The short answer for the F models
On the AEG F dishwasher models, water where it should not be leads somewhere the brand-generic article does not put first — too much detergent, or the wrong kind. The brand-generic ordering opens instead with this: the door gasket or the door alignment. It moves down behind the lead here, because this family is a short run on a common stem, so its behaviour is consistent in a way the brand as a whole is not.
What you observe on these models
- A slow damp patch in the cabinet base beside the machine — That is a back or side leak, and it has probably been running for weeks.
- Water appears at the very start, before washing begins — That timing points at the fill rather than the wash, and it narrows the list hard.
- Foam on the floor rather than clean water — The machine is foaming over, which is a detergent problem dressed up as a leak.
- NEAR MISS — the floor is wet at the sink as well — Work out whether the sink plumbing is the source before blaming the machine.
Causes, most likely first on the F family
- Too much detergent, or the wrong kind — Hand detergent in a dishwasher produces foam that walks straight out of the door. Ranked first on the F models.
- The door gasket or the door alignment — A gasket that has hardened, torn, or collected debris in its channel leaks at the point where you find the water. Second.
- The base tray and its float — Many European machines have a tray under the tub with a float in it. Third.
- A cracked tub or a failed weld — It is rare, and every other cause here is cheaper to check and more often the answer. Last, and that is the point of the order.
- Body: The spine for the F family records 4 model codes built on a common stem — a short run rather than a long one, which is why a single ordering covers all of them. Where this departs from the brand-generic ordering: the cause that moves up on these models is this one — too much detergent, or the wrong kind — and the brand-generic lead moves down behind it.
Check in this order on the F models, and why
- Ask whether the machine stopped itself before any water was seen — First: A machine that shut down before there was a puddle has already told you there is water in its base tray, and that changes the diagnosis completely.
- Look at whether the water is clean, soapy or dirty — Second: Clean means fill side, soapy means the wash, dirty means the drain side.
- Put a spirit level across the door opening and front to back — Third: A machine out of level explains both a door leak and a corner leak, and it is adjustable in minutes.
Before you open anything
Safety
Isolate the machine at the breaker and close the supply valve before touching a hose or a panel: a capacitor holds its charge past the switch, and the sump still holds water when the cycle has finished. Gloves on — that water is caustic — and never tape or wedge the door catch to watch a cycle.
Models covered by the F family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| F8242FI | aeg:dishwasher:f |
| F8242FI-18 | aeg:dishwasher:f |
| F8642FI | aeg:dishwasher:f |
| F8642SS | aeg:dishwasher:f |
When to call a technician
Call when the gasket is clean and intact, the machine is level, the detergent is right, and water still reaches the floor — at that point it is the fill system, a hose or the sump, and all three are behind the machine. Call immediately, and switch the machine off at the breaker and the water off at the valve, if water is reaching an outlet or spreading under a neighbouring appliance. On the F models the line sits where the check stops being one you can make from outside the cabinet. When you book, say that the machine is built in if it is.
Other symptoms covered for the F family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
