Washer Leaking: Main Causes

Studies have revealed that an average American family washes around 8 loads of laundry every week. This, in turn, translates to over 400 loads every year, and they can cause significant wear and tear to your washing machine. No wonder most washing machines tend to develop leaks or become less effective over time.

Luckily, most of the causes that cause your washing machine to leak can be fixed without the assistant of a professional technician. So, if you notice that your washing machine is leaking after every load, check out the things to determine if they might be causing your washer to leak. Please note that they apply to both front- and top-loading washers.

Understanding how water flows in your washer

When trying to understand what’s causing your washer to leak, take time to know how water flows through the machine. The flow of water starts at the water supply valves, located in the wall. These valves determine whether the washer gets cold or hot water during a wash cycle.

Now, the water flows from these valves via two hoses, which connect to the washing machine through two other valves. The interior of the washer has hoses that fill the tub with water and others that drain water from the tub. These hoses work together with pumps and motors, which manipulate the water when running a cycle. Most leaks in a washer happen when there is a malfunction in one of the stages in this process.

Now, when trying to find out the cause of your leaking washer, you need to note the location of the puddle. However, you should note that water flows and collects at the lowest point. So, if your floor or washer is not level, the source of the leak might not be above the water puddle. Therefore, make sure that your washer is level before solving the leaking problem.

Tilted or clogged overflow tube

The professional technicians from Hartman’s Jacksonville appliance repair say that this is a common cause of leaks on top-load washers. Most clogs are caused by excess suds. Excess suds are a result of using excess detergent or when you combine laundry products incorrectly. This problem is more prevalent in homes with a water softening system. Soft water requires less detergent for effective cleaning.

Therefore, it’s always important to check if you use the right amount of detergent. To do the test, you will need a freshly washed piece of cloth, like a hand towel. Place it in a bowl of hot water before drying. Now, if the water forms suds, chances are, you are using excess detergent.

Poorly connected drain hose

When you have a drain hose that’s not connected properly to the drainpipe, your washer can start leaking at the back. To solve this problem, make sure that the drain hose is properly fixed to the drain pipe.

In case you notice that the drain hose has some leaks, especially when you run a spin cycle, the drain pipe might be clogged—and this might be preventing water from continuing flowing down the drainpipe, thus making it back up and overflow.

Loosely connected fill hoses

This is another possible leak at the back of your washing machine. So, if your washer is leaking from the back and the drain hose is well connected, check the fill hoses. First, shut off the water supply and then remove the hoses. Inspect the rubber washes to see if they are in a good condition or if they were used when fixing the fill hoses.

Failing to use the rubber washers is a common thing and a common cause of washer leaks. When you replace and tighten the connections and realize that the washer is still leaking, replace the fill hoses. There’s a chance that the hoses have small leaks, which can become serious in the future.

Your washer is not in a level position

Once you ascertain that the leak is not coming from your hoses, check the feet of the washing machine to make sure that they are balanced. Your washing machine should be in a level and stable position. Washing machines tend to move around when running, and they can lean in one direction, leading to leaks.

Disconnected or broken drain pump

All washing machines have a drain pump, which sucks water out of the washer’s tub and pushes it down into the drain line—yes, that’s what happens, even if the drain line is situated above the tub. Now, a broken or disconnected drain pump can easily dump water all over the floor through the washer housing, and it needs to be fixed immediately.

Faulty water level switch

The water level switch in a washing machine is designed in a manner that tells the machine the amount of water required and when to stop filling it. One of the easiest ways to know if the water level switch is faulty is when the washer tub starts to overfill, which can cause the washing machine to leak. A washer’s water level switch is made of three components, which include an air-dome tube and pressure switch, which help to determine the water level. So, in case any of these three components are faulty, you might start to see an overfilling tub and leaks.