The short answer
A leaking ADB dishwasher is diagnosed by where and when, not by what: time the leak against the cycle before looking for it, because when it happens names where it comes from. Most leaks on this line turn out to be the door, the load or a fitting rather than the machine. The order below puts a hose or clamp under the machine first and a sump or tub seal that has failed last, and that order is the point of the page.
What the owner actually sees
- Water tracking down the front of the door — It appears during the wash and pools at the toe of the machine.
- A puddle under the middle of the machine — Nothing on the door face, which points below the tub rather than at the seal.
- It leaks on some loads and not others — A pattern that follows what was in the front of the lower rack.
- Foam on the floor as well as water — Suds climbing out past the seal, which is a detergent problem rather than a leak.
- NEAR MISS - water standing inside at the end of a cycle — That is a drainage fault rather than a leak, and the will-not-drain page for this line covers it.
What it usually turns out to be, in order
- A hose or clamp under the machine — Ranked first on this line: the fill and drain connections under the machine loosen with vibration and age, and they leak only while water is moving. Water appears under the middle of the machine rather than at the door.
- The door seal or its corners — Next, and close behind: a seal fault leaks during the wash, not at the fill, and the water appears at the front rather than under the machine. That pattern alone separates it from everything else on this list.
- A tall item deflecting the spray at the door — Then: a baking tray or a large lid stood at the front of the lower rack turns the spray straight at the door seal, and water escapes where it would not otherwise. The machine is faultless and the load is the fault.
- A sump or tub seal that has failed — It ranks below the owner checks because confirming it means pulling the machine out and getting underneath, which is service work.
Working order, and the reason for it
- Time the leak against the cycle — Note whether water appears at the fill, during the wash or at the drain. Fill and drain point under the machine; wash points at the door.
- Wipe the seal and watch the front of the door — Run a finger along the gasket for a hardened section, a tear at a corner or a trapped fragment holding it open.
- Repeat the leak with an empty machine — Run a cycle with the racks empty and watch. A dry floor means the load was deflecting water, not the machine leaking.
Before you open anything
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 on the floor around an appliance is an electrical hazard first and a mess second, so isolate before you kneel down.
Where owner work ends
Call when the leak is under the centre of the machine while the wash runs, with the door seal clean, the machine level, the load excluded and the visible connections dry. That combination means the tub or the pump seal, and both need the machine out.
Nearest pages of this class
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
