveling:
- The washer has moved from its spot, or the hoses are stretched tight
- Water appears after a hard spin, not during the fill
- The cabinet rocks when you press on a top corner
Can you fix it yourself? Yes. Leveling the washer and tightening the lock nuts on its feet takes a level, a wrench and a few minutes.
8. Worn tub seal, bearing or cracked tub Underneath
The least common and most serious washer leak comes from inside the cabinet: the seal around the drum shaft wears, water gets past it into the tub bearing, and the leak shows up under the middle of the washer during the wash. A cracked outer tub leaks the same way. Once water reaches the bearing, the spin usually starts to rumble or roar, and the noise grows louder over time.
Signs it's the tub seal or the tub:
- A puddle under the center of the washer, not the front or back
- Rust-colored streaks or residue under the drum
- A roaring or grinding noise during the spin
Can you fix it yourself? No. A tub seal or bearing repair means taking the tub apart, and a technician should look at it first so you can decide whether the repair makes sense for the washer's age.
How do I find where my washer is leaking from?
Dry the floor, open the water valves, and run an empty rinse and spin with no detergent while you watch, the test LG and Samsung both suggest. Watch the door, the dispenser and the filter panel, check the hoses at the back as the washer fills, and note when the water appears as well as where:
| Where the water is | When it appears | Most likely source |
|---|---|---|
| Front of a front-loader, under the door | During the wash | Door seal or suds |
| Front, near the bottom | During the drain | Pump filter cap or drain pump |
| Behind the washer | Whenever the valves are open | Fill hose fittings or rubber washers |
| Behind the washer | During the drain | Drain hose or an overflowing standpipe |
| Under the center | During the wash or rinse | Tub seal, bearing or a cracked tub |
| Inside the drum, washer off | Between loads | Inlet valve that won't close |
| Dispenser drawer | During the fill | Too much detergent or a clogged drawer |
Water runs along the base before it pools, so a puddle under the washer isn't always right under its source. Lay paper towels along the front, the back and the middle of the base before the test cycle; the one that gets wet first tells you where to look.
What to check yourself first
- Shut off the water. Close both valves behind the washer, and switch off the breaker first if water has reached the outlet or the cord.
- Dry the floor and test. Run an empty rinse and spin and watch where the water appears.
- Check for suds. Foam in the drum or the drawer means less detergent, and HE only.
- Clean the door seal. Pull back the folds and remove hair, lint and debris.
- Snug the hose fittings. Tighten both ends of each fill hose and replace worn rubber washers.
- Check the drain hose. Make sure it's clipped in place and the standpipe isn't overflowing.
One safety note: if water has reached the outlet or the cord, don't touch the washer or the plug while you're standing in water: switch off the washer's breaker first, then close the water valves.
When to call a technician
- Water pools under the center of the washer during the wash
- The leak comes from the pump, the inlet valve or somewhere inside the cabinet
- The door seal is torn or has come off its clamp
- Water keeps entering the drum with the washer off
- The leak comes with a rumbling or grinding noise on the spin
Sounds like yours? A technician can diagnose it at home in Chino and nearby cities, often the same day. $75 diagnostic, applied to the repair.
Era Service finds and fixes leaks on front-load and top-load washers across the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley, often the same day in Chino and nearby cities. We don't repair shaking or grinding-noise problems on Whirlpool, Maytag and Kenmore top-load washers.
Good to Know
Washer Leaking Water: FAQ
A washer leaking from the bottom is most often losing water at the pump area in front, from the hoses at the back running down to the floor, or from suds spilling over inside. Less often it's a worn tub seal, which leaks under the center during the wash. Run an empty rinse and spin and watch where the water appears first.
A front load washer leaking from the door usually has hair, lint or a sock lying across the rubber door seal, or too many suds from extra or non-HE detergent. A torn seal, or one that has slipped off its clamp, leaks too. A few drops when you open the door after a cycle are normal; water while the door is closed is a leak.
A washer leaking from the back is most often dripping at a fill hose fitting: a loose connection, a worn rubber washer or a hose that is cracking with age. The drain hose and an overflowing standpipe are the other usual sources. Close the valves, dry the area and watch the fittings as the washer fills and drains, and replace fill hoses about every five years.
A washer leaking underneath isn't safe to keep using until you know where the water is coming from. The leak puts water near an outlet and a power cord, and even a slow one can damage flooring over a few loads. Close the water valves between loads, keep the area dry, and run only a supervised test cycle until the source is found and fixed.
Yes. Too much detergent, or regular detergent in a high-efficiency washer, makes more suds than the machine can contain, and the foam pushes water out past the door seal, through the dispenser drawer or out of a vent. Run rinse cycles with no detergent until no foam appears, then use HE detergent at or below the MAX line.
Replace washer fill hoses about every five years, or sooner if they bulge, crack or show rust at a fitting; GE and Whirlpool both give the five-year interval. Turn off both valves before you change them, use new rubber washers in the fittings, and check the connections for drips after the first fill.
Water on the laundry room floor? Let's find where it's coming from.
Open 7 days a week, 9 AM to 6 PM, across Chino, the Inland Empire, the San Gabriel Valley and North Orange County. The $75 diagnostic is applied to the repair if you go ahead, and every repair carries a 90-day parts and labor warranty.
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Washer Not Draining?
Water left in the drum: the pump filter, the drain hose and the pump.
Read the guide →Washer Not Filling With Water?
No water, slow fill or only cold water: valves, screens and pressure switch.
Read the guide →Washer Smells Bad?
Mildew, rotten eggs or sewer smell: the gasket, the drain path and how to clean it.
Read the guide →Repairing a specific brand? Whirlpool repair, Samsung repair, GE repair, LG repair.