A leaking washer can flood a laundry room fast. The good news: 80% of washer leaks come from one of four spots, and you can identify which by where the water shows up. Here's the order to check.
Most washer symptoms get diagnosed and fixed on the first visit. Flat $129 diagnostic — fully waived when you approve the repair.
Step-by-step
Pause the cycle, drain via manual drain plug if needed (see washer drain guide), unplug. Pull the washer out 12 inches so you can see all four sides.
Pull the rubber boot back and look at the bottom-front fold for tears, hair pins, coins, or stuck debris. Even a small tear leaks during high-pressure spin. A small tear gets a $30 gasket replacement; major tears, a $100 part.
Behind the washer, two hoses (hot/cold) connect to the supply valves. Tighten finger-tight + 1/4 turn. Look for cracks, bulges, or rust at the fittings. Burst-prevention 'no-burst' braided hoses are $25/pair and worth every penny — replace rubber hoses older than 5 years.
The drain hose runs from the back of the washer up into a standpipe or laundry tub. Look for splits, kinks, or a loose clamp where it joins the pump. Make sure it has a high loop above the water level in the tub — without it, the washer siphons constantly.
Front-loaders: open the bottom-front access panel and look for a wet pump body or wet floor under it. Pump seal leaks puddle directly under the front of the washer during the drain cycle.
Push the washer back partially — leave 12 inches so you can see. Plug in, start a rinse-and-spin. Watch each suspect area through the full cycle. Where the water appears tells you the source.
Stop and call
Safety + model triggers
Active leak during fill cycle that you can't stop by pausing the cycle.
Fill hose burst or inlet valve stuck open — close the hot/cold supply valves at the wall NOW.
Burning smell, smoke, or sparking with the leak.
Water reaching the motor or control board — unplug at the breaker before touching.
Water leaks from inside the cabinet during the spin cycle, not the door or hoses.
Tub seal or bearing failure — major repair, often replace at this age.
Stacked unit, pedestal install, or closet-installed front-loader you can't pull out.
No safe access without unstacking and shutting off feeds — tech has the rigging.
Other reasons to call
FAQs
Most likely the drain pump seal, the drain hose connection, or — on front-loaders — the door gasket dripping down inside the cabinet. Pull the washer out and run a cycle while watching where the water appears.
Door gasket: $220–$380. Drain pump: $220–$340. Hose replacement: $149–$220. Tub seal/bearing: $450–$700 (often not worth it). Our flat $129 diagnostic is waived with repair.
Either a torn gasket (look at the bottom fold), debris caught in the seal, or an overloaded load forcing soap and water past the seal. Wipe and inspect the gasket monthly.
No. Even a small leak floods quickly during the spin cycle. Stop using it, find the source, and shut off the supply valves at the wall until it's fixed.
Every 5 years for rubber hoses, every 8–10 years for braided stainless. Burst supply hoses are the #1 cause of laundry-room flood claims — replace before they fail.
Related service
Front-load, top-load, stacked, or combo unit — when your washer quits mid-cycle, we get there fast. Same-day windows across Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Central MN with OEM parts on every truck and a flat $129 diagnostic that's fully waived when you approve the repair.
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