Front load washer leaking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Clarence Martin]

My Maytag front load washer that was made in Germany is leaking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Found out it is leaking just underneath the front . Looks like water dripping where the front legs are. I found a paper towel , or shreds of it, in the washer. Pulled everything out that I could see , Then ran an empty load of hot water to try and flush everything out. Still leaking.

Suggestions on where to start next ???

[Matt Day]

The warranty?

[Clarence Martin]

About 6 months past the extended warranty.

Here is what I did . Process of elimination.....


1. Checked the back hose. clean
2. Pulled the lower front cover off.


Thought it might have been that white plastic pump . so I checked that. There is a plastic turn knob on the pump. I tightened that as hard as I could . Then, with the washer started back up, I aimed the flashlight underneath . I thought the pump might have been leaking because there was water on it, BUT, The washer has this heavy concrete weight over the pump right in front. Water was dripping off of that. So, I aimed flashlight at that, and there is water coming around the metal and dripping down on the concrete weight.


I stopped the machine, opened it up and checked the rubber seal. It's stained dark, but I also noticed that it pulls off of the rim area around the white part that goes next to the stainless steel tub. A little too easy , I might add.

I think , and this is just a guess, but I think it might be the rubber seal that is causing the water leak .

[Bradley Gray]

We switched out our old top loader ( simple machine that I understood) about 5 years ago for a front loader. I dread the day I have to work on it.

My go to source for repairs is youtube Here's a Maytag video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTyVm22YST0

[Bill Orbine]

My experience with washing machines water problems is sawdust clogging the water level sensor. Yes, SAWDUST. Comes with the job. What I have is a tube hanging below the diaphragm switch. When tube is clogged, the switch has trouble sensing water levels one way or the other vs. atmospheric pressure. This happened to me a couple times. Maybe your washer has a similar type of switch. Maybe you got paper towels clogging the sensor switch. Are your water levels too high?

[Jim Becker]

Check that the debris filter (somewhere on the front behind a panel) isn't clogged, too.

[Stan Calow]

What Jim said. Debris filter clogging can do this.

[Tom M King]

You can probably find a video on youtube of that model with the same problem, and how to fix it. I've used that method for repairs on a front load washer and dryer.

[Mike Hollingsworth]

Probably the drain hose which is available on Amazon. You should have one on hand.

[Kent Adams]

We bought a very expensive German made front loader a few years ago and then it too started to leak, around the seals at the bottom. We replaced with a top loader. I'll never buy another front loader again.

[Clarence Martin]

Well, got it fixed this Morning. It was a hole in the rubber boot seal. Right next to the opening in the seal where the water comes pouring out when the washer is being filled. I could almost put my fist through the hole, it was that big!!! Had the owner of the store come out from where we bought it. 2 Months out of the extended warranty!!! Took him longer than I thought. Those Youtube videos always make it seem easier and quicker than it is.

And , of course, he had some special tool to help him get that spring band clamp thing on around the rubber part at the last end. Said the pliers cost $40.00.

Took almost an hour. Even cleaned up the door window .

[Tom M King]

That's good service, and probably a lot cheaper than replacing the washer. I probably already have those pliers, but for me, it would have been an excuse to buy another tool. We're far enough out that the service charge would have been three times the 40 bucks for the pliers.

[Barry McFadden]

We bought a very expensive German made front loader a few years ago and then it too started to leak, around the seals at the bottom. We replaced with a top loader. I'll never buy another front loader again.

+1 on that Kent...we bought a front load washer and dryer 3 years ago...dryer is fine...washing machine started to be really noisy...checked on the internet and tons of posts about the same problem and they all seemed to start with "we've only had it for 3 years" . The main drum bearing (being cheap and undersized) wears and has to be replaced. BIG JOB if you watch it being done on Youtube!! Some of the newer ones are sealed so you can't even get at the bearing. A front load washer is just simply a bad design and I can't believe they still make and sell them. We junked ours and bought a top loader. There is a company in town that will come and take it away for free and save me the trouble of taking it to the dump. He told me that 80% of the appliances he picks up are front load washers!!