Today I did a load of laundry and discovered afterwards that about a quart or two of water had leaked on the floor. I checked water hose connections and saw no leakage. I started a 2nd load and water began running out from under the washer as the tub filled. I put my hand under the drain pump area and felt the water leaking out steadily. There's no water in the base of the washer so water seems to be leaking along shaft. I thought maybe there was some shaft packing that had dried out (about 3 weeks since washer last used) but figured the leak would have been just as bad during the 1st load.

Any ideas what the problem may be? Is there any repairs or adjustments that can be made to the pump or is it just time for a new one? There have been a several times in the past that there was some very minor leakage and a couple times it seemed to be because of a sock in the pump that I have had to pull out.

I installed a new pump; no more leaking. But I am curious as to what the screw on the side of the pump is for.