DIY Washer Repair for Leaking Soap Dispenser Tray

"If you define the problem correctly, you almost have the solution." ~ Steve Jobs

Last week, my spouse told me the washing machine is leaking water.  She noticed some puddle wetness on a runner in the laundry room.  We couldn't see the where the leak was coming from.  Her first guess was it was from under the washer.

Being an engineer, I wanted to find the cause of the leak and try to fix it before calling a repair service.  First, looked underneath the washer.   Looked dry except for the corner under the drain filter.   I had cleaned the filter earlier this month and maybe, I didn't reinstall it correctly.  I checked and reinstalled it.   Started the washer and there was no leak at the filter, but still a leak on the floor from an unknown location.

I put some paper towels under the washer and they only got wet at the front left corner.  I was starting to worry that I might have to move the washer dryer stack to inspect underneath. 

Then, I happen to notice some water drips below the soap dispenser at the upper left corner.  I checked to make sure the soap dispenser drain wasn't clogged.  I also cleaned the soap dispenser tray to clear and clog that would cause water overflow.  Neither had a clog and water still leaked at soap dispenser when I ran the washer

Finally, I decided to run the washer with the soap dispenser tray removed.   I noticed that the overhead water spray was directed slightly outward to cause slight overflow and a leak.  My first solution was to clean to spouts in case calcium buildup from hard water was misdirecting the spray.  That didn't work.  Next I turned down the water pressure to reduce the spray force.  That helped but didn't eliminate the leakage.  Finally, I created a gasket with some foam tape to close the 3/32" gap the water was leaking through.  That worked  I will continue to monitor and adjust the fix if needed.

I expect if I called a repair service, they may have found the issue faster, but would have recommended replacing the entire soap dispenser spray unit.   I estimate that would have been at least $53.95 in parts and at least $250 in service call plus labor.  My solution cost me about 2 hours of finding the cause and 30 minutes of trying solution.  I already had the foam tape from another project and there was no additional parts cost.

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This is not financial nor repair advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

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