Home Garden

The Door Seal on My Frigidaire Dishwasher Leaks in the Middle

It's never pleasant to go to open your Frigidaire dishwasher only to find a puddle of water beneath. If the problem is a leaking door seal, you may be able to fix the problem quicker than you think. The process is fairly simple and, in some cases, you may not even need to use any tools.
  1. Dishwasher Cycles

    • Frigidaire dishwashers operate on a number of cycles to clean your dishes. The first cycle is the wash cycle. Water from your home plumbing enters the dishwasher and mixes with soap inside. A pump pumps this mixture through a spinning arm, which sprays the dishes inside and helps to power off food debris. After the wash cycle, the process is repeated in the rinse cycle, only this time without the soap. The dirty rinse water is pumped out of the dishwasher. A heating element inside the dishwasher then dries the dishes.

    Door Seals

    • The purpose of the door seal in your Frigidaire dishwasher is to keep the water inside the appliance from leaking out. The seal sits inside a narrow channel that runs around the inside perimeter of the door (or sometimes around the dishwasher cabinet, depending on your Frigidaire model). When the washer door shuts, a narrow ridge on the exterior of the washer door cabinet squeezes the seal into the channel, keeping the door connection watertight.

    Door Leaks

    • Door seal leaks are fairly easy to spot because they will appear only when the dishwasher is running. They are usually indicated by a puddle of water at the base of the dishwasher, just below the door. The door seal is made out of rubber or similar material and, after constant exposure to the high temperatures and humidity inside a dishwasher, may eventually fail.

    Repairing a Frigidaire Door Seal Leak

    • Before tackling the leak, turn off the electricity to the dishwasher at the main circuit breaker. Bail out any water inside the dishwasher so it doesn't splash out while you're working. Look for any clips holding the seal in place in the bottom of the channel. Grasp the end of the seal with your fingers or a pair of needle nose pliers. Pull the gasket out of the seal all the way around the door or cabinet. Take the new seal and soak it in a sink full of warm water for about 15 minutes to allow it to soften. Press the new seal in place, starting at the top of the cabinet or door and working your way around each edge.