Appliance Spares
Quick answer: Water down the front of the door = the rubber boot (door seal). Puddle that only appears while the machine pumps out = the drain pump. Machine fills too high and then pushes water out the front = the pressure switch or its little air hose. On AK-FL6 and AK-FL8S, a sagging door or worn lock hook can also stop the glass clamping the seal flat — check that before you blame the rubber.
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Where’s the water actually coming from?
Before you order anything, dry the floor and the front panel completely. Run a short cycle and watch for the first drop. Where it lands is the diagnosis.
| Where the water shows up | What it is | Part |
|---|---|---|
 Down the front of the door | Door seal | AK-FL6 / AK-FL8S · AK-FL10 · AK-FL10/STR-FLW10W |
 Underneath, only during the drain | Drain pump | AK-FL6 / AK-FL8S |
 Out the front after the drum fills too high | Pressure switch | AK-FL6 / AK-FL8S |
| Trickle from the door but the seal looks fine | Door handle, hinge or lock hook | See below |
That one watching-test stops more wrong orders than any other piece of advice on this page.
Check the model code before you order
Open the door. White sticker on the inner frame. Look for AK-FL6, AK-FL8S, AK-FL10, or sometimes a cross-listed code like STR-FLW10W. The “6kg” or “8kg” badge on the front isn’t enough — the seal that fits the AK-FL6 won’t fit the AK-FL10. Different drum diameter, different boot.
Can’t read the sticker? Send your details through the Part Finder and we’ll work it out.
Door seal — water down the front
The seal is the rubber boot between the cabinet and the front of the drum. It has to hold water in, flex with every drum movement, and squash flat against the glass door when it closes. After 4-7 years of east-coast water and a humid laundry, the bottom lip is where it always goes first — coins, hairclips and the occasional underwire all sit at the 6 o’clock position and chew through the rubber from the inside.
Two-finger torch check: pull the lip forward, light the inner fold, look at the bottom band especially. You’re looking for a tear, a nick, a folded section, or the kind of thick black mould that means the lip has been collecting water for months.
If the rubber’s gone, the part is:
- Akai 6kg / 8kg door seal — AK-FL6 / AK-FL8S
- Akai 10kg door seal — AK-FL10
- Akai AK-FL10 / STR-FLW10W door seal listing (if your label cross-references STR-FLW10W)
Drain pump — puddle only during the drain
Floor stays dry through fill and wash, then a puddle appears the second the machine starts pumping out? That’s the pump, not the seal. AK-FL6 and AK-FL8S use the same one — usually 20-30 minutes to swap once you’ve tipped the machine back.
Tells:
- Puddle only forms during the drain phase, never during wash.
- Buzzing, grinding or rattling near the bottom-front while it tries to drain.
- The filter recess at the bottom of the cabinet sits wet between cycles.
- Drum still has water in it at the end of a cycle.
Akai 6kg / 8kg drain pump — AK-FL6 / AK-FL8S
Pressure switch — the sneaky one
The pressure switch tells the machine how much water is in the drum. A small clear air hose runs from the bottom of the tub up to the switch — when the drum fills, the trapped air column compresses and the switch reads it. Two ways that goes wrong: the hose splits, kinks or blocks (no air signal, machine keeps filling), or the switch itself drifts out of spec.
Either way the machine overfills, water creeps over the top of the door gasket, and you get a leak that looks exactly like a torn seal — which is why this is the fault that gets misdiagnosed as a door seal more than any other.
Tells:
- Drum water level looks higher than normal before the leak starts.
- Machine fills for an unusually long time.
- Door seal looks fine under the torch check.
- Other water-level weirdness too — odd rinse behaviour, drain not triggering when it should.
If you can pop the top panel safely, eyeball the clear hose for splits or a loose end first. Costs nothing to check. If the hose is fine, the switch is the part:
Akai 6kg / 8kg pressure switch — AK-FL6 / AK-FL8S
Door not pulling tight — handle, hinge or lock hook
Seal looks good. Machine still leaks a thin trickle from the door. The glass isn’t squashing the rubber flat — usually because the door has dropped, the handle’s cracked, or the lock hook has worn down so it doesn’t pull the door in firmly when it latches.
Tells:
- You have to lift the door slightly to make it latch.
- The door drops 5-10mm when you let go of it open.
- The handle feels loose, cracked, or clicks oddly.
- The lock hook looks chewed, bent, or doesn’t line up cleanly with the latch hole.
AK-FL6 / AK-FL8S door hardware:
A new seal won’t fix a leak the door can’t clamp shut on — so if the door geometry is off, fix the hardware first or fix both at the same time.
FAQs
What door seal fits an Akai AK-FL10?
The AK-FL10 door seal. If the label on your machine cross-references STR-FLW10W, use the AK-FL10 / STR-FLW10W listing instead.
What door seal fits the Akai AK-FL6 or AK-FL8S?
Both take the same part: the Akai 6kg / 8kg door seal.
Why is my Akai washer leaking from underneath but not the door?
If water only appears underneath while the machine is pumping water out, it’s the drain pump — not the door seal. For AK-FL6 / AK-FL8S that’s the drain pump.
Can a faulty pressure switch cause a front-door leak?
Yes — and it’s the misdiagnosis we see most often on AK-FL6 and AK-FL8S. The machine overfills because it can’t read the water level properly, and water pushes out the top of the door gasket. Check the small clear air hose for splits before assuming the switch itself. Part: pressure switch.
Where can I buy Akai washing machine parts in Australia?
Oz Appliance Spares stocks Akai parts for AK-FL6, AK-FL8S and AK-FL10 — seals, pumps, switches, bearings kits, belts and door hardware. Sydney warehouse.
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Disclaimer: this article is general information only and is provided without warranty of any kind. Appliance designs vary between models and production runs — always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, switch off and unplug the appliance before starting any work, and confirm parts against the model number on your appliance’s model sticker. Any repair is undertaken at your own risk and Oz Appliance Spares accepts no liability for injury, loss or damage arising from work performed after reading this guide, to the maximum extent permitted by law. If in doubt, use a qualified technician.
