Leak and mould smell with Samsung EcoBubble 9kg Washing Machine
My washing machine has been smelling for quite a while, we've tried the hot cleaning cycle, vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, but the smell of mould always returns despite not finding any mould anywhere. I opened the back though and floor of the machine is totally rusty, it looks like something has been leaking, but I don't know if that would affect the smell coming from inside the drum.
Can anyone help at all with the leak issue and possibly also make a connection to the smell?
Solution Summary
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This thread was marked as solved. Here's a summary of the problem and the fix, generated from the discussion below.
Samsung EcoBubble 9kg washing machine with persistent mould smell and evidence of long-term leak
- The problem
- The washing machine had a mould smell for a long time that returned despite cleaning attempts with a hot cycle, vinegar and bicarbonate of soda. On inspection from the rear, the base/floor of the machine was heavily rusted, suggesting a leak over several years.
- Likely cause
- A long-term water leak was strongly suspected, but the exact source was not confirmed. Suggested possibilities in the discussion were a hose between the soap dispenser and outer tub, a leak at the soap dispenser connection, a hole in a hose, the door seal where it fits to the outer tub, the outer tub itself, or possibly drum bearings if the leaking water was rusty and the drum also rumbled when spun.
- What fixed it
- The accepted advice was to first determine whether the smell matched the odour from the rusty bottom plate, to decide if the leak and smell were connected. The leak should then be traced by following water marks and streaks upwards and checking directly above any area showing drip evidence. No completed repair was confirmed in the thread.
- Checks to try
- Compared the smell from inside the machine/base area with the smell from the drum
- Inspected the bottom plate/base rust for evidence of a long-term leak
- Advised tracing visible water streaks and drip marks to their source
- Considered whether water had dripped from above rather than tracked along surfaces
- Suggested checking for drum rumbling when spun, as evidence supporting bearing-related leakage
Safety: Disconnect the washing machine from the mains before inspecting inside. Further diagnosis should be carried out by a suitably qualified appliance engineer.
2 Answers
Hi there. I wouldn't expect that type of smell. But that bottom plate shows that something has been leaking for several years. If the smell is connected to that bottom plate then with the washing machine disconnected from the mains, you should be able to gently smell right inside the washing machine to see if it is indeed the cause. If that bottom plate does not smell the same as the smell you are getting, then it's got to be totally unconnected.
You should be able to work out where the leak is coming from by just following the trail it's left behind right up until it stops. Bear in mind that water can drip from higher up onto something. But if the leak was coming from a hose between the soap dispenser and the outer tub, then there should be a clear and obvious line of streaks going from the hose and running all the way round the outer tub.
An exception to this would be if the water leak was not coming from where the hose pushes into the drum, but was coming from where it was attached to the soap dispenser, or from a hole in the hose. In such a case, it might be possible for a water leak to drip through the air onto sections below.
But again, this should be able to be traced. If you have, for example, a pump cover that shows water has been running onto it but there is no physical place it could have tracked down to reach that point, then you have to look directly above to see what may have dripped directly onto it.
I have an article here that gives very comprehensive but general advice on how to find a leak on a washing machine
You should also read my other article about washing machine smells and what causes them
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I'd like to add that if the actual water leaking into the base is rusty, then it could be coming from the drum bearings. In such a case though the drum should rumble when you spin it round. Also, the water on the concrete weight implies it could be leaking from the door seal where it fits onto the outer tub, or possibly from the outer tub itself.
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