Whirlpool Dishwasher intermittent leak from front left - part 2 - SOLVED

Well....I had the factory tech back to my house three times as the intermittent leak was apparently not that easy to fix.
Here I explain which parts were replaced and provide what I strongly believe is the problem/solution for my dishwasher.
Good news - its not an expensive part

[@johnwettroth4060]

I've enjoyed your voyage of discovery- same issues here for a few months. The intermittent part is vexing and I've "fixed" it three times only to have it leak again. I am a very handy guy but I finally broke down and called a service tech- he was very good. What he told me was interesting- all dishwashers develop leaks over time. The door seal is a rare problem if it looks right and is installed right. Leaks underneath aren't uncommon but can be quickly seen or felt after you remove the front facia, the corrugated drain hose can degrade over time, the water supply solenoid can develop leaks. All easy to see once you get access. The lower spray arm is unusual but made sense to him as well. If it leaks a lot at the spinning hub due to wear, it can overfill the washer faster than it can drain. Stuff inside the door like the vent assembly and soap dispenser can develop leaks and he looks here first for intermittent leaks.. The soap dispenser was my problem. It had developed a bit of black goo on the inside that was pretty apparent once the skin was off and he pointed me at it. This has been a humbling experience for me and my repair superpowers. Thanks for sharing.

[@dadlifediydoityourselflike2293]

thanks for sharing this interesting information

[@jimswim5818]

Thanks for your post. I have the same dishwasher but it's a Kenmore. I believe they come from the same factory. In the case of my unit, the steam vent is on the LH side of the door near the top, rather than a duct to the bottom of the door as in your case. I can see the steam come out during the dry cycle. The steam condenses and often leaves a small puddle on the floor. Eventually the wood on kitchen cabinet next to the dishwasher became bloated from steam and moisture and now we need to replace it. This is all due to the bad design of the dishwasher. Not impressed.

[@dadlifediydoityourselflike2293]

😕

[@NickGleason3]

I’m watching this video after picking up and installing the new unit today and with it completely empty (on a trial run) I found a small amount of water on the floor from the heavy steam condensing out of that vent. Hoping it’s not going to be a big issue.

[@johngibson3914]

My dw is a year and a half old and does the same thing. My repair man said it is probably steam. Its just a tiny puddle after each wash and the water doesn't have soap in it. I'll try what you did in this video to see if it stops. I spent 1200 on this dw so I'm not happy.

[@dadlifediydoityourselflike2293]

good luck !

[@johngibson3914]

@@dadlifediydoityourselflike2293 Did you ever find out the exact cause?

[@dadlifediydoityourselflike2293]

@@johngibson3914 On my unit the leak went away after the door seal was replaced. This was the final item the tech replaced. Probably should have been the first... If you already replaced your door seal and its still leaking the first thing I'd suggest would be to pull the seal slightly forward in its retaining slot all the way around but especially on the left side so it makes more contact (more squish) against the door when its closed. Also pay attention to the left end of the seal strip where it hits the angled plastic part into the bottom of the tub. Make sure all surfaces are clean etc. I have a feeling that there is not much between having a leak tight seal and a leaky one - i.e its sensitive and a bit finickity. Once again, good luck. Its a frustrating problem to have

[@dadlifediydoityourselflike2293]

another person posted that they replaced the lower spray arm and it fixed their problem but I think that was on an older unit.. I imagine that's not so likely on a newer machine

[@chrisgall4664]

I'm having the same issue but I don't have that vent on the door. I've replaced the door seal cleaned and descaled multiple times, run it several times with nothing in it. Mine only leaks on the last rinse for some reason. I've had it for about 3 yrs and only started leaking recently. Wish I would have known whirlpool has this leaking issue with so many potential culprits.

[@dadlifediydoityourselflike2293]

Sorry to hear that Chris. Did you change out the bottom seal as well ? You may have already done this but make sure the filter isn't blocked or anything else like sticking water level switch that could cause the water in the bottom of the unit to get too deep. From my experience I'd say the two door seals are still the place to look. Hope that helps. Good luck

[@chrisgall4664]

@@dadlifediydoityourselflike2293 I replaced both door seals and still leaking, tried a lot of other stuff (adjusting seal, cleaning all the spray arms and inspecting them, tightening the door screws etc.) and then I installed a new lower spray arm even though the current one looked fine. So far after a couple cycles that seemed to do the trick, no more leaking! Hopefully that helps someone

[@dadlifediydoityourselflike2293]

@@chrisgall4664 wow. Interesting. Thanks for posting your experience

[@jglassman1122]

@@chrisgall4664 what do you think finally fix the problem?

[@chrisgall4664]

@@jglassman1122 new lower spray arm, I cleaned the old one and it had no visible damage to my untrained eye, but didn’t do the trick. New one and it has been good since.

[@jglassman1122]

Any updates?

[@dadlifediydoityourselflike2293]

After replacement of the door seal mine is still holding up (after I think about 4 months now...)