If your washing machine is noisy then you need to find out why. Ignoring a noise can eventually prove very costly. Some noises are present during wash, which tend to be less serious on the whole, but the majority happen during spin. We all tend to describe noises differently and it’s not always easy to accurately describe to others, so it can be difficult to work out what’s wrong from a description.
If your washing machine is noisy do not ignore it
It's very tempting to ignore noises while the washing machine is still otherwise working. Some can be ignored as they will not develop into serious faults. Others, if left, will cause extensive damage and can end up costing considerably more than if tackled early. Some noises can be fixed, but if left will result in a complete writing off of the washing machine. If you aren’t an engineer you may not be able to tell which of the categories a noise falls into – so ignore noises at your own risk.
Here’s a general guide to noisy washing machine causes –
Washing machine rumbling, and very noisy on spin
One of the most common causes of a noisy washing machine on spin is worn drum bearings. The first thing any engineer would do when troubleshooting a noise is open the door and spin the drum hard by hand. If it makes the noise when spun by hand the main suspect would be drum bearings but to truly check this you need to take off the drive belt and spin the drum by hand because otherwise you are spinning the motor too. If the drum rumbles when spun then the bearings have probably gone. There should be a constant rumble all the time the drum is revolving – what do noisy drum bearings sound like?
Big Job
I wouldn't tackle replacing washing machine drum bearings as a DIY job these days unless a seasoned and determined DIYer. It's a big job. For many years now most washing machines have plastic outer tub with the bearings recessed into them requiring special extraction tools. Sadly, in recent years most washing machines have started to be produced with completely sealed outer drums and are not repairable. Some current washing machines even have sealed casings where only the lid comes off meaning a very heavy tub has to come out through the lid. If you want to have a bash, or maybe have an older washer with more easily replaceable bearings you may be interested in this link to buy drum bearings – Buy drum bearings.
Excessive play in drum
Another drum bearing failure symptom is excessive up and down play in the drum, which can be checked for by lifting the drum up from inside. Take hold of the drum at the top lip (behind the door seal). Normally this should not have any play in it if you try to lift it up, or may just only move a fraction, (don’t mistake movement of the entire tub which is on springs for play). If you can lift the drum up and it drops back down there is excessive play then the bearings and or drum shaft are probably worn. If this is the case the play should be present all around the drum, if you can only feel the drum move at one specific point there could be a cracked or broken drum spider (see below).
Brown patch underneath washing machine
A further symptom of failed drum bearings can be a brown rust patch underneath the washing machine and down the back of the outer drum underneath the drum pulley (where the belt goes) – although this patch is not always present. There are usually two small holes at the back of the drum bearings where water that has got past the drum bearing seal trickles out, and it's usually stained with grease and rust if water has got into the bearings. Also bear in mind many washing machines now have a base plate fitted underneath so take off the back panel and check the inside of the base plate if one is fitted.
Damaged drum or drum spider
Loud noises when turning the drum by hand can also be caused if the drum itself splits, or the spider at the back of the drum has come away from the drum, is corroded, or one of the three arms has broken. This would normally cause a loud noise on each revolution of the drum whereas the noise when drum bearings have gone is constant all the time the drum is turning. However, a cracked drum spider may only cause noise on fast spin or with a heavy load in the drum when it catches on the inside of the outer drum. So lifting the drum and checking for excessive play but turning it all the way around and checking in different spots can often reveal a broken or loose drum spider, which sometimes only occurs at certain points round the drum (the spider has three arms and is bolted to the drum at three points). The photo to the left shows an extreme case of a drum spider which is severely corroded and broken.
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More noise explanations
Coins or other obstructions trapped between the outer tub and inner drum can make horrendous noises as they get tossed about on spin. They usually don't make the noise unless laundry is in though. If you suspect a coin or other object is being thrown around inside on spin this is very serious because as most washing machines now have just plastic tubs the object can punch through it and completely ruin the machine.
Look out for obvious dints and creases in the drum itself as evidence of a coin or similar stuck inside although be aware that it only shows there's been an obstruction in at some point and the coin could have fallen into the sump hose or filter and not actually be the cause of the noise at this time. You may be able to hear a coin or other obstruction if you drain the machine and tip it back and forth or side to side. Objects can slide about and you can detect their presence. It may be possible to manipulate the object to fall into the hole in the bottom of the tub into the sump hose where it can be easily retrieved.
Noisy when draining water
Other obstructions such as buttons, smaller plastic objects, hair grips and underwires from bras can also get into the washer and cause noise, usually when the washing machine is emptying the water. If the noise only occurs when the washing machine is draining the water check the pump filter and pump for obstructions. (Troubleshooting washing machine pumps and cleaning the filter). The pump itself can become noisy if bearings fail but it’s far less common than something stuck inside it.
Noise when washing
Noises from recirculation pump: Some washing machines have a separate pump that pumps the wash water around and back into the drum during wash. If you get a strange noise whilst on wash which isn’t present on rinses it could be coming from a recirculation pump that’s got worn bearings or something inside it.
A light scraping or ratchety noise when the drum is turned by hand is commonly a bra wire trapped between the tub and drum. They can often be removed from underneath with the sump hose taken off. It’s always worth checking that the wire isn’t poking through one of the holes in the drum which can be pulled back out from inside the door. It’s rare, but I’ve retrieved 3 or 4 this way over the years. Otherwise it can be tricky to remove one. I’ve also got many out through the sump hose, or by removing the dispenser hose and slowly turning the drum. If lucky, the trapped under wire may come within reach. If not a full strip down may be needed. It may be best to leave it in as they aren’t strong enough to normally do much damage but they could rip clothing, and eventually cause a pump blockage if it works its way eventually over to the pump. how to remove something stuck in washing machine
More causes of a noisy washing machine
This article continues 
in Part two which explores More causes of a noisy washing machine
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Comments Disabled
Sorry, comments on this topic have been closed. The article already contains all the advice I can think of or I’m comfortable publishing. If the article and any previous comments (below) don’t help, please consider contacting an appliance engineer
Just had our Hoover DYNS 7144 repaired (under warranty). It was making an odd noise when washing, sounded like a pound coin in the drum. The engineer diagnosed the fault immediately as the pulley on the rear of the drum being loose. He tightened it up and sure enough now as good as new. (If you want to check this for yourself be aware that the securing nut is the same thread as the drum rotation, in our case it was left hand as the drum rotated anti-clockwise when viewed from the rear.). Hopes this helps to save someone an engineer call out fee.
Hi, the bearings have gone in my machine to which I have an engineer coming out to fix, I was just wondering if there is any way to prevent this from happening again in the future as the machine is only 3 years old and I cant keep up this repair business every 3 years?
Hello Emma, sadly there is nothing you can do other than not overloading the machine. Drum bearing failure is usually caused by water getting into them when the seal protecting them fails. In my opinion, it’s poor design and build quality to blame. In the old days drum bearings did not used to fail like they do today. It would be highly unusual for a three year old washing machine to have drum bearing failure. Sadly these days with some machines it’s relatively common and combined with the fact that they are often designed to be unrepairable without replacing the whole outer drum (or the back half) many washing machines gets scrapped when the bearings fail.
Hi Andy,
Thanks for your quick response. That’s a shame to hear, thankfully I have taken out extended warranty which is covering the repair this time but I think I shall look into a new machine next time. Which brand would you recommend for future reference?
I have looked at my washing machine after it was making a noise when it was running, I have also looked at faults in the book and I think that the drum / spider at the back has broken or come away, any idea how to check this as I can’t see how thanks
Hi Dave, I mention this in the article, “Lifting the drum checking for excessive play but turning it all the way around and checking in different spots can often reveal a broken or loose drum spider, which sometimes only occurs at certain points round the drum (the spider has three arms and is bolted to the drum at three points)”. Other than that you’d have to strip it completely down. Many washing machines have sealed tubs these days so you can’t strip them down or the drum spider is not available as a spare. Check on 4washerhelp spares to see what spares are available for your washing machine.
Thank you Andy…. I have fixed my machine by virtue of your clear instructions…
Thank you Sarah. I try to cover all possibilities, which can make some of my articles quite long. The problem these days is most of us rarely sit and carefully read articles, particularly on the Internet. So many of my articles are not going to help unless you read them properly, which is hopefully what you did. :)
Hi Andy-
I ended up here just wondering if there was anything I could do about the noise levels of my brand new Whirlpool WWDC7440. It’s all firmly seated on the floor and doesn’t move around when in use, the packing bolts were removed etc, and so it seems to just be a noisy machine.
It makes quite a racket when the water fills, but the main problem is the constant ‘chugging’ noise – esp when it’s getting ready to spin, which in itself is pretty piercing. A few reviewers of this machine have said that it has a noisy pump, although, oddly, most reviewers have said that the machine is very quiet! Go figure.
I’m guessing I’m just going to have to live with it until I can save for a new – and hopefully quieter – machine?
Hello Liz. Whirlpool tend to be a budget washing machine. In the UK they are not particularly sturdily built. Your problem is trying to decide if there is an actual fault, or it’s just a noisy machine. The water pump on all washing machines tends to be relatively noisy, but of course the cheaper machines are likely to be the worst. Ironically as motors have quietened down the water pump noise is much clearer. This effect is most noticeable on really high build washing machines where the main motor is almost silent so all you can hear is the pump. Pumps do not need to be noisy, they could be built much better, but in most machines they are cheap and noisy especially when pumping air.
In other words whilst ever water is rushing through the pump it isn’t so bad but as soon as most of the water has gone pumps can make a horrible chugging and slurping noise.
When you say it makes a racket when the water fills the only thing happening when it’s filling is water going into the machine so it shouldn’t make any noise other than the noise of the water rushing in. If you have high water pressure you can try turning the pressure down a bit by adjusting the washing machine tap. It may be possible to drastically reduce the noise this way. The reviewers that say the machine is very quiet may be speaking relatively. In other words if their old washing machine was extremely noisy and worn out compared to the old one it may very well be pretty quiet. :-)
Thanks, Andy –
I think it is probably due to it being, as you say, a budget machine. My old machine lasted for ten years, but I now wish I’d replaced it sooner. Leaving it until the old one had bitten the dust meant that I had to rush to replace it and at a time when I had to deal with other, unexpected expenses. I’m definately going to save for a more expensive machine now. (As I sit here writing this, the ‘quickwash’ is going through its spin cycle and even though I reduced it to a 1000 rpm spin it still sounds like a jet engine.) Of course, the other factor is that being over…er…fifty…I still think that two hundred and fifty quid is a lot of money!
Hi Andy. Thank you for producing such an excellent source of helpful information.
As our Zanussi Jetstream 1600 (which has done exceptionally well for over a decade) is now starting to whine all the time, I am torn between replacing the bearings, or buying new.
With a nod to build design and quality, which brands or models do you recommend without access to an unlimited budget.
Thanks again.
David
Thanks David, I have a lot of articles helping buying decisions including ones about which brands of washing machine have good reputations if you look through them here – Advice and resources related to buying washing machines
Hi
My Hotpoint Ultima WT761 has for the last month sounded like an airplane taking off so after reading your article, i am assuming it is the bearings. It has been with me for 8 years and 4 of those including the daily chore of washing children’s clothes so generally i think it’s done well.
I was wondering in your opinion how long a machine should last these days with an average once a day use, will check out your recommendation article as that was going to be my next question for the next purchase.
Thanks
Clare
My washing made a loud banging noise during the last spin, managed to stop it a remove the clothes I did another spin but empty and it seemed fine should I risk putting another washing in I also drained the machine and emptied the filter
Sorry I missed this before Marion. If it was just an out of balanced load it may well be fine but try it again keeping a close eye on it.
Hello Clare. I have an article here on how long a washing machine should last although yours sounds like it’s lasted a reasonable time for the use.
just got a new to me hotpoint aquarius extra wma40-42, the spin cycle is really loud, it’s not unbalanced, there’s no loose change, the feet are even- it just sounds like a normal spin only a really loud one. any ideas
Hello Jayne. It’s probably wear in the bearings, possibly the motor or the drum and motor. Depending how old it is they may just be noisy now.
Hi Andy
I wonder if you can help me. My 3 year old washing machine has started making a knocking noise. It seems to knock once for every revolution, irrespective of whether the drum is spinning, washing, full, or if I do it by hand when it is empty. It is a very hollow kind of knocking noise – definitely not the bearings.
It is a Hoover DYN 9164 DPG
Jenny, main suspect would be a loose drum weight. Unplug machine and take the lid off then shake the drum about to see if you can make it do the knocking noise and identify where it’s coming from. There are often concrete drum weights on top of the outer drum, underneath and or bolted to the front. They often come loose and if left can destroy the outer drum.
Hi Andy,
Very interesting to read all the comments, and problems. Our Hoover washing machine has once again started sounding like a jet engine when spinning. I say once again, as I actually changed the drum bearings about 5 years ago, and what a mamouth diy job it was. I won’t be attempting it again, so was wondering how long have I got to decide, buy, and get delivered a new washing machine, before the bearings go catastrophically wrong.
Thanks
Paul
Hello Paul. Thanks for posting your experience. Yes it is a massive job to replace drum bearings and one I definitely don’t advise attempting it as a DIY job unless you are really hard-core DIY. To make absolutely sure it is the drum bearings you need to disconnect the drive belt clear from the drum pulley at the back and then spin the drum from inside using one of the drum paddles. If the noise is there then it’s definitely the drum. Believe it or not I once did actually strip down drum bearings and replace them because I was in too much of a rush and too complacent but it turned out to be the motor bearings which sounded remarkably like drum bearings. I only ever did it once but it just proves that it is possible for a motor to develop bearing faults that sound very similar to drum bearings. I also know of another engineer who ordered an entire new drum and bearing kit for a customer which I went out to fit and I found that the rumbling noise was coming from a very badly worn drive belt and the drum bearings were perfectly okay.
If the drum bearings are causing the noise it is difficult to guess how long they will last. As you could imagine depends very much on use but also if the bearings are failing because water is leaking into them, which is the most common cause of drum bearing failure, then it depends exactly how much water is getting onto them. Drum bearings can rumble on noisily for many many months or they can suddenly decline. One marker is play in the drum. The more you can lift the drum up and down on its shaft from the front lip the less grease there is left and the more wear there there is on the bearings and drum shaft – and the more they are likely to collapse.
My drum has come completely loose, I can shake it around, it’s about 15 years old, I got it about 5th hand when I first moved into my home 4 years ago, I know I will have to buy a new one, but can I use This one in the mean time?
As you can imagine my advice has to be that it all depends on exactly what is causing the problem. It may be possible that the machine will soldier on noisily for a while longer. However, there is also a possibility, especially if it has a plastic outer drum, that if something is knocking against the plastic outer drum it could wear through or damage it causing the washing machine to leak. If you do need to keep using it the best advice would be to prevent it doing a full spin because it’s only on spin that any real damage is likely to occur.
If it has a variable spin option drop it down to at least 1000 or preferably 800. If it’s really noisy on spin I would just turn it off after it spun for 30 seconds or so. Of course the laundry will be much wetter but if you have to keep using it this will lessen the chances of anything bad happening. You would need to keep a very close eye on it as well and definitely do not leave it alone in case something disastrous happens and it floods the kitchen.