Washer Leaking From the Bottom? Where to Look First

There's water under the washer

The puddle isn't always under the leak. On an uneven floor, water from the back of a washer can show up at the front (opens in a new tab), and the other way around.

We'd start with the hose connections and the drain hose behind the washer, because GE says leaks at the back are often down to installation, the hoses or the plumbing. Everything worth checking yourself can be seen without moving the washer or running it.

Wet around the hose connections

Each fill hose connects at the faucet and at the back of the washer, and both ends need a hose washer (opens in a new tab) to seal. Look only at the ends you can see without moving or disturbing the washer. If one of those fittings is wet, its washer may be missing or damaged. Anything in the rear hookup you can't see stays with the installer.

Don't keep tightening a dripping fitting, because overtightening can damage the valve. When a connection is already hand tight and still leaking, GE's advice is to check for a missing or damaged rubber washer, and that means taking the hose off. Leave that to the installer, a plumber or appliance service.

While you're there, run your eye along the parts of each hose you can see for cracks or tears. A damaged inlet hose needs replacing (opens in a new tab), so have the installer, a plumber or appliance service replace it.

Water showed up while it was draining

Look at where the drain hose goes into the standpipe or laundry sink. A clogged or restricted standpipe overflows onto the floor (opens in a new tab) and can look just like a washer leak. If that's what you saw, we'd call a plumber, because it points to the household plumbing rather than the washer.

No overflow? Check the drain hose itself. One that has slipped out of the standpipe, or that's damaged, kinked, crushed or pinched, can leak as the washer drains. If yours is out of place or damaged, have the installer or appliance service fix it before you use the washer again.

Give the laundry tub, faucets, water heater and nearby water pipes a look for leaks too, and call a plumber if the water's coming from one of them.

Lots of suds, a packed tub or clothes added late

Too much detergent, or non-HE detergent in a high-efficiency washer, can make enough suds to spill over and drip onto the floor (opens in a new tab). If your water is soft, use less. On a top-loader that's leaking at the front, GE says oversudsing is the cause in most cases (opens in a new tab).

An overloaded or unbalanced load can cause a leak as well, so next time load the tub loosely instead of packing it tight.

On a top-loader, adding clothes after the cycle has started can raise the water high enough to spill over the inner tub and onto the floor. Whirlpool's top-load advice is to add no more than one or two small items once a wash has started on the highest water level.

If one of these matches what happened, sort that out for next time, but don't repeat the load change to test it. If none of them does, stop using the washer and book service.

Wet around the door or detergent drawer

On a front-loader, wait until the cycle has finished and the door opens normally, then look at the rubber door seal. Fold it back gently and check for hair, thread or soap buildup (opens in a new tab). Something as small as a single hair can cause a leak, so wipe the seal clean with a soft cloth.

Clothes caught in the door can cause drips too, so make sure nothing hangs over the edge of the drum when you close it. A torn or damaged seal needs appliance service.

Still on a front-loader, check that the detergent drawer is pushed fully closed. A drawer left slightly open, or one clogged with detergent buildup, can overflow and leak.

Did the leak start right after the drain pump filter was cleaned? A filter or drain hose cap that isn't put back properly can leak (opens in a new tab). Stop using the washer and tell the service provider exactly that when you book.

On a Whirlpool WTW4957PW top-loader

For this model, Whirlpool recommends replacing the fill hoses every 5 years (opens in a new tab) to reduce the risk of hose failure, and replacing any hose that shows bulges, kinks, cuts, wear or leaks. Have the installer or an appliance service provider do the replacement.

Whoever fits the new hoses should use new washers in them, and shouldn't overtighten the hoses or put tape or sealant on the valves, since that can damage the valves.

The drain hose has to be secured in the standpipe or laundry tub, and a floor drain needs a different setup with its own installation check. If the leak began after the washer was installed or moved, say so when you book. It gives the installer a reason to check the whole hookup, including the connections at the back, without you reaching behind or underneath the washer.

Who to call and what to tell them

If the outside checks don't explain the water, it may be coming from inside the cabinet, from parts such as the drain pump or the tub seals (opens in a new tab). Leave those to an appliance technician.

• The standpipe or sink overflowed: call a plumber.
• A hose fitting is wet, a hose is damaged, the drain hose has slipped, or the leak started after installation: call the installer or book appliance service.
• The door seal is torn, the leak started right after the drain pump filter was cleaned, or you can't trace the leak from the outside: stop using the washer and book appliance service.

Book service through your washer brand's support site or service line. Tell them the model number, when you first noticed the water, the first wet spot you found and anything that changed recently, such as a new install, a move, a different detergent or clothes added mid-cycle. If you don't know when it started, say that too.

WTW4957PW owners can book through Whirlpool's support page (opens in a new tab).