The short answer
Leaks on the Caf PDT family divide by timing. Water that appears during the fill is an inlet fitting or valve; water that appears at the end of a wash is the door, the seal or suds; water present at any time is a sump or a hose. The matrix below lists two model tags that differ only in their trailing revision characters, so a part that suits one usually suits its neighbours, and the tag still decides. Timing is evidence and costs nothing to collect.
What you can observe on these models
- Water appears when the door is opened mid-cycle — Normal carry-over from the door panel, not a leak. Let a cycle finish before judging.
- The door does not sit flush with the cabinet front — A hinge or spring out of adjustment loads the seal unevenly, so it leaks at one corner only.
- Water tracking down the inside of the door panel — The vent or the detergent dispenser area is spilling, which points at suds or at a blocked vent rather than the tub seal.
- A puddle at the front, under the door — The door gasket, the door alignment or foam escaping over the seal. All three leak at the same place and are separated by when it happens.
- NEAR MISS — standing water inside the tub with a dry floor — That is a drainage fault, not a leak, and the drainage page covers it.
Causes, most likely first on this family
- Door gasket hardened, displaced or dirty — First on these models: a gasket that has taken a set no longer touches at the corners, which is exactly where front leaks start.
- Over-sudsing from the wrong detergent — Second: foam climbs over a seal that water would never pass, so a sound machine leaks until the chemistry is corrected.
- Door alignment, hinges or springs — Third, and the usual cause when the leak began after the machine was reinstalled or the door panel changed.
- Inlet valve, fill hose or supply fitting — Fourth: a fill-time-only leak is the fingerprint, and it is under mains pressure so it grows rather than staying still.
- Sump, pump seal or a drain hose clamp — Last on this list, and a service call on most of these models.
Check in this order, and why
- Establish whether the water is foam or clear — Foam is chemistry, clear water is a seal or a fitting. Nothing else separates the causes so quickly.
- Inspect the vent and dispenser area on the door — Water tracking down the inside of the door points at the vent rather than at the tub seal.
- Feel along the underside of the door for the lower seal — On these models the lowest part of the seal takes the most wear and is the first to let go.
- Pull the machine out only once the door is cleared — With the supply closed and the power off, check the sump, the clamps and every fitting with a dry tissue.
Before you open anything
Safety
Switch the dishwasher off at its breaker and close the hot water shutoff before pulling it out or removing the toe kick — a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Water under the machine may already have reached the junction box at its base, so dry everything before restoring power and leave the breaker off if it has tripped even once.
Models in the PDT family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| PDT75***R*** (v7) | caf:dishwasher:pdt |
| PDT755**V*** | caf:dishwasher:pdt |
When to call a technician
Call when a new gasket does not fix a door leak, which usually means hinge or door-panel alignment rather than the seal itself. Call urgently if the breaker has tripped during the leak, if flooring is lifting, or if the water appears during the fill — all three are faults that grow with every cycle rather than staying still.
Other faults 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.
