What is actually going on
The WFTV line carries its detergent drawer housing above the tub front, so on these machines an overflow from a blocked drawer runs down the inside of the door face and looks exactly like a boot leak. Separating those two is the first job on this page and it is the one the generic article cannot do for you.
The symptoms, and their near misses
- The leak only happens on the rinse — Level-dependent leaks point at the door boot or the tub lip rather than at a hose.
- Suds are escaping from the detergent drawer — Foam at the drawer face is a dosing or a blockage problem, not a seal problem. That holds for every model the table on this page lists.
- The leak is worse on a hot wash — Temperature-dependent leaks point at a seal or a hose clip rather than at a crack.
- The leak stopped after the machine was moved — A leak that comes and goes with the machine’s position is a hose under strain.
- Water is seeping from under the detergent drawer housing — Drawer-housing leaks arrive at the floor without ever showing at the drawer, which is what makes them confusing.
- NEAR MISS — the water is coming from the sink or the standpipe — Household plumbing produces washing-machine puddles surprisingly often. Test the waste before the appliance.
- NEAR MISS — the machine will not drain and water sits in the drum — Water inside rather than outside is a different job entirely.
Causes in likelihood order
- A door glass seal that has been distorted by heat — First — and it is not close. Heat-hardened rubber leaks at high fill levels and seals at low ones. The WFTV line puts this within reach without a teardown.
- A blocked or overdosed detergent drawer — Second, and common. Powder residue narrows the drawer housing until the incoming water backs up and runs out of the front. Over-dosing produces the same result with a clean drawer.
- A cracked detergent drawer housing — Third. Housing cracks leak during fill only and they never show at the drawer face, which sends owners looking in the wrong place. That much is common to the whole WFTV line.
- An overloaded drum forcing water past the seal — Less common than the three above. Overloading defeats a good seal. If the leak follows big loads and not small ones, this is why.
- A split or loose inlet hose — Near the bottom of the list. Hoses harden with age and split where they bend behind the cabinet. The washers inside the couplings flatten and weep at the tap.
Check in this order, and why
- Remove and clean the detergent drawer and its housing — Pull the drawer right out, wash it, and brush the housing above it clear of set powder.
- Peel back the door boot fold and inspect it — Most boot tears are at the bottom and invisible until the fold is opened. On these machines the access for this is the same across the line.
- Pull the machine out and leave it out for a cycle — Position-dependent leaks are hose strain and nothing else.
- Run a cycle with no load and a half dose — If the leak disappears with a small load and a small dose, the cause is overloading or over-dosing rather than a fault.
Read this before you start
Safety
Isolate the machine and close both taps before anything is opened. Expect water at every hose and every filter, and work cold — a filter opened after a hot wash empties near-boiling water onto your hands.
When to stop and book a visit
Book a visit if the leak appears only during spin and comes with a rumble, because that pair points at the tub seal and the bearing together. Book urgently if the machine trips the circuit when it wets.
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Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
