Unsure of what caused your washing machine to leak?
Here are five common faults that you should look out for. But first, before we move on we advise isolating your appliance from the electrical supply and shutting off the water supply before attempting to repair your machine.
The leak will typically be caused by a faulty part on your appliance, which in most cases are the door seal, filter pump, hoses, drum, and detergent dispenser.
The source of a water leak may appear to be in one location, however, the fault itself could actually be somewhere else.
Water seeping from the bottom of the machine is typically difficult to diagnose; the washing machine must be level and unplugged in order to properly identify the issue.
Where to look for a leak on your washing machine
1) The door seal has a rip or a hole
The most frequent location for leaks is the washing machine door seal. The seal is prone to damage from sharp objects in the drum which may result in tears and holes.
You should inspect the bottom of the seal and look for any obvious signs of ripping or coin size holes that would allow water through during a wash cycle.
If you don’t properly maintain the seal, it can degrade over time which makes it more likely to create small leaks on the outer side of the seal. If you need more information on how to clean your washing machine door seal, go and check out our handy guide.
2) The water supply hose or inlet valve is leaking
The water supply hose is located at the back of the machine and connects to the water inlet valve at the top.
Over time, the seal on the solenoid valve can become worn and often will be blocked up with dirt.
A quick way to fix this is to buy a new water solenoid valve for your washing machine and replace it.
If you’re wondering how to identify a leak from the valve, you can run the machine and take notice of the pipe connection point while the machine is filling up with water.
Sometimes, the problem can be with the water fill hose as the can become damaged from the machine being pushed up against a wall.
Luckily, water pipes are relatively cheap to replace and can be fitted within a couple of minutes. Make sure to buy one that is long enough so that it can be connected to your machine from the water supply tap.
It’s always a good idea to make sure the pipe is properly connected to the valve before you use the washing machine.
3) The filter cap is loose or the seal has worn
Many people don’t know this, but the drain pump filter can be found behind a plastic cover at the bottom right of your washing machine.
It’s responsible for making sure that small objects and items of clothing don’t go through the drain pipe and cause any damage to your plumbing.
If your washing machine encounters a blocked drain pump, then your machine will not drain the water away. If you’ve had to repair this fault then it’s likely that the filter cap has been removed.
When the filter cap gets refitted back to the machine, if it’s been left loose or tightened too much then it can cause the filter cap seal to let water through.
You should inspect the filter cap and make sure that it’s nice and tight, but not so much so that it would damage the seal.
4) The soap dispenser has a blockage
If the detergent dispenser draw on your machine is blocked up with soap powder, it can overflow and will cause the water to run down the front of your machine.
A sign that the dispenser draw has been leaking is if you can see streaks on the front left side of your machine.
Since the dispenser and drum are joined directly by a pipe, when the machine fills, a lot of water flows through the pipe.
If the pipe has any holes or has come away, then large amounts of water will flood from the bottom of the machine.
If you think that there is a problem with the dispenser pipe, then you should visually inspect it and replace it if necessary.
5) A Hole in the drum
Before you put any washing in your machine, you should always check your pockets.
If you leave coins in your clothes then they can cause serious damage to your machine, and sometimes destroy the drum.
Believe it or not, it’s actually really common for coins to penetrate the drum during the spin cycle, leaving small holes at the bottom and sides of the drum.
To figure out if your washing machine is leaking from the drum, then you will have to visually inspect the machine during a wash cycle and look for any signs of water under the drum.
A handy tip is to leave some paper under the machine during a cycle so you can check for any signs of water dripping down onto the floor.
If you suspect the water is coming from the drum then you can isolate the machine from the power and take a look underneath, which makes it easier to see any holes.
When a washing machine has a hole in the drum, it can be really expensive to replace. An economical way of repairing the drum is to use a fibreglass repair kit to seal the hole.
