The short answer
Water at a dishwasher usually comes down to one thing: the door is not pulling up square against the tub. Next on the list: the door gasket is perished or fouled. Note whether the water is foamy or clear, and whether it arrives at fill, during the wash, or with the machine idle — those two observations do most of the work.
What you observe
- Water on the floor around or in front of the machine — Clear or foamy, and at which point in the cycle, decides this.
- Water appears at one corner of the door every time — A seal that has failed generally leaks generally.
- Water runs down the front of the door during the wash — Only the door seal leaks while the arms are running.
- The water is foamy and it comes out around the door — Suds climb; water does not.
- NEAR MISS — steam escaping around the door at the end — That is normal on many machines at the drying stage and is not a leak.
Causes, most likely first on this machine
- The door is not pulling up square against the tub — First here because a dishwasher door seals by being pulled tight, not by resting shut.
- The door gasket is perished or fouled — Ranked here because the gasket is the fastest-ageing part on the machine and the leak it produces is intermittent by nature.
- Too much detergent is producing suds that escape — Ranked here because the water on the floor is foamy rather than clear, which identifies it immediately.
- The sump or the pump seal is weeping from underneath — Last, and a service job — it means the machine out of its housing.
Check in this order, and why
- Note whether the water always appears at the same corner — A single repeatable point means alignment, not the seal itself.
- Run a finger along the whole door gasket — A hard, flattened or fouled section is where the water is getting out.
- Look at whether the water on the floor is foamy — Foam is a dosing answer, not a plumbing one.
- Note whether the water comes from the middle or the door — Under the centre is the sump; at the front is the door.
What an owner can safely check
- Dry the floor and run a short cycle, watching — Note the exact moment the water appears; that is most of the diagnosis.
Tools: towelsAbout 45 min
- Close the door and look along the gap from the side at each corner — It should be even the whole way round.
Tools: torchAbout 15 min
- Wipe the gasket clean and feel for hard or flattened sections — A seal that has taken a set will not recover.
Tools: clothAbout 15 min
- STOP HERE before pulling the machine out or disturbing a fitting — Mains-pressure water in a cabinet full of electrics is not owner work.
Before you open anything
Safety
Switch the machine off at its spur or breaker before removing any panel, and close the isolating valve before touching a hose. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Broken glass finds its way into the sump and the filter on any machine. Use gloves when clearing a filter, and never feel blind into a sump you cannot see the bottom of.
When to call a technician
Call once the gasket, the dose and the latch are all ruled out and water still arrives, or as soon as the water is under the machine and returning while it is switched off. Mains-pressure water does not stop on its own. Call immediately if water is reaching an outlet or has run under an adjoining cabinet.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page is written for the brand and the machine class, not for one family or model line. Where a family- or model-specific page exists for your machine, it is the more specific answer and it is where to start. Deliberately absent: programme charts, place settings, pump and board part identifiers and wiring colours, which differ between the freestanding, integrated and panel-ready families.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
