Dishwasher leaking: what to do and what to check

Stop the water first. The puddle can wait.

The answer in 2 lines. Stop the dishwasher using safely accessible controls, isolate its water supply and keep clear of wet electrics. If necessary, turn off the water at the home's stop tap. Do not unplug it through a puddle or pull it from beneath the worktop to investigate. Once safe, photograph the leak and damage without running another cycle. A puddle at the door does not prove that the door seal is responsible. Arrange assessment if the source is hidden or the leak persists.

The first steps

Close the appliance's water isolating valve if you can identify and reach it safely. Otherwise, use the home's internal stop tap. Do not force a seized valve.
Keep away from wet plugs, sockets and cables. Isolate the electricity at a dry, safely accessible switch or consumer unit; do not cross water to reach it.
After making the area safe, contain accessible water and photograph the puddle, visible connections and damage. Keep the dishwasher off.

Stop: danger

Water near electrics: do not touch the appliance or a wet socket. If you cannot isolate safely, keep everyone clear and get urgent qualified help.
Smoke, fire or immediate danger: get out and call 999. Do not return to disconnect the appliance or collect belongings.

Where is the water appearing?

Note whether you found water along the door edge, beside an accessible hose connection, around the waste connection or beneath neighbouring cupboards. These observations help direct an inspection, but water can travel before it becomes visible.

Write down whether the machine was filling, washing, draining or switched off when you first noticed the leak, if you already know. Do not restart it to fill gaps in your account. Save any error message exactly as displayed; an alert disappearing does not establish that the problem has been repaired.

What you can inspect safely

With the electricity isolated, water shut off and appliance cool, look only at accessible areas. Check for a utensil or other obstruction preventing normal door closure. Observe the exposed seal for damage or trapped debris without pulling it out.

Read Which?’s dishwasher fault guide for its explanation of door seals and spray-arm problems. Compare those possibilities with your instructions, rather than assuming that water at the front means the seal needs replacement. Leave work requiring door removal to a qualified repair technician.

Hidden leaks need assessment

Do not remove the plinth, side panels or electrical covers to trace water inside. Avoid tilting the machine to clear an alarm: that can hide evidence while leaving the cause unresolved. An integrated dishwasher need not be pulled out for your initial observations.

If a connection is visibly wet, photograph it rather than tightening it at random. Tell the installer if the problem began after fitting or moving the appliance. Ask the attending professional to distinguish an appliance fault from a problem with the home's plumbing or waste connection, so the proposed work is clear.

What not to do

Running another cycle to film the leak.
Using glue or tape as a permanent repair to a leaking connection.
Adding washing-up liquid or another product not approved for the appliance.
Resetting a tripping circuit repeatedly or reconnecting equipment that has become wet.

Arrange the right repair

Request qualified help when the origin is hidden, a hose is damaged, the door continues to leak or there are electrical warning signs. Explain whether water reached the plug, socket or nearby wiring. A plumbing repair alone does not establish that wet electrical equipment is safe to use.

Use Electrical Safety First’s dishwasher advice to review its installation and warning-sign sections. Its kitchen safety guidance explains the importance of accessible isolation and avoiding electrical equipment with wet hands.

If the floor, cupboards or another home are damaged

Tell your home insurer promptly using the claims contact in your policy. Describe the damage without waiting for a final diagnosis. Keep photographs, receipts and repair records, and ask what damaged materials should be retained.

Consult the ABI home-insurance guidance under making a claim, then check your own cover and excess. Ask separately about damage caused by escaping water and the cost of repairing the dishwasher. Before non-urgent reinstatement, agree the proposed work with your insurer.

If you rent, notify your landlord or managing agent in writing about damage and any supplied appliance. Alert an affected neighbour where appropriate.

Good to know

Before approving a repair, obtain a written breakdown of assessment, call-out, labour and parts charges, and ask how additional work will be authorised.
If a supplied fault may be involved, contact the seller. Use Citizens Advice’s England faulty-goods page to check possible remedies. For Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, select the relevant country.
For a fire, follow the fire service’s emergency instructions: leave, call 999 and ask for the fire service.

Illustrative example: Aisha finds water beside her dishwasher after a wash. She isolates the supplies safely and photographs an accessible damp connection without restarting it. She tells the repair technician what she observed and contacts her insurer because the neighbouring cupboard has swollen. The inspection establishes the source.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on 6 November 2026, for England. Confidence: high for electrical precautions and the approach to consumer and insurance enquiries; medium for technical interpretation. Hidden leaks require diagnosis. Insurance cover, excesses and notification requirements depend on the policy; no universal amount or deadline is asserted.