The sound and the moment it happens together tell you almost everything. Grinding during the wash usually means something is trapped between the drum and the outer tub. A deep rumble that rises with spin speed means worn bearings. Banging on spin means balance or levelling. Humming during drain means the pump is blocked. Squealing means the belt.
Match the sound to the fault
| Sound | When it happens | Most likely cause |
|---|---|---|
| Grinding or scraping | Wash and spin | Foreign object between drum and outer tub |
| Deep rumble, rises with speed | Spin | Worn drum bearings |
| Banging or thumping | Spin only | Unbalanced load, levelling, or transit bolts |
| Humming, nothing moves | Drain | Blocked or jammed drain pump |
| Rattling | Drain and spin | Object loose in the pump filter housing |
| Squealing or screeching | Drum turning | Worn or slipping drive belt |
| Clicking | Start of cycle | Normal — the door interlock engaging |
| Gurgling | End of drain | Normal — air clearing the drain hose |
Grinding: something trapped in the drum
This is the most common cause of a sudden new noise, and it is usually cheap to resolve if you catch it early. Coins, hair grips, buttons, small screws and — the worst offender — the sprung wire from an underwired bra work through the drum holes and end up in the gap between the inner drum and the outer tub.
- Empty the machine and turn the drum slowly by hand
With the machine unplugged, rotate the drum gently in both directions and listen. A trapped object usually announces itself as a distinct clink or scrape at one point in the rotation.
- Check the drum holes and the seal fold
Shine a torch through the perforations and run a finger round the door seal fold. Small objects sit in the seal far more often than people expect.
- Check the pump filter
Open the flap at the bottom front and clear the filter housing. Anything that has already made it through will be sitting here — and an object rattling around the impeller causes noise during drain and spin.
- Stop using it if the noise persists
A metal object circulating between drum and tub will eventually score the drum, tear the seal or puncture the tub. Retrieving it usually means removing the heating element or the back panel — a job for an engineer, but a much cheaper one than a new tub.
Empty pockets before loading, and wash underwired bras inside a mesh laundry bag. A single bra wire in the wrong place is one of the more expensive things you can put through a washing machine.
Rumbling: the bearings
Bearing noise is distinctive once you know it. The signs:
- A deep rumble or roar that rises and falls with drum speed, loudest at full spin.
- It has been getting worse over weeks or months, not days.
- It happens on every load regardless of size or how well you distribute it.
- Gripping the drum at the top and rocking it produces play, or a gritty feel as it turns.
On most modern machines the bearings sit in a sealed outer tub that is not designed to be split, so replacing them means replacing the whole tub assembly — frequently more than half the price of a new machine. Continuing to run it risks the shaft seal failing, which puts water into the bearing housing and then onto your floor. If it is rumbling badly, stop spinning it until it has been assessed.
Banging and thumping
Loud banging confined to the spin cycle is almost always a balance or installation problem rather than a mechanical failure. In order of likelihood: transit bolts never removed on a new machine, a machine that is not level, a single heavy item unbalancing the drum, or worn suspension dampers. Our shaking guide covers all four in detail, including how to test the suspension by hand.
Humming, squealing and clicking
- Humming with no water movement during drain — the pump is energised but obstructed. Clean the pump filter and check the impeller spins freely. Our drainage guide has the full sequence.
- Squealing while the drum turns — a worn, glazed or slipping drive belt. On belt-driven machines this is a relatively inexpensive part, but it sits inside the cabinet.
- Clicking at the start of a cycle — normal. That is the door interlock engaging.
- Gurgling as the drain finishes — normal. Air is clearing the hose.
When to call a professional
Call an engineer for any rumble that rises with spin speed, for visible play when you rock the drum, for a grinding object you cannot reach through the drum or filter, or for a squealing belt. Retrieving a trapped object and replacing belts or bearings all require the cabinet to be opened around live components — and in the case of bearings, the machine to be substantially dismantled.
Stop and call a qualified appliance technician or electrician if you find scorched or melted wiring, smell burning, see water that has reached electrical components, or if the fault returns immediately after a repair. Never bypass a safety device — thermal fuses, door interlocks and flood switches fail for a reason, and defeating one converts a broken appliance into a fire or flood risk.
