The answer first
A Lycan that leaks is nearly always leaking at a place you can see: the door seal, the inlet fitting, or the drain connection under the sink. The ranking is ordered for this brand; note when in the cycle the water appears before touching anything.
What you observe
- Water at the supply fitting under the sink — Nothing to do with the cycle: a fitting under pressure whenever the valve is open.
- Foam on the floor rather than clear water — Detergent, not a fault: washing-up liquid or an overdose lifts past the seal.
- Water running down the front of the door — The door seal, a door out of alignment, or foam lifting over the seal.
- NEAR MISS — water standing inside the base of the tub — That is a drainage fault, and the drainage page ranks it properly.
Causes, most likely first
- Detergent, foam and overfilling — Washing-up liquid in the dispenser, or far too much dishwasher detergent, produces foam that climbs past the door seal and out of the vent. The floor gets wet, nothing is broken, and it happens again on the next cycle with the same dose. Top of the list on this one: this machine is dosed by hand and by eye, and an overdose produces a leak that no amount of seal-checking will explain. Lycan machines are small-capacity units used the way a full-size machine is used, and overloading a small machine produces a fault list of its own before any part has worn.
- The machine is out of level — A dishwasher tilted forward spills over its door lip; one tilted back holds water where it should not. Machines slid into a cabinet run often end up sitting on their front feet with the rear ones short of the floor. Next in order: it takes a spirit level and two minutes, and it explains leaks that only happen when the tub is full.
- The supply fitting or the drain connection — The inlet fitting is under pressure whenever the valve is open, and the drain connection at the sink is under pressure every time the machine empties. Both live in the cupboard next door, and both leak onto a floor that is blamed on the appliance. Third: they explain the leaks in the adjacent cupboard rather than at the machine.
- The door seal or the door alignment — The seal around the door catches debris, hardens with age and splits at the corners. A door that has dropped, or one that is not latching square, holds the seal open at one point and lets water past there on every wash. Fourth: it is a real cause but the fittings above it are commoner and quicker to check.
What to check first, second, third
- Look at whether the water on the floor is foamy — Foam rather than water is detergent every time, and no seal in the world holds back foam under pressure.
- Put a level across the door opening and along the base — A machine tilted forward will spill over the door lip at the end of a fill regardless of how good its seal is.
- Dry the inlet and drain fittings and wrap each in paper towel — Within one cycle the towel shows which joint is weeping, without a tool being used.
Steps you can take safely
- Run one cycle with the correct dose and nothing else added — Never put washing-up liquid in a dishwasher. If the floor stays dry, the dose was the fault.
About 60 min
- Level the machine front to back and side to side — Adjust the feet with the machine pulled forward slightly, then check the door still closes square before pushing it home.
Tools: spirit level, adjustable spannerAbout 25 min
- Dry and check every fitting, then run one cycle and look again — Shut the supply valve before touching a fitting. Hand-tight plus a small nip — over-tightening splits the washer inside.
Tools: paper towel, adjustable spannerAbout 25 min
- STOP before pulling the machine out of its cabinet run to chase a leak — The hoses and the cable are short, and a machine pulled out on a wet floor is a hazard in itself.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the machine or switch off its breaker before removing a panel, and shut the water off at the valve under the sink before disturbing a connection. Let the machine cool before reaching into the tub — the element in the base holds heat well after the door is opened.
When to call a technician
Call when the seal is sound, the fittings are dry, the dose is right and water still appears — particularly if it arrives only during the drain step. Switch the machine off at its breaker and call at once if water is reaching a socket or spreading under adjacent units.
Close neighbours
The limits of this page
Generalized information. This page covers leaks on Lycan dishwashers as a class, not one family or model line; where a family-specific page exists it is the better answer and is linked above. Not covered here: seal part numbers, hose routing and figures that vary between families.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
