Time has moved on since the question was asked so I hope the seal has been replaced by now or you've had a new washer.
It is extremely easy to replace the door seal. I changed mine in less then 30 minutes, and it worked. There are other ways to replace the door seal, but here's how I changed the one on my hotpoint aquarius wf000: (very general description see manual for more detailed information)
1. Disconnect the washer from the electricity supply and position the washer so it's easy to work on.
2. Remove the door from the hinges. optional, but it makes it easier to work on the seal.
3. There's a steel spring loaded ring around the outer part of the seal just under the lip. Find the spring part and pull the ring up out and around the seal in order to remove it.
4. Loosen and detach the outer seal.
5. Push the outer door seal inside the drum so you can get at the next steel ring (the inner ring). The inner ring has a locking device that holds the tension on the ring. Carefully loosen the ring and remove it.
6. Loosen and detach the inner seal from the drum, and remove the entire door seal.
7. Installing a new seal is a simple as described above but in the reverse order.
Note for next few steps: Make sure both inner and outer seals are firmly inplace before fixing the steel rings.
8. Start buy aligning the new seal so the the two drain holes are at the bottom part of the drum and working the seal around the drum. Once the seal is fixed to the drum fix the inner steel ring and tighten into the locking device.
9. Now fix the outer part of the seal to the door. Once firmly fitted to the inner part of the door fix the spring loaded steel ring around the outer seal (in the same place it was removed from earlier).
10. Replace the door.
11. Check both inner and outer seals for obvious obstructions, and make sure the door operates correctly.
12. Reconnect the electricity supply set the washer up for use.
13. Pat yourself on the back if works, if it doesn't work call an engineer out and admit you did the best you could under the circumstances.
Rocko Fallon, July 2007
