The GradedAppliance Hub

Washing machine is leaking water

Water on the floor around the machine. The critical first step is working out when it leaks — on fill, during the wash, or only on spin — because that alone narrows six possible causes down to about two.

Verdict

DIY-able with care

Involves dismantling or a part swap — confident DIYers only

Urgency
Urgent

About 1 hr to work through

Typical cost

Free to £220

DIY: Up to £60 in parts

Before you start

  • Electrical safety: Water and a mains appliance. Unplug at the wall before investigating, and do not stand in the water while touching the machine.

  • Water: Turn off the supply tap. A slow leak left running will damage flooring and, in a flat, the ceiling below.

What causes it, most likely first

  1. Split door seal

    Most likely

    The rubber boot between door and tub perishes and splits, usually low down where water sits. It leaks only when the drum is full or spinning, so the floor can look dry between cycles.

    How to check: Peel back the outer lip of the seal and run a finger round the lower half feeling for splits and trapped grit.

    Door seal / bellows£18–£50 for the partDIY with care

  2. Loose or perished filter cap seal

    Common

    A cross-threaded filter, or one whose rubber seal has hardened, drips steadily. Suspect it strongly if the leak started right after someone cleaned the filter.

    How to check: Check the filter is screwed in squarely and its seal is soft and intact.

  3. Overflowing detergent drawer

    Common

    A scaled-up drawer housing backs up during fill and overflows down the front of the machine. Look for detergent residue down the front left of the cabinet.

    How to check: Pull the drawer right out and check the housing above it for scale and sludge.

  4. Leaking fill or drain hose connection

    Common

    A loose fill hose weeps at the tap or the machine end; a drain hose can work loose at the standpipe. Both leave water behind the machine rather than in front.

    How to check: Pull the machine out and feel each connection with a dry tissue while the machine fills.

  5. Split internal hose or sump

    Occasional

    Internal hoses harden and crack with vibration and heat cycling. Finding which one needs the lid and often the front panel off.

  6. Failed drum bearing seal

    Occasional

    Water past the shaft seal runs down the back of the tub. Usually preceded by months of roaring on spin, and often the point at which replacement beats repair.

    Drum bearing kit£25–£70 for the partEngineer

What to check, in order

  1. Isolate and make safe

    Unplug at the wall and turn off the supply tap. Mop up so you can see fresh water appearing rather than old.

    5 minTowels

  2. Work out when it leaks

    Run a short cycle with the machine pulled out and watch. Leaking on fill points at hoses or the detergent drawer. Leaking during the wash points at the door seal or sump. Leaking only on spin points at the seal or the bearings. This single observation is worth more than any other check.

    30 minTorch

  3. Check the easy things

    Feel both hose connections with a dry tissue. Check the filter cap is square and its seal soft. Pull the detergent drawer out and look for scale in the housing above it.

    15 minTorch, Dry tissue

  4. Inspect the door seal properly

    Peel back the outer lip of the rubber boot and work right round the lower half with a finger, feeling for splits and pulling out trapped grit and coins.

    10 min

  5. Call an engineer if it is internal

    If the leak is not at a hose, the filter, the drawer or the seal, it is inside the cabinet and needs panels off. Tell them when in the cycle it leaks — it saves them the diagnostic time you already spent.

    5 min

Need an engineer for this?

We list 83 washing machine repair businesses across the UK. Diagnostic callouts typically start around £55, and many will put that towards the repair if you go ahead.

Find washing machine engineers near you

Parts you might need

Typical UK prices for the part alone, before fitting. Worth knowing before you accept a quote — the part is often a small share of what a repair is priced at.

  • Door seal / bellows

    The flexible rubber boot between the door and the tub. Splits in the lower half leak only on fill or spin, which makes them easy to miss.

    £18–£50

  • Drum bearing kit

    The bearings the drum spins on, plus the shaft seal. Replacing them is a full strip-down and is often the point at which a repair stops being worth it.

    £25–£70

Worth repairing, or replace it?

At the top of this range the repair costs a significant share of a graded replacement, which typically starts around £200. Worth getting the quote first, then deciding — on a machine under about five years old a repair usually still wins.

Work out if it's worth fixingCompare graded washing machines

Is there an error code on the display?

If your washing machine is showing a code, that will narrow the diagnosis a lot further than symptoms alone.

Look up your error code

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