The short answer
On the FITW line the useful first question is not what is leaking but where the water lands. Front-of-door water points at the gasket and the spray path; water that creeps out from under the toe panel points at a hose fitting or a pump seal. Sorting those two apart costs nothing and saves opening a machine that did not need opening. Because only one model number carries the FITW name, nothing below needs a variant caveat.
What you observe on these models
- Damp or lifting flooring in front of the machine — A slow leak that has been running for weeks, which usually means a fitting rather than a seal — seals fail faster and wetter.
- Water on the sill before the wash has even started — Filling past the level the tub should hold; the wash has not begun, so nothing is being thrown anywhere.
- A stain or rust line always in the same spot on the tub floor — A seam or heater-gasket weep, which is slow, repeatable and worst on full loads.
- Water across the floor at the front of the door — A line of water along the door sill after a cycle, usually widest at one lower corner rather than evenly spread.
- NEAR MISS — water only when the sink is used — That is a plumbing or disposer connection leak sharing the cabinet, not a fault of the machine. Different page, different trade.
Causes, most likely first on the FITW line
- Cracked spray arm or a loose upper-arm feed — First, and the cheapest to rule out. The upper feed coupling is the joint that gets knocked by the rack, and once it is off-centre it sprays sideways at full pump pressure.
- Door gasket fouled, folded or perished — Next most likely on these models. A gasket that has taken a set no longer touches the door at the corners, and the corners are exactly where the water column is deepest.
- Circulation or drain pump shaft seal weeping — Third — worth checking once the two above are clean. A shaft seal lets go slowly: the puddle is small, it is under the machine rather than at the door, and it grows over months rather than days.
Check in this order, and why
- Lift both spray arms out and look through them — Spin each one by hand, check every jet is open, and look for a split along the underside where water would escape sideways.
- Run a finger round the whole door gasket — Feel for a fold at the lower corners and for the greasy film that stops it sealing. Wipe it and run a short cycle before doing anything else.
- Look under the toe panel with a torch after a full cycle — A dry base pan with a wet floor means a fitting. A wet pan directly beneath the motor means the seal.
Before you open anything
Safety
Kill the power at the breaker first: a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Treat standing water as if it holds glass, scoop it out rather than feeling through it, and leave the door interlock alone — it is what keeps scalding water inside the cabinet.
Models in the FITW family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| FITW01 | b-flasche:dishwasher:fitw |
When to call a technician
Call once the door gasket, the arms and the visible fittings have been checked and the leak is still there — at that point the water is coming from inside the base and the machine has to come out of the cabinet to find it. Call immediately if the leak is fast enough to reach a floor void, if the cabinet or the floor under it has started to swell, or if you find water anywhere near the electrical connections.
Other problems covered 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.
