water under washing machine is getting worse and 3yrs later a new problem!

We have had this Maytag top loading machine for thirty years...bought new in 1990 when my mom lived with us because we were washing her bedding and clothes almost every day for that whole decade and at the same time had two boys in high school and then college who did their own laundry...so it got a real workout and has been in use ever since with no problems except for replacing the 'brain' and a fuse and the hoses a few times.  We never gave in to a dryer but the washing machine was a joy (along with multiple clotheslines).

For the past weeks though there has been water under it...for awhile it seemed like it was leaking a little every load and it would take several loads for us to notice this huge puddle on the floor...fortunately the floor slants a bit away from the wall.

This happened once before a couple years ago and we decided to change the hoses and that fixed it.  This time there is absolutely no moisture around the hose fittings.  I would like to change the hoses anyway but am worried it is something more internal like a leaky water pump?  Other than that it's working just as well as always.

And if it is really something more expensive I want to get a Speed Queen...as plain and straight forward as possible, to last us the next couple decades at least  

any ideas? recommendations?
thanks!

Judith,

Good job on checking the hoses and ruling those out first.  

As a second thought, can you move the washer around and dry the floor.  The reason I ask is that you make be able to fill the drum with buckets and let it sit for an hour or two to see if any water comes out.  You may want a pump to get the water back out after the test is done.

Are there any panels you can remove easily to see/trace water leakage inside the machine?  If so, this might give you a better idea about where the water is leaking.

I guess ultimately I would recommend calling a repairman to see what it costs to fix.  And if the repair isn’t worth the price, get that new washer and go strong for another 30 years.  Actually I think 30 years is pretty good for just about any appliance.

Good Luck Judith,

Eric

Other than checking the water and drain hoses I really don't know what to tell you.  We had a mouse chew through the vacuum hose that tells the washer when to stop filling, but you'd know if that was the case because it would overflow.

Not familiar with Speed Queen, but Maytag isn't made like they used to be. My mom's is five years old, noisy and had had nothing but trouble with it.

As a desperate measure, make sure the floor is dry. Keep the machine turned off. Then fill it with buckets of water from a different faucet. Keep the machine turned off. Wait 24 hours.  If there is water ....then it is probably the tub ..possibly a connection to the pump.  If there is no water. Turn on the machine and pump the water out.  If there is water,  it is the pump or a connecting hose.  It there is no water, it is probably any intake connection. This should give you a broad idea was to where to look.

Before you get too creative in debugging it: the pump has connections to it too, check them. The pump on your machine is probably down near the floor, and there are connections that come in from the washer tub, and go out from it to the output. Check those and see if they are wet. If you don't know what the pump looks like, look for something that has a pulley hooked to it that the belt goes through, that has hose connections, down near the floor. Make sure the hoses aren't damaged and the clamps are tight and holding.

At least around me, rather decent used washers can be found on Craigslist for about $100-$150. While a used Craigslist washer won't last as long as a Speed Queen, at 1/6th to 1/9th the price even if they last a third as long you still come out way ahead.

Thanks everyone!!!  I can always count on some group problem solving here

So, this afternoon I set the water level at low and decided to do a run through with a piece of dry paper underneath to see when the leak happens.  Nothing after the fill, nothing after quite a bit of agitating but after the spin! there was a fair amount of water at the back left corner.    

Does that sound like something cheap to fix? a drain gasket or something?  It was not much water, maybe a half cup after spinning out a small load level of water but that explains why we would dry the floor and it would take days of laundry for the puddle to appear again.

As much as I'd like it to be the hoses (I know how to change them and can do it all standing up) they are perfectly dry at all connections and their length.

I'll see if I can find some maytag parts lists and illustrations.

This is not my area...Steve is the one who usually tears into things and fixes them.  I'm just trying to save some stress on his bionic back

Judith Browning wrote:

This is not my area...Steve is the one who usually tears into things and fixes them.  I'm just trying to save some stress on his bionic back

Working on machines like that seems to be designed to be hard on the back! Consider if you've got something sturdy to put under the four corners to get it up at least 18 inches and the ease on the back could make a difference - right up on a sturdy table might be even better!

Hi Judith,

It sounds like the pump or a connection to the pump.  Because the water is pumping our, I have hope's on the connection.  See Pearl's post.

Begin with the discharge hose  ....waste water.  Look for splits in it or where it connects to the machine. If you locate the pump, looks for cracks in the housing.  Then look for where the pump connects to the machine.  

If there is a crack in the pump housing, you might get the pump replaced.  I would first try to repair a dry housing with epoxy first.  This is assuming the pump otherwise works.

John F Dean wrote:Hi Judith,

It sounds like the pump or a connection to the pump.  Because the water is pumping out, I have hope's on the connection.  See Pearl's post.

Begin with the discharge hose  ....waste water.  Look for splits in it or where it connects to the machine. If you locate the pump, looks for cracks in the housing.  Then look for where the pump connects to the machine.  

If there is a crack in the pump housing, you might get the pump replaced.  I would first try to repair a dry housing with epoxy first.  This is assuming the pump otherwise works.

Everything is working as always except for this leak and I could almost live with that if the machine was outside somewhere.  
I suppose it will just keep getting worse though?

Discharge hose is dry at connection and all along the length.

Tomorrow will be removing the front then...just did all the laundry so no big rush.

Thank you John!

How about put the washer up on 2x4 blocks, and slip a 13x9 baking dish under it to catch the leaks? :D If you can live with it, that size pan will dry up fairly soon, you don't wash 80 loads a week...

Pearl Sutton wrote:How about put the washer up on 2x4 blocks, and slip a 13x9 baking dish under it to catch the leaks? If you can live with it, that size pan will dry up fairly soon, you don't wash 80 loads a week...

Hahaha...yes!  

I think it is really getting worse though?   I suppose I could get a bigger pan under there for days we wash more...or just get in the habit of dumping after every load?

The thing is, all of those quirky things add up and we've got a few too many at the moment.

You know,  I got to thinking,    this should really earn you a PEP badge!

A few more possible causes listed here. 2nd one you can search for parts too.

https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/8474/why-does-my-washing-machine-leak-only-during-the-spin-cycle

https://www.partselect.ca/Repair/Washer/Leaking-Water/#pscomredirect

Amazing people here on Permies.
If it were me I'd pop the front cover off the machine and run the thing. It should be pretty easy to spot the leak.

Hardware stores sell large "pans" that go underneath the whole washing machine. We have one under ours, just in case it starts to break. It might be good to put one under yours while you work on getting it fixed/until you have a new one!

Here's a link to one at home depot. I'm sure most hardware stores have them

Thanks again everyone!

I have it pulled out from the wall all cattywompus and we have used it a couple times with only small loads...the pile of dry rugs is ready but no water has appeared yet.  In a few days will test with a larger load.

I prefer washing by hand for this reason (I'm not good w machines or plumbing, and don't like spending money/time on repairing them).
In the past I have used a hand-cranked washer or even a giant (farm-size) salad spinner. Now I just use a small tub and wring out stuff by hand before hanging it on the line. (Might sound laborious but I like keeping fit, and it's free, unlike the gym.) I always do laundry outdoors so leakage/spillage is a non-issue. And the water gets dumped on whatever tree or other plant needs it.

Jenny Nazak wrote:I prefer washing by hand for this reason (I'm not good w machines or plumbing, and don't like spending money/time on repairing them).
In the past I have used a hand-cranked washer or even a giant (farm-size) salad spinner. Now I just use a small tub and wring out stuff by hand before hanging it on the line. (Might sound laborious but I like keeping fit, and it's free, unlike the gym.) I always do laundry outdoors so leakage/spillage is a non-issue. And the water gets dumped on whatever tree or other plant needs it.

I am no good with repair either....

Back in the seventies. into the eighties, I washed everything by hand, including diapers. At the time we were off grid with no solar either so pretty much down to the basics.  Water was short though and what we had we hauled up a hill from the creek.  I remember the best thing we got was an old rusty hand crank clamp on wringer...it was wonderful as wringing by hand just did not get enough water out.   There is still a line of blackberries where I would dump the poopy diaper rinse water down the hill at our old place...those boys loved their blackberries

I love the giant salad spinner idea...that would have been wonderful for fleeces and my handwovens.

Two things:

1) In the brief time I worked for Sears fixing washers, we had a technique we used to determine where a leak was: put a sheet of newspaper unfolded under the machine. It's just about exactly the footprint of a regular washer. This won't pinpoint where the leak is, but will give you a rough idea. Run the machine thru the fill cycle. Check the paper. Etc. Run the machine, empty, in steps through the process. Eventually, you should have water on the paper and it will tell you the leak is over here and there's only hoses here or there near the water pump, or....

2) The plastic pans to put under washers are also great under cat boxes to catch flying sand.

J

Jennie Little wrote:Two things:

1) In the brief time I worked for Sears fixing washers, we had a technique we used to determine where a leak was: put a sheet of newspaper unfolded under the machine. It's just about exactly the footprint of a regular washer. This won't pinpoint where the leak is, but will give you a rough idea. Run the machine thru the fill cycle. Check the paper. Etc. Run the machine, empty, in steps through the process. Eventually, you should have water on the paper and it will tell you the leak is over here and there's only hoses here or there near the water pump, or....

2) The plastic pans to put under washers are also great under cat boxes to catch flying sand.

J

That's a good idea!  I did do that same thing with some feed sack paper and determined that it was only leaking during the spin cycle and the amount was determined by the water level...so we are doing smaller loads and the water doesn't creep out from under the  washer quite as quickly.

Yours must have been an interesting job, even briefly? ....My dad was a Sears repair man for a number of years and I remember him complaining about the condition of some of the washers.  He also drilled into me to fill first and then add clothes and do not stuff tightly.  He would rescue washers and lawnmowers from the dump and get them working...I don't remember ever having a new appliance growing up?

It was very interesting in that I was the 3rd woman they'd hired for the job, out tested 3 guys for it, and I am tiny and looked young. People said things like, "The Sears man is here, and his girlfriend is with him!" a lot.

I'd never been particularly a feminist before that, because I'd never had to be. I was raised by men and was too masculine in my attitudes for most women in those days.

Yeah, it was interesting.

Worst case the woman who got NEXT DAY service in Los Angeles (typical was 2 weeks) because she screamed and yelled so much. They sent me and the guy I was training with because they thought I'd keep her from being a total PITA for him. She had 2 babies. Ooooh kay.

What was wrong? Her dryer wouldn't stay on. And why? She'd NEVER cleaned her lint filter. It was a miracle she hadn't burnt her house down. The entire cavity around the equipment in the dryer's case was STUFFED.

We borrowed her vac, cleaned it up. Checked the machine after we'd cleaned it. It was fine. And, unlike every other job I was on, they billed her for my time too. (They also red-flagged her. I'm sure she never got anything close to next day service again.)

Had a leakage problem once with a top-loader and found out that the agitator drive shaft main seal need replacement

given the age of the machine, it's most likely a small leak in the rubber hose to or from the pump. You should be able to take the back panel off to check. Look here

Also, depending on your floor construction, it might be good to check if any water is trapped.   I recently looked at a floor in a camper that 'just needed a small section cut out and replaced' due to a water leak that was fixed years ago.  I had to give the bad news that the rot had spread to various places all through the camper floor- large areas had got wet under linoleum and stayed wet due to soaked insulation.
'

Thanks for all of the ideas...we have found if we do medium rather than extra large loads the water does not creep out from under the machine.  Not a fix by any means but a work around to buy us some time.  The floor is solid vinyl underneath so am certain it's not soaking into the underflooring.

The washer was still hanging in there as of two days ago...we moved her out on the porch (where our clotheslines are) shortly after I first posted this 3 years ago and have been using the water in the gardens since we only wash with soap nuts.  A great set up.

Now the washer will fill but no agitation and no spin.

We can't afford a used let alone new replacement so........

Is it likely something electrical?

The fuse looks good.
Had replaced a lid switch in 2005 so might be that again as I seem to remember having to dip out a fill that would not drain...

Any ideas?

Hi Judith,

Sounds to me that either the belt or the motor coupling (nylon sacrificial piece on the drive shaft that breaks if something jams the motor) is shot.

If you can tilt the machine to look under it to see if the belt is dangling (broken) that would identify that problem.

Both are DIY and inexpensive to replace.

Thank you Gerry!
Had done that a couple years ago to check the belts...will do again this afternoon.

The 'motor coupling' is something we did not know to check for...with all the clunking it's made for a year or so that might be likely.

...had finished a load, spin and all, then would not do more than fill for the next.