The short answer
A leaking BCW machine is telling you where to look by when it leaks. Water during fill is the supply side; water during drain is the hose or the pump; water that appears at any time is the door seal or an overflow.
What you observe
- Water over the top of the standpipe or sink — The house drain cannot take what the machine delivers. The machine is healthy.
- A slow puddle even when the machine is not running — A tap and a fitting that weeps under standing pressure.
- The floor is wet at the back and dry at the front — Everything that connects is at the back. This is the pattern that points away from the tub entirely.
- Water appears only while the machine empties — The drain hose, its connection or the standpipe backing up.
Causes, most likely first
- An inlet hose or its washer at either end — First on this family. These machines are connected and disconnected far more often than a plumbed-in one, and the rubber washer inside the fitting is what pays for it.
- Detergent drawer blocked or over-dosed — A drawer that cannot clear backs up over its lip. It looks alarming and it is almost always a cleaning and dosing matter rather than a fault.
- The drain hose connection or its route — Second. A hose that has been crushed behind a foot, or one that is no longer secured where it discharges, puts water on the floor only while the pump runs.
- The standpipe or sink unable to take the flow — A compact machine still empties quickly. If the house drain backs up, water appears at the standpipe and the machine gets the blame for it.
Check in this order
- Wipe the door or lid seal and look along it for a trapped garment — Explains a leak that happens on one wash and not the next without any part being at fault.
- Check the pump filter cover is fully seated — Early, because it is free, and because a cover left loose after a cleaning is a very common self-inflicted leak.
- Follow the drain hose from the machine to where it discharges — Look for a crush point behind a foot and make sure the end is secured rather than resting.
- Dry the inlet fittings at both ends and watch them with the taps open — A weep under standing pressure shows within minutes and it is the leading cause on this family.
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. Dry the floor before moving the machine: a compact washer on a wet floor slides rather than walks, and it is heavier than it looks when the drum still holds water.
Models in the BCW family — The models this page covers, as the product spine lists them. With one model in the family, what you find on it is simply what the platform does.
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| BCW27MW | black-decker:washer:bcw |
When to call
The line on this family is the cabinet panel. Everything that connects on the outside is owner work: the inlet hoses and their washers, the drain hose and its route, the filter cover, the seal and the drawer.
Other faults on 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.
