GE Dishwasher Leaking from Bottom of Door

No one likes finding a puddle of water in front of their dishwasher or noticing that water is leaking out during a cycle. Fortunately, a dishwasher door leak is usually relatively easy to fix. In most cases, the dishwasher’s door gasket, bottom door gasket, or the dishwasher’s spray arms will be responsible for the leaking. If these components are not causing the leak, the door may not be closing properly, or you may be using too much detergent.

Follow the steps below to diagnose and fix the leaking issue.

This guide applies to most GE dishwashers, including the following models:

DDW550B-45, DDW550B-48, DDW550B-55, DDW650B-45, DDW650B-48, GDT655SSJ0SS, GDT655SSJ0SS, GDT695SMJ0ES, GLDT696T00SS, GSD2200G00WW, GSD2200G02WW, GSD3200J00WW, GSD3400G00WW, GSD4030Z02WW, GSD6660G00SS, PDW7880G00SS, PDW7880J10SS, PDW8280J00SS, PDW8280J10SS, PDW9280J00SS, SD4920X66BB

1. Check the door gasket (door seal)

The dishwasher’s door gasket is responsible for preventing water from leaking from the dishwasher door. Depending on your GE dishwasher model, the dishwasher may also have rubber baffles in the bottom corners to prevent water from leaking. Over time, these components can deteriorate, which causes water to leak from the dishwasher door.

If the door gasket or baffles are defective, you may be able to push them back into place, but in most cases, they will need to be replaced.

If the dishwasher is brand new, the door gasket may still require time to properly seat within the groove. After a few washes, the gasket should become properly seated, and the leaking should stop.

Follow these steps to check the gasket and baffles:

1. Open the dishwasher door.
2. Inspect the gasket, making sure that it is not loose or broken. If a portion has come out of the groove, assess whether it can be pushed back in or if a replacement gasket is needed.
3. Check the bottom corners for baffles and assess whether they need to be replaced.

2. Check the bottom door gasket (some models)

Depending on the type of GE dishwasher you have, there may be an extra gasket running along the bottom of the dishwasher door.

Follow these steps to check the bottom door gasket:

1. Disconnect the power to the dishwasher.
2. Open the dishwasher door.
3. Remove the screws that secure the outer door panel. Make sure to support the outer door panel when you remove the last screws.
4. While supporting the outer door panel, carefully close the dishwasher door.
5. Pull down on the outer door panel and remove it from the dishwasher.
6. Open the dishwasher door.
7. Remove the bottom two screws that secure the inner door panel.
8. Loosen the two lower-middle screws that secure the inner door panel.
9. Lift up on the bottom of the inner door panel and, with needle-nose pliers, carefully pull the bottom door gasket out from the dishwasher.
10. Check the gasket for damage.
11. If the gasket is damaged, replace it.

3. Check the spray arms for damage or a blockage

The dishwasher’s spray arms are designed to spray water at the dishes during a cycle. If a spray arm is damaged or a hole on the spray arm is warped or blocked, water may be spraying at the dishwasher door or side panels of the dishwasher, which can cause dishwasher door leaks.

Spray arms can either be replaced or reinstalled, and the spray arm holes can be unblocked to fix the leaking issue.

Follow these steps to check the dishwasher spray arms:

1. Open the dishwasher door.
2. Remove the necessary dish racks to access the spray arms.
3. Inspect the spray arms for damage or a blockage (either from within the dishwasher or by removing the spray arms).
4. Remove any debris that is blocking a spray arm hole. White vinegar or baking soda can be used on hard-to-remove debris.
5. Replace a damaged spray arm.

4. Are you using too much detergent?

Dishwasher door leaks can occur when too much detergent is used, as the excess soap suds can escape through the gasket. Using a detergent not made for dishwashers can also result in too many soap suds and a dishwasher leak.

Make sure you are using the correct detergent and that you are following the instructions for how much to use. Also, to prevent excess soap suds, make sure the detergent dispenser is clean, without stuck-on detergent residue.

5. Check the door is closing properly

If the dishwasher door is leaking, the door latch may not be holding the door shut and allowing water to leak out. The screws that secure the door panel could also be loose and causing the dishwasher door to leak.

Follow these steps to check the dishwasher door:

1. Check that the dishwasher door latch is engaging when you close the dishwasher door. If the latch is broken, replace it. Make sure the power to the dishwasher is disconnected before removing the door latch assembly.
2. Open the dishwasher door and check that all the screws that secure the outer door panel are in place.
3. With a screwdriver, tighten all of the outer door panel screws.

If you suspect that the inner door panel screws may be loose, the outer door panel screws will need to be removed to access them, as described above when checking the bottom door gasket.

Conclusion

The above components are the most likely to cause the dishwasher to leak from the bottom of the door. If the above steps have failed to fix the leaking issue, there could be a leak caused by the dishwasher’s pump, drain and fill hoses, or the pump and motor seals. The dishwasher’s bottom access panel will likely need to be removed to investigate these components, and the dishwasher may also need to be moved and placed on its back.