The answer first
Water from a Criterion dishwasher is serious out of proportion to its volume because the machine sits in a fitted cabinet: a slow leak damages the carcass and the floor before anybody sees a puddle. Close the water valve first and investigate second. The checks are ordered so the cheap ones eliminate the expensive ones.
How it presents
- Water along the front of the door at floor level — The door seal or the lower door gasket, which is the most accessible source. It is the sort of check a technician does first, for the same reason.
- Water only during the drain phase — The drain hose or its connection rather than the fill side or the door. Mention it when you book a visit; it changes which parts a technician brings.
- Foam coming out of the door — The wrong detergent or too much of it: suds push past a seal that is otherwise sound. This is the cheapest information available on the machine.
- NEAR MISS: water inside the tub at the end of a cycle — That is a drainage fault rather than a leak, and it belongs on the drainage page. Write it down before anybody comes out; a described symptom is worth more than a remembered one.
What causes it, in order of likelihood
- A perished or dirty door seal — First because it is the most accessible cause and the one most affected by residue and age. Rule it in or out before moving on, because the next check assumes an answer to this one.
- A loose or perished hose connection — Vibration and heat cycles loosen connections, and the inlet side is under mains pressure whenever the valve is open. It earns this slot because it explains the whole symptom rather than part of it.
- A cracked sump or a failed pump seal — A slow leak inside the housing that does its damage before it is discovered. Compare it with how the machine behaved a month ago rather than with how you expect it to behave.
- A leaking drain hose or its waste connection — Water only when the machine pumps, which is a useful and specific signature. Confirming it costs less than assuming it, which is why it is worth the few minutes.
Where to start, and why there
- Look along the bottom of the door seal — Residue, splits and hardening are all visible with the door open. It is placed here on how often it turns up, not on how serious it would be.
- Put kitchen paper along the cabinet floor — It shows where water arrives first when the leak is hidden inside a fitted housing. It is the sort of check a technician does first, for the same reason.
- Halve the detergent and run the same programme — If the leak stops, it was suds and nothing has failed. It belongs in the order here because the check for it is cheap and the answer is unambiguous.
Owner steps, in order
- Close the supply valve and dry the area — Under the sink for the valve, then towels along the cabinet floor so you can read what happens next. The value is in eliminating, not confirming; most of these come back negative and that is useful.
Tools: towelAbout 15 min
- Switch to the correct detergent and halve the dose — Only dishwasher detergent, never washing-up liquid, and less of it than the pack suggests. Have a towel to hand before you start.
About 10 min
- Lay kitchen paper and run a short programme — Watch the paper rather than the machine: the first wet patch tells you where to look. Do it with the machine in its normal state rather than after you have already changed something.
Tools: kitchen paperAbout 25 min
- This is where the owner checks end — That is the boundary between a homeowner check and a service call, and it is not a soft one.
Power, water and hands
Safety
Switch off and unplug before a single fastener comes out. An isolated appliance can still have charge in it, and that is the reason for the pause. Do not run a cycle to test something while the machine is open or pulled out of its housing. Keep every safety switch in circuit, in the state the factory left it.
The handover point
The honest boundary is this. The valve, the seal, the detergent and the visible connections are yours; the sump, the pump seals and anything requiring the machine to come out are not. The split is worth respecting even when the part looks simple. Call promptly if water has reached the floor more than once, since a leak that returns has usually found a path you cannot see.
Related pages of the same kind
What is deliberately not here
What follows covers Criterion dishwashers broadly; it does not pretend to know which family you own.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
