Answered question

Water under the kitchen sink — where is it coming from?

There are three common sources, and they can be told apart without tools. The trap and its connections only leak when you run water. The supplies to the tap leak continuously, including overnight, because they are under pressure. The dishwasher hose or connection leaks during and just after a cycle.

Dry it, put a sheet of paper underneath, and watch for when it gets wet again. That answer tells you more than any photo.

In detail

What decides it.

How do I know it is the trap?

The water appears when you run water and stops shortly after. Often it is a loosened plastic nut or a dried-out washer. It typically drips from a joint rather than from the pipe itself, and the water frequently smells of drains.

How do I know it is the supplies?

It gets wet even when nobody is using the kitchen. The supply pipes or the flexible hoses to the tap are under pressure around the clock, so a leak there never stops. This is the variant to take seriously fastest.

How do I know it is the dishwasher?

The water shows up during or just after a cycle and comes from behind the machine rather than from the pipe corner in the cupboard. Check the fill hose, the drain hose, and the point where the drain connects to the trap.

What do I do in the meantime?

Put a bowl underneath, empty the cupboard and mop up so you can see whether more arrives. If it is really running: close the isolating valves under the sink, or the main stopcock if you cannot find them. Do not leave a damp chipboard cupboard shut — that is the damage that ends up costing more than the leak.

What should I photograph?

The open cupboard with the whole pipe arrangement visible, a close-up of the wet spot, and the paper or cloth after running water so it is clear whether it got wet. Say whether it gets wet when you run water, continuously, or only with the dishwasher.

What this page is not

The limits of this answer.

This page describes what the symptom usually comes down to. It is not an assessment of your particular installation and it does not replace a professional who can see it. If water is running, you can smell gas, or anything involving electricity is in play: shut it off and call a professional now.

Other symptoms

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One thing to do next

Want to know which of the three it is?

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