The short answer for the WHP models
On the AEG WHP washer models, water where it should not be leads somewhere the brand-generic article does not put first — the detergent drawer and its siphon. The brand-generic ordering opens instead with this: the door seal or bellows. It moves down behind the lead here, because this family is one model rather than a range, so the ranking can be specific where a brand-wide one has to hedge.
What you observe on these models
- A slow damp patch that appears under the machine overnight — A weep rather than a leak, and often the hardest to find.
- It leaks only on a hot programme — Heat expands seals and hoses, and a marginal joint opens up.
- Water at the floor near the standpipe rather than the machine — The drain is backing up, which is a plumbing story.
- NEAR MISS — the floor is wet and the machine has not run — Look at the supply valves and the hoses before anything inside the machine.
Causes, most likely first on the WHP family
- The detergent drawer and its siphon — A drawer caked with powder cannot siphon, so it overflows down the front of the machine and looks exactly like a door leak. Ranked first on the WHP models.
- The door seal or bellows — The rubber at the door collects grit, tears at the bottom and folds outward when the seal is old. Second.
- A leak hidden by the joinery — A built-in machine leaks into a plinth and under a cabinet base rather than onto an open floor. Third.
- The outer tub seal or the drum bearing seal — It leaks on spin, it stains the back of the machine, and it is the most expensive item here. Last, and that is the point of the order.
- Body: The spine for the WHP family records a single model code, so there is no variation inside this family to hedge against: what is written here applies to the whole of it. Where this departs from the brand-generic ordering: the cause that moves up on these models is this one — the detergent drawer and its siphon — and the brand-generic lead moves down behind it.
Check in this order on the WHP models, and why
- Take the plinth off and feel the cabinet base with a hand — First: A damp or swollen base is the evidence a built-in leak leaves, and it is invisible with the plinth on.
- Check the machine does not rock on its feet — Second: Level is both a cause and an amplifier here, and it is adjustable in minutes.
- Dry the floor, put paper down and run a short cycle — Third: A leak you have not located is a leak you cannot fix, and paper shows you where the first drop lands.
Before you open anything
Safety
Isolate at the breaker and close both valves before a panel or a hose is touched: the capacitor holds a charge past the switch, and the drum and sump hold more water than they look like they do. The door interlock stays as it is — it is what keeps a fast-spinning drum shut, and it holds the door while the water is still hot.
Models covered by the WHP family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| WHP120 | aeg:washer:whp |
When to call a technician
Call when the door seal is clean and intact, the drawer is clear, the dose is right, the hoses are tight and the machine is level, and water still reaches the floor — that puts it under the tub, and the machine has to be tipped to find it. Call immediately, and isolate the machine at the breaker and the valves, if water is reaching an outlet or spreading under a neighbouring appliance. On the WHP 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 WHP family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
