Solved
Bosch
WAQ284S0GB

Bosch WAQ284S0GB Soap Drawer Leak On Hot Washes

BKbkw
Asked over 8 years ago 7,820 views
0

Hi,

I have a new Bosch WAQ284S0GB ( installed yesterday) that leaks from the closed soap drawer (from both underneath and from the handle) on the initial empty 90 degree cotton wash. This was recommended by installers ( who were excellent and from a well known chain of stores) to remove any grease/oil from the manufacturing process. I called Bosch yesterday and their response is that if this turns out to be an installation fault they will charge me.

So I went back to the installers with this information; they suggested I run a full 90 degree cotton cycle with sheets and towels. The same thing is happening; considerable steam is issuing from the soap drawer and the condensation drips from the drawer down the machine onto the floor. If this happens long term, I am concerned the underside of my kitchen worktop will be damaged beyond repair.

The machine is leveled correctly. There are no blockages in the 3 sections of the drawer.

It appears it is condensation resulting from the hot washes. The entire underside of the soap drawer when pulled out is wet and dripping. At the end of 90 degree washes especially, the handle area of the drawer is normally very wet.

This appears to be a design flaw rather than a fault; the handle should be sealed from the inside of the drawer with a rubber seal around the drawer edge too.I suppose I will still have to report this as a fault.

For a £400 machine, it does not seem normal. But if it is a common issue, I do not wish to go through the trouble of returning it and getting another machine only to have the same problem. My 10 year old Hoover A1600 this replaced never had this issue.

Thanks,

William

Solution Summary

AI-generated from this discussion

This thread was marked as solved. Here's a summary of the problem and the fix, generated from the discussion below.

Bosch WAQ284S0GB leaks/steams from soap drawer on 90°C washes

The problem
A newly installed Bosch WAQ284S0GB produced considerable steam from the closed soap drawer during an initial empty 90 degree cotton wash, with condensation dripping from underneath and around the drawer handle onto the floor. The same was first seen on a hot wash with laundry, causing concern about possible damage to the underside of the worktop.
Likely cause
Condensation from steam on very hot 90 degree washes, made worse by the machine being in a cold kitchen at about 14 degrees and by the initial empty hot wash. The discussion supports this as the likely explanation rather than an installation fault, but no internal fault was confirmed.
What fixed it
No repair was carried out. The issue reduced after three further 90 degree washes with progressively fuller loads. The poster decided to continue using the machine, accepting that a full 90 degree load still produced only a little steam and a few drops of condensation from the bottom of the drawer.
Checks to try
  • Machine was levelled correctly
  • No blockages were found in the three soap drawer sections
  • Observed that the kitchen temperature was cold at 14 degrees
  • Compared behaviour on repeated 90 degree washes with fuller loads
Confirmed fixedGenerated 15 Aug 2026 · AI summaries can make mistakes — read the full thread below.
Was this summary helpful?

3 Answers

Accepted Answer
0
WH
WhitegoodshelpVerified Engineer
Answered over 8 years ago

Is it installed in a cold place?

Whitegoods Help — appliance repair expert and forum host.
1
AN
andyr12345
Answered over 8 years ago

Hi William, yes, sounds annoying - definately sounds like condensation (thats silly if they said if it was an installation problem, how on earth would condensation dripping from the soap drawer be anything to do with installation) - most soap drawers on most machines will have soap drawers designed to let steam escape from the drum ... and soap suds. - If you put wrong washing powder or liquid in the drum and it over suds, you just watch the suds come out of the soap dispenser area and the hole where your hand goes into where you open the dispenser drawer with your fingers.

How warm is the room with the washing machine in? - is it in a cold room, or a cold utility room or garage or cold kitchen? that could be causing more condensation than necessary coming out of the drawer than normal as the steam comes up through the soap drawer and hit the cold air in the room maybe.

In the normal lifetime of the washing machine you are going to be washing at much lower temperatures than 90c ... your going to be doing washes of 30c/40c and at most 60c .. do you have the same issue when the washing machine is doing those wash temperatures? - only you shouldnt be having a load of condensation and wet steam coming out of the dispenser drawer at those temp's really (assuming the room it is in is around room temperature of 19-21c and not cold) otherwise yes the steam could settle on the wood of the worktop , make it wet and it will rot after a while.

If you find a lot of condensation when this new machine is on, you know the room you have it in does it have a window, or a wall fan nearby the machine? - maybe you could open up the window or install a wall extractor fan and turn that on to cut down the condensation in the room where the washing machine is operating?

2
BK
bkw
Answered over 8 years ago

Many thanks for your reply, Andy.

The problem has been resolved itself now without the need for an engineer's visit. The temperature in the kitchen is cold at 14 degrees.

We have run three more 90 degree washes with the load being fuller each time and have observed the steam and condensation produced being less each time.

As mentioned previously the apparent problem was initially when the installation engineer telling us to run a cleaning 90 degree wash on an empty load which produced considerable amounts of steam and condensate. Running a full load at 90 degrees still does result in much less steam being produced with a few drops of condensation from the bottom of the soap drawer. I think we can live with this.

Thanks again for all your help.

William

Your Answer

Sign in to share your expertise and post an answer.

Need an engineer?

Find an Engineer

Rather leave it to a pro? Find a local engineer to diagnose and repair your Bosch.

  • Search by your postcode
  • See the checks each business has passed
  • Compare ratings and call-out charges

Need a spare part?

Spare Parts Guide

Fix it yourself for less. Work out which part your Bosch needs before you order anything.

  • Match the symptom to the likely part
  • How to find your full model number
  • When a genuine part is the safer choice