My LG Washing Machine Is Leaking From The Air Vent

LG makes both front-loading and top-loading washing machines. As you use the washer, you may notice water on the floor due to a leak. If you think the leak is coming from the air vent, it is likely due to something that you can troubleshoot and fix without needing to call a plumber or an appliance repair tech.

The placement of the water inlet hoses is above the air vent on the rear of the washing machine. Before troubleshooting an air vent leak, you need to confirm that the water is not actually dripping or running down from the hoses. Feel for water around the hoses where they connect to the washer. If there is no water there, then the leak is coming from the air vent. If there is a leak around the hose, tighten the connections to stop the water from leaking and running down the back of the washer.

When you do your laundry, measure out the detergent carefully. Only use the amount of detergent indicated by the manufacturer. For example, if you have a small load of laundry and your liquid detergent instructions recommend going to the first fill line, do not go to the second line just because you think the laundry is extra dirty. Due to the efficient design of LG washers, using too much detergent for the amount of water the machines use can result in leakage out the back air vent. Reducing the amount of detergent will prevent this from happening.

LG washing machines are generally designed to be used with high-efficiency, or HE, detergent. Not using HE detergent creates problems. Non-HE detergent creates more suds than HE detergent, which results in the washer having to add an extra rinse cycle for each load of laundry. This also results in leakage from the rear air vent on the machine. Replacing your non-HE detergent with an HE detergent will prevent leakage due to using the wrong detergent.

If your LG washer is not sitting level, that can result in leakage from the air vent, the water inlet hoses and other places on the machine. You can easily tell if the washer is level by pushing on it and seeing if it rocks back and forth. If so, you need to level the machine. This is something you can do on your own if you have a wrench. The legs of the washer are adjustable, so all you need to do is loosen the nuts on the the legs to extend or shorten them. Tighten the legs once you have the machine level. You may not need to adjust every leg, just the ones that are too short or too long.