Answer first
On a Wizard dishwasher, leaking onto the floor usually comes down to a hardened or displaced door gasket, with a door out of alignment, or a latch that no longer pulls it flat next. Note which cycles leak and which do not, because a selective leak is telling you something a constant one is not.
What you actually observe
- Water on the floor at the front of the machine — Usually at the door's bottom edge, in a line.
- Water appearing only on the longer or hotter cycles — A leak that is selective is telling you about temperature, volume or door alignment.
- NEAR MISS — the machine also will not drain — An overfilled tub leaks because it is overfilled; start with the drainage page for this machine.
Causes, most likely first on this platform
- A hardened or displaced door gasket — First on a machine of this age. A gasket that has been compressed for decades is hard, cracked at the corners, and no longer recovers between cycles.
- A door out of alignment, or a latch that no longer pulls it flat — Second: hinges and a latch this old no longer pull the door flat, so one corner seals and the other does not, and the leak only shows on the long hot cycles.
- The wash pump shaft seal weeping — Third. A shaft seal with this many hours on it weeps under the tub centre, and it is invisible until the machine is pulled out.
- The fill or drain hose fitting under the machine — Fourth, and worth checking while the machine is out for the third: old fittings are brittle and disturbing them is exactly when they start to leak.
Check in this order, and why that order
- Run a finger round the gasket and look at the corners — Hard, cracked or displaced at a corner is where a door leak starts. It goes first: top-ranked above, and free to rule out.
- Close the door and look along its edge against the cabinet — A door that sits proud at one corner seals at one corner and not the other. Second: the next cause in the ranking, and this check separates it from the first.
- Look under the tub centre after a cycle — A slow weep under the middle of the machine is a shaft seal. Third, once both checks above come back clean.
What an owner can safely check
- Wipe the gasket and its channel clean, then press it back into place all the way round — A gasket that has crept out of its channel reseats by hand and stops leaking immediately.
Tools: clothAbout 10 min
- Close the door and look along its edge against the cabinet — A door that sits proud at one corner seals at one corner and not the other. Note what you find.
About 5 min
- Look under the tub centre after a cycle — A slow weep under the middle of the machine is a shaft seal. Note what you find.
About 5 min
- STOP HERE if the next step needs the machine unplugged and a panel removed — Anything behind the outer panel of a machine holding water and mains wiring is a service call.
Before you take anything off
Safety
Unplug the machine or switch off its breaker before removing any panel; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off, and this machine holds water and mains wiring in one cabinet. Never defeat the door latch switch, and never reach into a sump or a drain pump that is still plugged in: broken glass goes through a rubber glove.
Where an owner check ends
Call once the gasket, the detergent and the fill level have all been ruled out, because the remaining causes are underneath the machine. Stop using it and call straight away if water is reaching the cabinet floor, a kick-board is swelling, or the machine trips a breaker. On a machine of this age, ask what the repair costs against what the machine is worth before agreeing to it, and ask whether the part can still be sourced.
Where to go next in this class
What this page does not cover
This page is written for the Wizard dishwasher as a class, not for one family or model line. Where a family- or model-specific page exists for your unit it is linked here, and it is the more specific answer. Not here: part numbers, wiring colours, torque figures, panel sequences and component ratings, which differ by family.
Links: - [Wizard dishwasher leaving dishes dirty: what to check first](/blog/wizard-dishwasher-cleaning-performance) - [Wizard dishwasher not draining: water left in the bottom](/blog/wizard-dishwasher-drainage-failure) - [Willz dishwasher leaking onto the floor: where it starts](/blog/willz-dishwasher-water-leak)
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
