Cleaned pump filter now it leaks
If your washing machine wasn’t leaking before you cleaned the pump filter and now it is, the cause is almost certainly something simple. The pump filter is designed to be removed and refitted by the user – when it leaks after cleaning, the most common causes are a filter that hasn’t been tightened enough, contamination preventing a good seal, or the rubber seal being out of position.
A pump filter that leaks after cleaning is almost always caused by one of three things: it hasn’t been tightened sufficiently, dirt or detergent residue is preventing the seal from seating properly, or the rubber seal is displaced, worn, or damaged. Remove the filter again, clean the seal and the housing thoroughly, check the seal is correctly seated, and refit firmly. In most cases this resolves the leak immediately.
Why the Filter Is Leaking After Cleaning
A pump filter that was not leaking before cleaning should not start leaking unless something changed during the process. The filter housing and its rubber seal are designed to create a watertight closure – if that seal is now failing, there is a specific reason.
Filter not tightened enoughThe most common cause. The filter needs to be tightened firmly to compress the rubber seal against the housing and create a watertight fit. Hand-tight is often not sufficient. The filter should feel snug with no give, though it should not be forced – overtightening can damage the thread or the seal.
Contamination on the seal or housingDirt, grit, limescale, or detergent residue on the rubber seal or inside the filter housing can prevent a proper seal even when the filter is correctly tightened. A thin layer of contamination between the seal and the housing face is enough to allow water through.
Rubber seal displaced or rotatedThe rubber seal may have shifted out of its groove during cleaning or refitting. A seal that is not sitting squarely in its recess will not compress evenly and will allow water to bypass it. Some seals also have a preferred orientation – reversing the position can sometimes improve the seal.
Worn or damaged sealRubber seals degrade over time, particularly with repeated heating and exposure to detergents. If the seal has small cracks, deformation, or visible wear, it may no longer create a reliable seal. This is less likely if the filter was not leaking immediately before cleaning, but worth checking if the other causes have been ruled out.
How to Fix a Leaking Pump Filter – Step by Step
Have towels and a shallow tray ready to catch residual water when the filter is removed.
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Remove the filter again. Slowly unscrew it, allowing any remaining water to drain into your tray. If the machine was running recently, there may be more water than expected behind the filter.
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Inspect the rubber seal carefully. Look for cracks, deformation, flattening, or areas where the rubber has degraded. Hold it up to the light if needed. A seal that is clearly damaged needs replacing – some seals are sold separately, others are only available as part of the full filter assembly. Check your model on a spare parts site. See our spare parts guide for suppliers.
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Clean the seal and the housing face thoroughly. Use a clean damp cloth to wipe the rubber seal, the face it presses against inside the housing, and the filter thread. Remove all visible dirt, limescale, or detergent residue. Dry both surfaces before refitting.
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Check the seal is correctly seated in its groove. The seal should sit flat and evenly in its recess with no raised sections or gaps. Press it gently around its full circumference to ensure it is fully in position. If the seal has an obvious orientation (flat side versus rounded side, for example), make sure it is the right way around.
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Try reversing the seal if leaking persists. Some filter seals seat better when rotated 180 degrees. If the seal appears undamaged but the filter leaked even after cleaning and reinspection, try fitting it the other way around.
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Refit and tighten the filter firmly. Screw the filter in until it seats, then tighten beyond hand-tight. It should feel secure with no movement. Do not overtighten to the point of forcing it, but do not stop at the point where it merely feels snug.
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Test with a short cycle. Run a short cycle and watch the filter access area for drips. If the filter still leaks after following all the above steps, the seal likely needs replacing.
Water Leaking From the Emergency Drain Hose
Next to the pump filter on most machines there is a small emergency drain hose – a thin flexible tube with a stopper or bung that allows water to be manually drained without fully unscrewing the filter. If water is coming from this hose rather than the filter itself, the cause is usually straightforward.
Likely causes of emergency hose leaking
The bung or stopper has not been fully reinserted after draining. The hose has come slightly loose from its clip or fitting on the housing. The bung or stopper is worn and no longer seals correctly. These hoses are designed to be sealed – if the bung is correctly inserted, they do not leak.
How to tell it isn’t a serious internal failure
If the hose had come completely detached from the housing internally, you would see a large, fast flow of water rather than a drip or trickle. A slow leak from the end of the hose almost always means the bung is either not fitted or not fully inserted. Reinsert the stopper firmly and check the hose sits correctly in any clip that holds it against the machine.
Still leaking after following these steps?
If the filter seal needs replacing, or if the leak is coming from elsewhere in the machine, our spare parts guide and repair booking can help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my pump filter leaking after I cleaned it?
The most common causes are: the filter has not been tightened sufficiently, dirt or detergent residue on the seal or housing is preventing a proper seal, or the rubber seal has been displaced from its groove during cleaning or refitting. In most cases, removing the filter, cleaning the seal and housing thoroughly, checking the seal is correctly seated, and refitting firmly resolves the leak.
How tight should the pump filter be?
Tighter than hand-tight, but not forced. The filter needs to compress the rubber seal firmly against the housing to create a watertight fit. If it was not leaking before, the new leak is almost certainly because the filter was not tightened enough after cleaning. Tighten until it feels secure with no movement or give.
Do I need to replace the pump filter seal?
Only if the seal is visibly cracked, deformed, or degraded. If the filter was not leaking before cleaning and the seal looks intact, the leak is almost certainly a fitting issue rather than a failed seal. Work through the cleaning and refitting steps first before ordering a replacement. If the seal does need replacing, check whether your machine’s seal is available separately or only as part of the complete filter assembly.
Water is coming from the small hose next to the filter – what should I do?
That is the emergency drain hose. Water leaking from it almost always means the stopper or bung has not been fully reinserted after draining, or has come slightly loose. Reinsert the stopper firmly until it seats fully. If the bung is worn or cracked, it may need replacing – these are generally low-cost parts available through spare parts suppliers.
Can overtightening the pump filter cause a leak?
It can – overtightening can distort the rubber seal or damage the thread, which may cause leaking. However, the far more common problem is undertightening. Tighten firmly and evenly until the filter is secure, but stop if you feel significant resistance or the thread becomes difficult to turn.
The filter is leaking and I’ve tried everything – what next?
If the seal is visibly worn or damaged, replacing it is the next step. If the seal appears intact but still leaks after thorough cleaning and careful refitting, the housing face inside the filter cavity may be damaged or corroded – this is less common but does occur on older machines. At this point, an engineer inspection is the most practical route. See: washing machine leaking from underneath for broader leak diagnosis.
15 Comments
Grouped into 7 comment threads.
2 replies I have this problem: bought a used washer that had a tiny drip in the front right (GE front loader). After cleaning out the filter (which was slam full of dirt to the point of going back up the tube) the drip got 4 times as bad (before it was just a tiny bit, now it fills a baking sheet). I assume the problem is with the pump since only the casing on the filter body was wet when I checked inside. I'm thinking a bad pump or pump seal (though they don't make the pump for this model anymore). Does that make sense?
2 replies My daughter picked up a washing machine second hand. When we tested it we discovered a leak (the filter cap had been broken with pliers). We replaced the filter with a brand new one but now no water will enter the machine. Before we swapped the broken filter with the new there was water supply. What might have happened? We have checked the inlet pipes and connections and all seem good...
My daughter picked up a washing machine second hand. When we tested it we discovered a leak (the filter cap had been broken with pliers). We replaced the filter with a brand new one but now no water will enter the machine. Before we swapped the broken filter with the new there was water supply. What might have happened? We have checked the inlet pipes and connections and all seem good…
Hi. Replacing the pump filter can’t possibly stop water from getting into the washing machine. Did you move the washing machine at all? If so a kinked fill hose could be the cause. Another possibility is if the water supply was turned off it might not be turned back on properly.
Can you hear any water running into the machine at all?
1 reply Hi . I have a before wm5102w washing machine. I have cleaned the filter and put it back into place. Know the filter is leaking which it never did before. Can you help please.
Hi . I have a before wm5102w washing machine. I have cleaned the filter and put it back into place. Know the filter is leaking which it never did before. Can you help please.
1 reply Problem solved. As you suggested there was a problem with the inlet hose, maybe the aquaflow (?). Fixed with replacement pipe. Really appreciate having someone 'in the know' to think aloud with. Thx.
1 reply Thx. Mysterious indeed. No kinks and no water, though it is turned on. Just a buzz. Maybe the aqua thingy on the inlet hose? Could that suddenly get blocked? Thx for feedback anyway.
Thx. Mysterious indeed. No kinks and no water, though it is turned on. Just a buzz. Maybe the aqua thingy on the inlet hose? Could that suddenly get blocked? Thx for feedback anyway.
Hi. A buzz, or loud hum could be the water valve energised but no water in the hose. You need to turn off the tap to the washing machine and then hold the fill hose over a bucket and turn it back on to see if there is a good flow of water running through the hose. That’s the first and most important thing to check.
1 reply I just want to thank you for this wonderful information. I had tried to check on my pump filter, and caused a leak after replacing the filter. Your instructions gave me confidence to attack the problem leak in an orderly way. I found that the offending particle causing the leak was actually a small piece of glass that had wedged itself into the threads on the machine where the cap would seal, probably as I pulled out the filter initially. Thank you, thank you.
I just want to thank you for this wonderful information. I had tried to check on my pump filter, and caused a leak after replacing the filter. Your instructions gave me confidence to attack the problem leak in an orderly way. I found that the offending particle causing the leak was actually a small piece of glass that had wedged itself into the threads on the machine where the cap would seal, probably as I pulled out the filter initially.
Thank you, thank you.
0 replies Thank you so much for posting this. I went through a bunch of videos and articles that didn't help me out. Turns out there was calcium deposited on the filter gasket. Once I cleaned that off, my washing machine stopped leaking. You saved me hundreds of dollars with this!
Thank you so much for posting this. I went through a bunch of videos and articles that didn’t help me out. Turns out there was calcium deposited on the filter gasket. Once I cleaned that off, my washing machine stopped leaking. You saved me hundreds of dollars with this!
I have this problem: bought a used washer that had a tiny drip in the front right (GE front loader). After cleaning out the filter (which was slam full of dirt to the point of going back up the tube) the drip got 4 times as bad (before it was just a tiny bit, now it fills a baking sheet). I assume the problem is with the pump since only the casing on the filter body was wet when I checked inside. I’m thinking a bad pump or pump seal (though they don’t make the pump for this model anymore). Does that make sense?
Likely replying to Jud
Hi Jud. It’s important to identify accurately where the water is coming from. If it is leaking from the pump filter, it has to be the rubber seal around the pump filter. Take it out, clean it again. Refit and ensure it’s tight enough. If it’s just leaking from under where the pump filter is you have to make sure it isn’t leaking from elsewhere and running to the front. Try using kitchen towel to hold just below it or around it. The slightest bit of water will soak into it straight away and show you where it is leaking from.
Thanks for your help, Andy! I propped the machine up on some boxes and ran it for a minute where I could see underneath. The casing in the drain filter has a hairline fracture down it with lots of water coming out of it. This explains why it didn’t leak nearly as bad when the drain filter was packed with dirt (likely kept a lot of the water from going up that crack). Now I’m trying to decide if I should replace the entire drain pump and filter or get some sort of marine epoxy that will work on the plastic of the drain filter housing.