Washing machine leaking water? Where it comes from and how to stop it

Water on the kitchen floor is never a good start to the day. The good part is that where it's leaking from usually tells you what's wrong. We attended 778 washing machine jobs for this fault in the last 12 months, and tracing it to the source is the first thing our engineers do. You can do the same.

Safety first

If water has reached the plug, the socket or an extension lead, leave it. Turn that circuit off at the fuse box and keep it off until everything's dry and checked. Otherwise pull the plug out and mop up, so you can watch where fresh water appears.

Work out where it's coming from

Leaking from the front is usually the door seal. A perished, split or gunked-up seal is the most common source of all. The water shows up at the door, often near the end of a cycle. Wipe it and check the lower folds for a tear, or for something trapped that's holding it open. A drawer that overflows, often from too much detergent, will also run down the front.

Leaking from underneath is usually a hose or the pump. The fill hoses at the back, the internal hoses, or the drain connection can split or work loose, so pull the machine out and follow the wet trail. A cracked pump housing or a failed tub seal leaks from the base during the wash, and that one's inside the machine.

When it's a repair

A perished seal, a split hose or a leaking pump all need replacing to stop the leak for good. Going on our own jobs, customers typically paid £108 to £206 in total for this repair, including parts and VAT (from 396 repairs). You'll have a fixed price before any work starts.

Book a washing machine repair

If you've found the leak and it's the seal, a hose or something underneath, book a washing machine repair or find your local washing machine engineer.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my washing machine leaking from the bottom?

A leak from underneath usually means a split or loose hose, a cracked pump housing or a failed tub seal. Pull the machine out and find where the water trail starts.

Why is it leaking from the front?

Most front leaks are the door seal, whether it's perished, split or held open by something trapped, or an overflow from the detergent drawer. Check and clean the seal folds first.

Is a leaking washing machine dangerous?

It can be if water reaches the plug or socket, so turn the circuit off and keep clear until it's dry. The leak itself is usually a straightforward fix once you've found the source.

How much does it cost?

Customers typically paid £108 to £206 in total for this fault, including parts and VAT (from 396 repairs). We confirm a fixed price before any work starts.

What our engineers found on 778 jobs

The figures below come from NAC's own repair records: 778 washing machine jobs our engineers attended for this fault, what they found, what fixed it and what it typically cost.

When a washing machine leaks, the most common cause is a torn door seal, the rubber ring around the door opening, which lets water escape at the front. The next most common is a leaking dispenser hose, the pipe that carries water to the detergent drawer. It can come off, wear out or be blocked by something like a stray piece of cloth. After that comes a leaking detergent dispenser, then a leaking inlet hose where it joins the water supply. Less often the door seal has simply come loose, and now and then the drain pump is leaking. Engineers also sometimes find a worn hose in the base of the machine.

An engineer usually starts by running the machine on a rinse or wash and watching where the water comes from. They check the door seal, the hoses and the supply connection, including behind the machine or under the sink. A loose hose or seal can often be refitted or tightened there and then, and a blockage cleared. Where a part is damaged, it often has to be ordered and fitted at a second visit. Once the repair is done, the engineer runs a cycle to make sure there are no more leaks.

Written by our engineers from these jobs.

Jobs attended: 778
Confirmed repairs: 416; This is not a success rate. Jobs inside their 60-day window, jobs still being classified, jobs held for review and visits that didn't end in a repair aren't counted.
Fixed at the first appointment: 33%; about 1 in 3 of our repairs
Typical total paid by customers: £108 to £206; including parts and VAT, from 396 repairs

What's usually behind it

The causes our engineers found and fixed, as a share of our 416 confirmed repairs for this fault.

Torn door seal: about 3 in 10 of our repairs, from 119 jobs.
29%
Leaking dispenser hose: about 1 in 7 of our repairs, from 60 jobs.
14%
Leaking detergent dispenser: about 1 in 8 of our repairs, from 54 jobs.
13%
Leaking inlet hose: about 1 in 11 of our repairs, from 37 jobs.
9%
Door seal come loose: about 1 in 11 of our repairs, from 36 jobs.
9%
Leaking drain pump: about 1 in 15 of our repairs, from 32 jobs.
8%

We only list causes with enough repairs behind them, so the shares won't add up to 100%.

Error codes we see with this fault

Bosch E35-10: Anti-flood fault, water detected in the base.
Hotpoint F5: Drain or water level fault, water not draining away.
Hotpoint F06: Door lock fault, often the lock not releasing at the end of the cycle.
Hotpoint F05: Drain fault, the machine cannot empty.
Bosch E18: Drain fault, the machine cannot empty the drum.

By brand

Brands with enough repairs of their own for this fault to show separately.

Hotpoint washing machine leaking

100 jobs, 51 confirmed repairs. Customers typically paid £145 to £194 (from 46 repairs). 20% fixed at the first appointment.