Dishwasher Leaking Onto the Floor: Find Where the Water Comes From

Where the water shows up tells you where it comes from. Water at the front edge of the door during a cycle is a door problem. Water spreading from under the dishwasher — often noticed as a soft floor or a stain in the ceiling below — comes from a connection, a valve or the pump underneath. A leak under a dishwasher damages the subfloor long before it is visible, so treat it as urgent.

Before you open anything: switch off the dishwasher's circuit breaker (or unplug it under the sink, if it plugs in) and close the hot-water valve under the sink. The heating element and the water in the tub stay hot for a while after a cycle, and water sitting in the sump comes out when you open the pump or the drain hose.

Water at the front of the door

• Wrong detergent. Hand dishwashing liquid, even a few drops, makes foam that pushes out past the door seal. If anyone has recently used it, wipe out the tub, run a rinse cycle empty, and the leak usually stops.
• The dishwasher is not level. A unit tilted forward runs water toward the door. Place a level on the open door and on the rack rail, and adjust the front feet.
• The door gasket. Run your fingers along the gasket around the tub opening. Food debris, a flattened section or a tear lets water past. Clean it first; replace it if it is torn or hard.
• The lower door seal. Many models have a separate strip along the bottom of the door. It wears out and is often the source of a drip at the bottom corners.

Water from underneath

Keep the kick panel on for this test: the wiring box sits behind it, close to where the water is. Dry the floor and slide dry paper or cardboard under the front of the dishwasher. Open the hot-water valve, restore power and run a short cycle, and stay with it: if water spreads, switch the breaker off and close the valve right away. When the cycle ends, switch the breaker off, close the valve, take off the kick panel at the bottom front (two screws on most models) and use a flashlight to see where it is wet.

• Inlet valve and its fitting. The hot-water line connects to the inlet valve behind the kick panel. Water at the fitting points to the connection; a crack in the valve body, or a valve that keeps filling even with the dishwasher off, is the valve.
• Drain hose. Check the clamp at the pump and the hose for splits, especially where it rubs against the frame.
• The pump. A leak from the pump body or its seal leaves the wet spot under the center of the unit.

The tub overfills

If water rises above the door opening, the dishwasher is overfilling. The float in the front corner of the tub tells the control when to stop filling; if it is stuck down, or its switch has failed, filling does not stop. An inlet valve that lets water in with the power off overfills the tub the same way.

Before you order the part

Dishwasher parts are model-specific, and manufacturers revise them during a production run — the same brand and look can hide a different pump or valve. The model plate is your only reliable source. On most dishwashers it is on the edge of the inner door, at the top or along one side, visible with the door open. If you are not sure where to look, our model number guide shows each spot.

Ask before you install. Not sure it fits? Check your model number for free before you buy. Our fit check is optional; if it does not come back as a clear match, send us the full model number through Contact us before you order. Once a part has been installed we can only take it back if it arrived defective, we shipped the wrong item, or the listing was wrong on our end, and it has to come back in the condition it went out in. Checking first is faster than returning.