The short answer
Pull an integrated AEG out and dry everything first — the damage spreads through the cabinets long before anyone sees it. Excess foam from the wrong detergent is the commonest source and needs no parts. A hardened door seal is second, a hose or inlet connection third, and the tub or pump seal last. A machine that only pumps has already found water in its base tray.
What you observe
- Water in the cupboard beside the machine — It has travelled along the cabinet base.
- Suds visible through the door during a cycle — Wrong detergent, or far too much of it.
- Water at the front, under the door line — A hardened or fouled door seal.
- The machine runs its pump and nothing else — The anti-flood float has lifted in the base tray.
- NEAR MISS — a puddle after opening a hot machine — Condensation, not a leak.
Causes, most likely first on this brand
- Excess foam from the wrong detergent — First because it needs no parts and no wear: hand-washing liquid or a heavy dose makes foam that climbs the tub wall and rides over the seal. One correct-dose cycle proves it.
- Door seal hardened or fouled — Second: the seal stiffens with heat and detergent until it holds only on the high points, and on an integrated machine the resulting trickle runs straight under the cabinet.
- Inlet or drain hose connection weeping — Third, and easy to miss because it is behind the machine. A weep with the machine idle points at the supply; one during the drain points at the waste side.
- Tub or pump seal failed — Last. That is what the base tray and its anti-flood float exist for, which is why a machine that refuses to wash and only pumps has usually found this one for you.
Check in this order, and why
- Pull the machine out and dry the cabinet bases — Not a diagnostic step. Do it before anything else.
- Note when in the cycle the water appears — Idle, wash and drain each point somewhere different.
- Run one cycle with a correct dose of the right detergent — Settles the commonest cause without any parts.
- Wipe the door seal and check it springs back — Left until here because foam explains more of these.
What an owner can safely check
- Switch off, pull the machine out and dry everything — Include the plinth and the neighbouring cabinet bases.
Tools: towelAbout 45 min
- Run a cycle with a correct dose and no additive — If the leak stops, foam was the whole story.
About 60 min
- Clean the door seal and the tub lip it closes on — Warm soapy water, then check the seal recovers when pressed.
Tools: clothAbout 20 min
- Look behind the machine for a weep with it idle — Supply connections leak whether it is running or not.
Tools: torchAbout 20 min
- STOP HERE if the machine only pumps and will not wash — The base tray has water in it and needs a technician.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the machine or switch off its breaker before moving it or opening any panel; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off, and water under a fitted kitchen can reach sockets and cables you cannot see. Turn off the supply tap before disturbing a hose. Never defeat the anti-flood float to get a cycle to run — it is what stops a slow leak becoming a flooded kitchen.
When to call a technician
Call when the detergent is right, the seal is clean and springy, the hoses are dry and water still appears — the tub or the pump seal is then the answer. Call immediately if the machine refuses to wash and only pumps, because the base tray already holds water. Check the cabinet bases either side for swelling and mention it, since the joinery damage often outruns the repair.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page is written for the brand and the appliance class, not for one family or model line. Where a family- or model-specific page exists for your unit, that page is the more specific answer and you should start there. Deliberately absent: seal and hose part identifiers, base tray dimensions, float switch wiring and fault-code meanings, all of which differ between the integrated, freestanding and slimline families.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
