The finding, first
The first thing to establish on these models is when the water appears — filling, washing, draining or standing — because each points somewhere different. A supply hose fitting under mains pressure is the least likely cause here and the only one with a deadline. Deal with anything under mains pressure the same day. Some listings here carry a hyphenated number, which on this brand separates a base unit from its configuration.
What owners report
- Water overflowing from the detergent drawer — A blocked drawer housing or a siphon that has silted up with powder residue.
- Damp at the back wall behind the machine — A supply fitting weeping slowly. It often shows as staining long before it shows as a puddle.
- A trickle from the bottom of the door seal — A tear or a fold in the rubber, sometimes with a coin trapped behind it that cut the seal in the first place.
- Water at the front of the machine during the wash — The door seal or the detergent drawer. Both are at the front and both are reachable.
- Foam escaping round the door — Too much detergent. Foam creeps past a seal that holds water without difficulty.
- A puddle that grows while the machine is idle — Supply water under pressure. Close the tap before anything else happens.
- Water only while the machine is emptying — The drain hose, its clip, or the waste connection rather than anything in the drum.
- NEAR MISS — water inside the drum that will not drain — That is a drainage fault with its own page for this family, not a leak.
Causes, most likely first on this roster
- Door seal torn, folded or holding debris — First on this roster. The seal has to flex on every cycle, it collects coins and grit at its lowest point, and a small cut at the bottom leaks only when the drum is full and turning.
- Overdosing — foam escaping past a good seal — Foam has far lower surface tension than water and creeps past seals that hold water indefinitely. The history is usually a leak that started after a change of detergent.
- Supply hose fitting or tap weeping — Mains water, so it does not stop. Least common on this list and the most damaging, which is why it gets checked early despite its rank.
- Tub seal or bearing seal leaking — Last. Water from the centre of the machine rather than any connection, usually with a rumble on spin and eventually rust-coloured marks on washing. It is a major repair on this platform.
What to check first, second, third
- Lay paper towel around the machine and run a short cycle — Front, back or underneath: the paper answers in one run what guesswork does not answer in a week.
- Pull the detergent drawer right out and look at its housing — Powder residue blocks the siphon and the roof of the housing, and it washes out under a hot tap.
- Check whether there is foam in the drum at the end — Foam means the dose, not the seal. Run an empty hot cycle with no detergent to confirm.
Safety before diagnosis
Safety
Kill the supply before anything else happens: unplug it, or switch the breaker off. A capacitor can hold a charge long after the power has gone. Wash water can be hot enough to scald.
Models in the MAV family — The listings below are what this page covers; it is a family page, not a model page.
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| MAV160-A2402PS/01FM-US | artt:washer:mav |
| MAV180-A2804PS/01FM-US | artt:washer:mav |
Where the owner line is
Try the dose and the drawer before calling anybody; between them they explain a large share of leaks at the front. Call when a clean, intact seal on a correctly dosed machine still leaks during the wash.
Other pages for this family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
