The short answer
Water from a Criterion dishwasher is most often leaving past the door rather than escaping from a pipe, and foam on the floor has only one cause. On this class the usual cause is a door seal that is dirty, hardened or displaced, with an installation that leaves the machine out of level or unsecured next to rule out, and both are owner checks.
What you actually observe
- Water pools at one front corner rather than across the front — A machine out of level or a door sitting proud at one side.
- Water at the front of the machine after a cycle — Where the water first shows narrows the list more than anything else.
- NEAR MISS: water standing inside the tub with a dry floor — That is a drainage failure and it has its own page.
The causes, most likely first on this brand
- A door seal that is dirty, hardened or displaced — The seal around the door carries the whole wash against the opening, and grease on it, a hardened section or a length that has come out of its channel all let water past. Ranked first on a Criterion unit: the seal fitted to these contract-built machines hardens sooner than a premium one and comes out of its channel at the corners.
- An installation that leaves the machine out of level or unsecured — A machine that leans forward pools water at the door and one that is not fixed to the worktop tips slightly when the door is opened loaded, and both leak at the front. Ranked second here: these are fitted by buyers more often than by installers, and an unlevelled or unsecured machine leaks at the front.
- A supply or drain fitting weeping under the sink — Ranked third here: basic fittings supplied with the machine weep before the machine is worn out.
- Hand dishwashing liquid or far too much detergent — Ranked fourth here: last, though it is quick to rule out by looking for foam.
Check in this order, and why this order
- Run a finger all the way round the seal and look for gaps or a greasy film — A seal out of its channel at one corner is visible once you look for it.
- Put a level across the door opening, front to back and side to side — A machine leaning forward is a leak with no broken part in it.
- Dry every fitting under the sink, then run a hand round each one after a cycle — A weeping joint leaves a mineral trace even when it is dry when you look.
What an owner can safely check
- Wash the seal and the face it closes against with hot water and detergent, and press it back into its channel — Grease holds a seal open more often than a torn seal does.
Tools: cloth, hot waterAbout 20 min
- Level the machine on its feet and check it is secured to the worktop or the cabinets — This is an installation job that owners can do and installers often skip.
Tools: spirit level, screwdriverAbout 30 min
- STOP HERE if the next step needs a meter on live terminals or a panel off — That is where an owner check ends and a service call begins.
Before you open anything
Safety
Switch the machine off at its breaker before reaching into the tub or under the sink, because the heating element in the floor stays hot long after a cycle. Water on a floor beside a powered appliance is a shock risk, so deal with the power before the puddle. Never put hand dishwashing liquid into a dishwasher, and close the isolating valve before disturbing any fitting.
When to call a technician
Call once the seal, the load, the detergent and the fittings are all clean and water still arrives, because an overfill fault or a pump seal needs the machine pulled out. Call sooner if the water appears under the middle of the machine rather than at the door, since that points past everything an owner can reach. Bear in mind when you decide that this is a retailer house brand built by a contract manufacturer, so parts come through the retailer rather than from a brand service network.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page covers the Criterion dishwasher as a class, not one family or model line. Seal profiles, fitting types and float arrangements all change from build to build and are deliberately not here. Where a family or model page exists for your machine, it is the more specific answer and the one to read first.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
