A leak that appears at the front, at or just below the door, almost always means the boot seal. Either it has torn — commonly on a bra underwire, coin or zip — or debris in the fold is holding the seal open slightly as the drum turns. Open the door and run a finger right around the inside of the fold; tears are often hidden underneath the lip. This is the most common leak on a front-loader by a wide margin. See our full page on door seal replacement for what the fix costs.
A puddle appearing under the cabinet rather than at the door points further back. The usual suspects are the drain hose connection, the inlet hoses at the back, the drain pump housing, or the filter cap not seated properly after a clean. Less commonly, the outer tub seal behind the drum has failed, which is a significant repair and often arrives alongside bearing noise — the same leaking water is what destroys the bearing.
If the "leak" is foamy, or appears mainly on longer or hotter cycles, the cause may be detergent rather than a failed part. Front-loaders use a fraction of the water a top-loader does and need HE detergent. Regular detergent, or too much HE detergent, creates more foam than the drum can contain, and it escapes past the door seal. This looks exactly like a torn boot and costs nothing to fix. It is worth ruling out before booking anyone.
Water escaping inside the cabinet can reach the motor, the wiring harness and the control board, which turns a moderate repair into an expensive one. If the machine is leaking, stop using it, turn off the supply taps, and get it looked at.
A hose or clamp is often a very small job. Door boot replacement generally runs $120 to $500. Drain pump work typically runs $100 to $250. A failed tub seal, usually taken on together with the bearing, runs into several hundred dollars and on an older machine can approach the point where replacement makes more sense. Your technician will quote a flat price before starting.
Free quote before any work starts. No obligation.
Tell us what the machine is doing, the brand, and roughly where you are.
A local technician gives you a flat price before any work starts.
Depends on your local partner's schedule — we'll give you a straight answer.
They're an independent business. If it's not right, we'll send another partner at no extra cost.