The short answer
Water at a Cove dishwasher usually comes from the door seal, a supply or drain connection in the adjacent cabinet, or detergent foam, rather than from the tub. On an integrated machine the water often appears at the cabinetry rather than in front of the machine, so where you first find it narrows the cause immediately.
What you are actually seeing
- Water on the floor directly in front of the door — Means: on-page
- A damp cabinet base beside the machine rather than in front of it — Means: on-page
- Water appearing only during the fill, or only during the drain — Means: on-page
- Foam escaping around the door — Means: on-page
- A water mark on the cabinetry that keeps returning — Means: on-page
- Water standing inside the tub with a dry floor — Means: different-fault — Go to: cove-dishwasher-drainage-failure
- Condensation under the worktop at the end of a cycle — Means: different-fault — Go to: cove-dishwasher-door-seal
- Body: Match what you see before you take anything apart. Water on the floor directly in front of the door. A damp cabinet base beside the machine rather than in front of it. Water appearing only during the fill, or only during the drain. Foam escaping around the door. A water mark on the cabinetry that keeps returning. Some near-miss symptoms belong on a different page: Water standing inside the tub with a dry floor points at a drain fault, covered on cove-dishwasher-drainage-failure; Condensation under the worktop at the end of a cycle points at normal venting rather than a leak, covered on cove-dishwasher-door-seal.
Causes, ranked for this machine
- The door gasket is dirty, displaced or holding a lodged object — Why this rank: First because it is free to check, it is the seal that faces you, and debris in the gasket channel is common on any dishwasher
- A supply or drain connection in the adjacent cabinet that has been disturbed — Why this rank: Produces a wet cabinet with a dry kitchen floor, which is the single most useful observation an owner can make
- Too much detergent or the wrong detergent producing foam — Why this rank: Foam climbs where water cannot and escapes past a seal that holds water perfectly well
- The custom panel diverting water so it appears somewhere other than the leak — Why this rank: On an integrated machine the panel and the plinth change where water shows itself, which misleads the diagnosis
- A failed door seal, a cracked sump or a leaking pump seal — Why this rank: Last because it needs a part and everything above it is free
- Body: Ranked for a premium built-in dishwasher: hard-plumbed, on a dedicated supply, installed under a worktop by a fitter, quiet by design, with hand-cleaned filtration and a condensation dry that depends on rinse aid. Most likely: The door gasket is dirty, displaced or holding a lodged object. First because it is free to check, it is the seal that faces you, and debris in the gasket channel is common on any dishwasher. Next most likely: A supply or drain connection in the adjacent cabinet that has been disturbed. Produces a wet cabinet with a dry kitchen floor, which is the single most useful observation an owner can make. Third: Too much detergent or the wrong detergent producing foam. Foam climbs where water cannot and escapes past a seal that holds water perfectly well. Fourth: The custom panel diverting water so it appears somewhere other than the leak. On an integrated machine the panel and the plinth change where water shows itself, which misleads the diagnosis. Fifth: A failed door seal, a cracked sump or a leaking pump seal. Last because it needs a part and everything above it is free.
What to check, in order
- Establish whether the floor in front is wet or the adjacent cabinet base is wet
- Wipe the door gasket clean and run a finger round it for debris
- Run one cycle with a small measured dose of detergent
- Dry every connection in the adjacent cabinet and find the first damp spot
- Body: Each check rules out the causes above it. First, establish whether the floor in front is wet or the adjacent cabinet base is wet. Second, wipe the door gasket clean and run a finger round it for debris. Third, run one cycle with a small measured dose of detergent. Fourth, dry every connection in the adjacent cabinet and find the first damp spot.
Checks you can safely make yourself
- Dry the floor and the adjacent cabinet base completely, run a short cycle and note which becomes wet first — Tools: towel, paper — Time estimate: one short cycle
- Wipe the whole door gasket with a damp cloth and reseat any displaced section — Tools: cloth — Time estimate: a quarter of an hour
- Run a cycle with a single measured dose of dishwasher detergent and no additive, watching the door for foam — Tools: measuring spoon — Time estimate: one cycle
- Open the adjacent cabinet, dry every supply and drain fitting, run a cycle and feel each one for the first damp spot — Tools: paper towel, torch — Time estimate: one cycle
- Look behind the plinth with a torch for a water mark that shows where water has been running — Tools: torch — Time estimate: a quarter of an hour
- Body: Checks an owner can make with the machine switched off at the breaker, or by watching a cycle. Step one: Dry the floor and the adjacent cabinet base completely, run a short cycle and note which becomes wet first. Tools: towel, paper. Time: one short cycle. Step two: Wipe the whole door gasket with a damp cloth and reseat any displaced section. Tools: cloth. Time: a quarter of an hour. Step three: Run a cycle with a single measured dose of dishwasher detergent and no additive, watching the door for foam. Tools: measuring spoon. Time: one cycle. Step four: Open the adjacent cabinet, dry every supply and drain fitting, run a cycle and feel each one for the first damp spot. Tools: paper towel, torch. Time: one cycle. Step five: Look behind the plinth with a torch for a water mark that shows where water has been running. Tools: torch. Time: a quarter of an hour.
Safety first
Safety
Switch off at the breaker before reaching behind or under the machine, and dry the floor before you work. Water under a fitted kitchen can damage cabinetry long before it becomes visible, so treat a returning water mark as urgent even when the volume is small. 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 gasket is clean and intact, the detergent is correct, every connection in the cabinet is dry and water still appears. On an integrated machine, finding a sump or pump seal leak means removing the custom panel and drawing the machine out from under a worktop.
Nearest pages of the same kind
Generalized information
This page is generalized across the Cove dishwasher line. Fully integrated machines carrying a custom cabinet panel and machines with a finished front share the ranking above but not every part, and this page does not cover a specific model, control revision or installation. Family- and model-specific pages, where they exist, are linked below.
Links: - [Common COVE Dishwasher Problems](/blog/cove-dishwasher-problems) - [COVE Dishwasher: Abnormal Noise or Vibration](/blog/cove-dishwasher-abnormal-noise) - [COVE Dishwasher: Does Not Clean or Dry](/blog/cove-dishwasher-cleaning-performance) - [COVE Dishwasher: Controls, Display or Error Code](/blog/cove-dishwasher-control-fault)
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
