Let me just add - reading other threads on here has educated me somewhat to other possible sources of water during the FILL process. The 'northeast' part of the drum I see a black tube [comes up outside of drum] that I believe recirculates water. I stuck my finger in that...and it was like a sick camel had sneezed on my finger. Giant, nasty, wads of slimey snot...so maybe this is why our washer also 'smells bad' sometimes. Also, I removed and cleaned the hose sediment filters at the wall and the HOT was almosts completely pluged.

I don't know if any of this lends to a solution for my problem, but wanted to mention.

Thank you.

WA37T26G is an EcoSmart agitator toploader. They function differently than other toploaders so you must fully understand the sequence of operational events to pinpoint what is the leak source. The lid locks so one can't normally observe the operation. Actual filling with water occurs several times and more functions may be happening simultaneously than just filling.

An easy way to observe is by raising the top. Carefully pry out the two lid bumpers at the front corners, remove the screws, raise the top. Keep the lid itself closed so it can lock.

Immediately upon pressing Start to run a load, the basket begins rotating at 25 RPM and fresh water sprays in through the fill flume at rear center under the top deck. Enough water fills to saturate the clothes and reach a low level in the outer tub to keep the pump primed for recirculation. A leak at this point would be from the fill flume (or the water valves in the console, or the tub/drive shaft seal, or possibly from the pump seal even though the pump is not yet running).

When the target low-level is reached, the pump turns on and the water in the tub showers over the clothes from the recirculation port while the basket continues to rotate at 25 RPM (Eco Active wash). Fresh water fill may recommence briefly to "top-off" the water level for recirculation. A leak that begins at this point could be from the recirculation hose where it attaches at top of the tub.

After the Eco Active phase is complete, the machine commences filling again to either an auto-sensed or manual-selected water level for the agitated wash period. Same leak sources as in the initial fill phase.