Dishwasher Appears to Be Leaking From the Side

Soapy Leak

• Believe it or not, soap is one of the most common reasons a dishwasher leaks from the sides of the door. If you are using a good detergent, you shouldn’t have this problem. But if it is a poor quality detergent or the wrong kind of soap it could lead to leaking. If you see a sudsy mess coming out of the door you can stop the machine and open the door to check the suds level on top of the water in the tub. There shouldn’t be more than a half-inch of suds. Often, excessive suds are caused by liquid dish soap remaining on dishes that go into the washing machine. Even a drop or two of this liquid can cause a leak. If you’ve put this type of soap in the dishwasher, pour some vinegar into the washer and start it up again to get rid of the suds.

Door Gasket

• If your dishwasher’s rubber door gasket is torn, otherwise damaged or even dirty it can allow water to seep out of the sides of the door. Inspect your gaskets from time to time to make sure they are clean and in good condition. If they have obvious damage, replace them to prevent this type of leaking. The gasket’s job is to seal the opening so no water gets out.

Soap Cup

• Sometimes a leak can develop in the soap cup. This is the cup with the spring-loaded lid that pops open during the wash cycle to release the detergent. To check this you will have to disconnect power to the dishwasher and remove the inner door from the outside door. You can do this by removing the screws that hold it together. The insulation inside the door will be wet around the area where the cup is located if this is the problem. You can replace the cup and rinse aid dispenser if necessary to stop this leak from the bottom of the door. The leak is likely to be on the right side since that’s where the cup is typically located.

Wash Arm

• Inside the dishwasher is a washer arm that spins and shoots water onto the dishes to scour off stuck-on foods. If the housing or the arm itself if broken, then the water may be shooting down into the hinge area of the door. This could cause leaking because of the force of water hitting the door. Physically inspect the arm and housing for cracks or loose parts.

Hoses

• Behind the lower access panel on the front of your dishwasher are various hoses. These rubber hoses carry water to the parts inside the appliance. If one of them is leaking the water will drip under the machine. This could be anywhere underneath, depending on the model, but it can certainly cause water to pool under the dishwasher and puddle on one side. You may need to tighten the hose's clamp or replace the hose entirely.