The short answer
A Crosley CDB dishwasher that leaks is usually leaking at the door or from foam, not from a failed pump. This family is two series of one under-counter machine, and because it lives behind a kickboard, the important first job is to find out whether the water is coming from the door face or from underneath — those two lead in completely different directions.
What you observe
- Water on the floor directly in front of the door — The door seal, the latch adjustment, or foam.
- Foam visible around the door edge — The wrong detergent or too much of it.
- Water spreading from under the kickboard — A connection, a tub hose or the pump seal.
- A leak only on the fill — The inlet valve or the supply connection beneath the sink.
- NEAR MISS — water on the worktop near the air gap — The air gap is blocked and is discharging; clear it and check the drain hose.
Causes, most likely first on this family
- Door seal and door alignment — First on this family: the seal takes a set over years, and a door that sits slightly proud leaks along the bottom edge before anywhere else.
- Detergent foam — Second, and reversible in one cycle — which is why it is worth ruling out before anything is dismantled.
- Supply and drain connections under the sink — Third, and identified by water that appears only while the machine fills or drains.
- Tub hoses, clamps and the pump seal — Fourth, and the group that produces a steady leak under the machine regardless of stage.
- Cracked sump or a tub seam — Last, least common, and the one that decides repair against replacement.
Check in this order, and why
- Paper on the floor front and back, then run a cycle — Front or underneath is the split that decides everything else, and it costs nothing.
- Inspect the door seal along its whole length and close the door on paper — A seal that does not grip and a door that sits proud are both visible in a minute.
- Run a rinse cycle with no detergent at all — If the leak stops, it was foam.
- Check the connections under the sink by hand — Left until last because it means emptying the cupboard, and the earlier steps usually answer it.
Before you open anything
Safety
Switch off the dishwasher at its breaker before removing the kick panel or the pump access; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off, and the junction box under these machines shares its space with the water. Shut the supply valve under the sink first, expect standing water in the sump, and never bypass the door latch switch to run the machine open.
Models in the CDB family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| CDB350***B | crosley:dishwasher:cdb |
| CDB500***B | crosley:dishwasher:cdb |
When to call a technician
Cleaning and adjusting a door seal, correcting detergent and tightening a hose union are owner work. Call a technician for a leak under the machine with the connections dry, since that means the pump or the tub, and call before removing a machine that is plumbed and wired in place. Call at once if water is reaching the junction box or an outlet under the sink.
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Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
