The short answer
Water under a Contoure washer is more often the grey tank pushing back than the machine pushing out, because the drain hose ends in a holding tank rather than an open household standpipe. Check the tank level and the hose routing before you look at the pump or the boot. Most causes here are owner-fixable.
What you are actually seeing
- Water appears on the floor of the closet or cabinet only during the drain part of a cycle — Means: on-page
- Water seeps from under the door during the wash, before any drain step — Means: on-page
- The bay or basement under the machine is wet while the closet floor is dry — Means: on-page
- Water appears after travel and not before it — Means: on-page
- Foam rather than clear water escapes around the door — Means: on-page
- The drum holds water and the cycle stalls without any spill — Means: different-fault — Go to: the drain and cycle pages for this machine
- A damp musty smell with no visible water — Means: different-fault — Go to: contoure-washer-smell-mold
- Body: Water appears on the floor of the closet or cabinet only during the drain part of a cycle. Water seeps from under the door during the wash, before any drain step. The bay or basement under the machine is wet while the closet floor is dry. Water appears after travel and not before it. Foam rather than clear water escapes around the door. Some near-miss symptoms belong on a different page: The drum holds water and the cycle stalls without any spill points at a drain fault rather than a leak, covered on the drain and cycle pages for this machine; A damp musty smell with no visible water points at trapped moisture and tank vapour, covered on contoure-washer-smell-mold.
Causes, ranked for this machine
- A full grey tank or a blocked tank vent backing water up the drain hose — Why this rank: This is first because it is unique to this installation and because it produces a leak that appears and disappears with the tank level, which owners misread as an intermittent machine fault
- The drain hose is not looped high enough, or has dropped since installation — Why this rank: The high loop is the only thing preventing siphoning and back-flow, and it is routinely disturbed when the machine is pulled for service or shifted in travel
- Over-dosing or non-HE detergent producing foam that escapes the door seal — Why this rank: A compact drum plus a low water level makes foam far more likely here than in a full-size household machine
- A supply connection loosened by vibration in travel — Why this rank: Every joint in this machine spends its life being shaken, which no household machine experiences
- A torn door boot, a failed pump seal or a cracked sump — Why this rank: These rank last because they cost a part and because the four causes above them explain most of these calls
- Body: Most likely: A full grey tank or a blocked tank vent backing water up the drain hose. This is first because it is unique to this installation and because it produces a leak that appears and disappears with the tank level, which owners misread as an intermittent machine fault. Next most likely: The drain hose is not looped high enough, or has dropped since installation. The high loop is the only thing preventing siphoning and back-flow, and it is routinely disturbed when the machine is pulled for service or shifted in travel. Third: Over-dosing or non-HE detergent producing foam that escapes the door seal. A compact drum plus a low water level makes foam far more likely here than in a full-size household machine. Fourth: A supply connection loosened by vibration in travel. Every joint in this machine spends its life being shaken, which no household machine experiences. Fifth: A torn door boot, a failed pump seal or a cracked sump. These rank last because they cost a part and because the four causes above them explain most of these calls.
What to check, in order
- Dump and rinse the grey tank, then run a short cycle and watch for the leak again
- Trace the drain hose from the machine to the tank fitting and confirm it rises well above the machine before it drops
- Run one cycle with a small measured dose of low-foam HE detergent and no other additive
- With the machine unplugged, feel every supply and drain joint for damp while a helper runs water
- Body: First, dump and rinse the grey tank, then run a short cycle and watch for the leak again. Second, trace the drain hose from the machine to the tank fitting and confirm it rises well above the machine before it drops. Third, run one cycle with a small measured dose of low-foam HE detergent and no other additive. Fourth, with the machine unplugged, feel every supply and drain joint for damp while a helper runs water.
Checks you can safely make yourself
- Empty the grey tank, then run the shortest cycle the machine offers and watch the closet floor throughout — Tools: a towel — Time estimate: one short cycle
- Follow the drain hose along its whole run and lift any section that has sagged below the top of the drum, securing it so it cannot drop again — Tools: a torch and a cable tie — Time estimate: a quarter of an hour
- Wash one load with a small dose of low-foam HE detergent and nothing else, then check the door for foam — Tools: measuring cap — Time estimate: one cycle
- Unplug the machine, then dry every visible hose joint completely, run a short cycle and feel each joint again for the first damp spot — Tools: paper towel — Time estimate: one short cycle
- Wipe the door boot dry, then run a finger around the whole boot looking for a split or a lodged object holding the seal open — Tools: torch — Time estimate: a few minutes
- Body: Step one: Empty the grey tank, then run the shortest cycle the machine offers and watch the closet floor throughout. Tools: a towel. Time: one short cycle. Step two: Follow the drain hose along its whole run and lift any section that has sagged below the top of the drum, securing it so it cannot drop again. Tools: a torch and a cable tie. Time: a quarter of an hour. Step three: Wash one load with a small dose of low-foam HE detergent and nothing else, then check the door for foam. Tools: measuring cap. Time: one cycle. Step four: Unplug the machine, then dry every visible hose joint completely, run a short cycle and feel each joint again for the first damp spot. Tools: paper towel. Time: one short cycle. Step five: Wipe the door boot dry, then run a finger around the whole boot looking for a split or a lodged object holding the seal open. Tools: torch. Time: a few minutes.
Safety first
Safety
Unplug the machine before reaching behind or under it, and dry the floor before you work: water plus a live appliance in a confined cabinet is the worst combination in the coach. Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. unplug-before-service
Where the owner fix ends
Call a technician when the tank is empty, the drain hose loops high, the detergent is correct and dosed low, every joint is dry, and water still appears. A leak that survives all four is coming from the boot, the sump or the pump seal, and reaching those means pulling the machine out of its cabinet.
Nearest pages of the same kind
Generalized information
This page is generalized across the Contoure washer line. Compact front-loaders, ventless combination washer-dryers and marine variants share the ranking above but not every part, and this page does not cover a specific model, control revision or coach builder plumbing. Family- and model-specific pages, where they exist, are linked below.
Links: - [Common CONTOURE Washer Problems](/blog/contoure-washer-problems) - [CONTOURE Washer: Electrical, Fire or Gas Hazard](/blog/contoure-washer-electrical-safety) - [CONTOURE Washer: Not Heating](/blog/contoure-washer-heating-failure) - [CONTOURE Washer: Odor or Mold](/blog/contoure-washer-smell-mold)
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
