Yesterday I noticed some water under the washing machine after a wash cycle. It's not a stream, more like drops that pile up. My washing machine is 6 years old and it's a Candy. Do I need to call a plumber right away or can I wait until the weekend?
A few drops that build up after a wash cycle aren't an absolute emergency, but they're not something to ignore either. Whether it's "serious" or "can wait" depends on where the water's coming from. If it's leaking from the drain hose (the one that goes into the drain pipe), it might just be worn sealing or glue coming unstuck - in that case keep an eye on it and call a technician within the week. But if the water's coming from the inlet hoses (the ones going in, closest to the wall) or from around the front seal, that's where real problems start and you should act sooner.
At 6 years old your Candy isn't ancient yet, but it's starting to show signs of wear. Seals degrade, hoses get stiff - all normal stuff. In the meantime, try to figure out where it's leaking from: run a short cycle, stand there and watch, and see if the drops are coming from underneath (drain), from behind (inlet) or from the sides (seals). One thing to check: make sure it's not just condensation from the drain hose that isn't draining properly - that happens all the time and it's not a structural problem with the machine.
If it really is a small crack in the drain hose or a seal coming loose, you can handle it over the weekend. But if you notice the water's coming faster or if the amounts increase over the next few cycles, don't delay. And anyway, when you call, the technician will probably suggest replacing the inlet hoses (they're cheap) as preventive maintenance given how old the washer is - think about whether it makes sense to do it all at once.
If it's just a few drops and it's not getting worse, it's probably just worn-out sealing on the drain hose or a small crack - nothing to panic about. But at 6 years old, your washing machine is starting to show these signs, so don't ignore it for too long - waiting until the weekend is fine, but get the hose checked before your next cycle, maybe put a sponge underneath to keep an eye on whether it gets worse. If you see water coming out heavily during the wash cycle, though, then yeah, stop using it.
The first thing you need to check is figuring out exactly where the water is coming from, because that changes everything: if it's coming from the rear drain hose it's one thing, if it's leaking from around the door seal it's another. What nobody else has mentioned is that at 6 years old a Candy starts to age and the drips you're seeing today could turn into a real leak in a few months, so it's not something to put off indefinitely. You can definitely wait until the weekend to call a technician, but in the meantime run a couple of test loads: if the drips get noticeably worse or you see an actual stream, then yeah it becomes more urgent.
Try placing some paper towels under the washing machine before running a new cycle and watch whether water gets there during the wash or only after - that way you'll figure out if it's a drainage problem or an internal leak from the drum. Heads up: if water comes out during the cycle (not after), it could be a crack in the drum and that's when it gets urgent - you risk waking up to worse damage over the weekend.
Log into answer.
