Read this first
Water on the floor at the front of an Almison dishwasher is usually the door gasket or the door face, and it appears in the same place every cycle. Water that shows at the side or the back is a hose or a connection and it can arrive at any time, including when the machine is idle. The distinction is worth thirty seconds because it decides whether this is a cleaning job or a plumbing job.
What owners describe
- A wet line across the floor directly under the door — Door seal or door face. Repeatable, same place, every cycle.
- Water appearing at the side of the cabinet — A hose or a clip inside the housing. It runs down the side panel and out along the plinth.
- A wet patch behind the machine only — The supply connection or the waste. This one can leak with the machine switched off.
- Water only during the drain phase — The waste connection or a split drain hose, and the timing is the clue.
- NEAR MISS: condensation on the worktop edge above the door — Steam venting during drying is normal on this construction unless the worktop is being damaged.
Causes, most likely first
- Door gasket hardened or displaced — First on this class of machine, because heat cycling sets the rubber and the lower corners lift first.
- Overfilling from a faulty inlet valve or pressure switch — Second. The tub overflows over the door lip, which makes it look exactly like a seal fault until you watch the water level.
- A split or loose drain hose inside the cabinet — Third. It leaks on the drain phase only, which is a strong clue if you are watching for it.
- Supply connection at the tap or the machine — Fourth. Leaks whether or not the machine is running, and needs the household supply off before anybody touches it.
- A cracked tub or a failed sump seal — Last, and the one that ends the machine's economic life rather than starting a repair.
The order to work in, and why
- Dry the floor and lay paper towel across the front and along both sides — It tells you where the water arrives first, which is the whole diagnosis.
- Run a short programme and watch, do not walk away — The phase the water appears in narrows it to one or two components.
- Check the water level through the door when it fills — Water anywhere near the door lip means overfilling rather than a seal fault.
- Feel behind the machine last — It is the least accessible and the least likely, unless the towel says otherwise.
Steps up to the stopping point
- Clean and reseat the door gasket — Warm soapy water, then press the seal fully back into its channel round the whole perimeter.
Tools: cloth, washing-up liquidAbout 15 min
- Watch a fill from the front with the door cracked open — You are checking the level, not the wash. It should stop well below the door lip.
About 10 min
- Look for water tracks down the inside of the cabinet sides — Ease the machine forward and use a torch. Dried mineral trails show old leaks even when today is dry.
Tools: torchAbout 20 min
- Check the supply fitting at the tap — Dry it, then watch it under pressure. Stop here if the leak is inside the machine behind a panel.
Tools: towel, adjustable wrenchAbout 15 min
Before you touch it
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel — a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Water and mains share a very small space at the base of a dishwasher, and a leak that has reached the base tray may already be sitting under live components. If the machine has tripped its breaker as well as leaking, do not reset it and do not run it: that combination is the one that starts fires in kitchen cabinets.
The line for a service call
Call when the gasket is sound and the fill level is right and the floor is still wet, because the remaining candidates are inside the cabinet and reaching them means the machine comes out. Call urgently if the leak is continuous with the machine switched off, since that is a supply-side fault at mains pressure and it will not stop on its own — turn the tap off at the wall first. Get somebody to look at the floor as well as the machine if water has been running under the cabinet for weeks, because the joinery absorbs long before it shows.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page is class-level guidance for an Almison dishwasher leak and it stops before family or model detail. It names no hose diameters, no gasket profiles and no fitting sizes, because those differ between builds under this badge. A family- or model-specific page, where one exists, carries the layout for that build and is the better place to source a part. The supply tap, the waste connection and any under-sink plumbing are outside this page, though they cause a real share of the leaks that get blamed on the appliance.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
