Hole in plastic outer drum casing

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

Hotpoint washing machine leaking from hole in plastic outer drum casing

The problem

A 15-month-old Hotpoint washing machine developed a leak. The source was traced to a hole in the plastic outer drum casing, about 1 inch in from the drum inlet pipe from the dispenser drawer.

Likely cause

The strongest diagnosis in the discussion was impact or rubbing damage from a metal object left in clothing, rather than water causing the hole. This was supported by advice that such damage is usually caused by coins or similar items, and by the original poster later finding a thick necklace in the sump hose. It was not proven whether that necklace was the only object involved.

What fixed it

Suggested repair was to patch the damaged plastic, ideally on both sides if accessible, using a suitable plastic repair method such as plastic epoxy resin and guttering repair tape. The original poster instead melted plastic into the hole with a soldering iron and reported that it had held after two washes. Contributors also advised checking for any remaining metal object between the inner and outer drum, as the cause needed addressing to avoid repeat damage.

Checks to try

• Leak traced to a hole in the plastic outer drum casing
• Advice to look for dents inside the drum as evidence of metal impact
• Original poster found a thick necklace in the sump hose
• Advice to listen for metallic rattling during spin in case another object remained trapped

Parts or tools mentioned

• Plastic epoxy resin
• Guttering repair tape
• Soldering iron