How to Diagnose Drum Problems in a Washing Machine

If you're dealing with washing machine drum problems or excessive noise from your appliance, that usually indicates that something has gone wrong. You will need to fix the fault sooner rather than later to prevent any further damage. However, a noisy or faulty washing machine drum could be caused by any one of multiple issues. That's why we're going to show you how to diagnose drum problems in a washing machine and get your appliance back in action.

Let's take a look! To learn how to diagnose drum problems with a noisy washing machine, either watch the video below or follow our step-by-step guide.

One of the most common issues you can run into is worn washing machine drum bearings. There are three ways to tell that this part has become worn out or damaged:

1. Noise
2. Drum movement
3. Visual inspection

Noise

The main indicator of worn bearings is if your drum is making unpleasant noises while turning. You can test this by placing your hand inside the tub and giving it a spin for yourself. If this part is faulty, the washing machine bearings noise will sound like a sort of grinding or squealing.

Drum movement

Another way to check if your washing machine's bearings are faulty is to see how much movement the drum has. You can test this by placing your hand inside the machine and pushing against the top of the drum. If there is excessive movement and the drum is noticeably moving away from the door seal, this is also an indicator that the bearings need replacing.

Visual inspection

Finally, you can check the washing machine bearings by taking a look at the back of your machine. Turn it around and unscrew the back panel to get a good look inside. As you can see from the picture below, there is noticeable rust from leaking water on the small shelf above the element.

Then, you can remove the bolt from the centre of the motor and pull off the circular panel.

Again, there will be noticeable rust beneath this motor panel if the bearings are worn.

You can then remove the ring from around the centre of the motor to get a good look at the bearings themselves.

As you can see below, the bearings here are basically falling out. They should actually be evenly spaced around this ring, so if they have started to fall and gather around the bottom, they will need to be replaced.

Washing machine drum bearings replacement

The replacement process for bearings is quite lengthy, but it is one you can carry out for yourself if you know which steps to take. Our washing machine bearings replacement guide is here to walk you through the process step-by-step.

🎥 You can watch how to accomplish this repair in the video below. And don’t forget to acquire your new washing machine drum bearings from the eSpares website!

While washing machine bearings are a major factor in your drum's performance, they aren't the only issue that can occur. Items such as wires and zips can get trapped in the drum, which will result in your washing machine making loud noises as it turns. So, when you have a noisy washing machine, you should also check around the inside of the drum itself for any trapped items and remove any that you may find.

🎥 You can find out more about removing stuck items from a washing machine drum in our guide or by watching the video below:

Another thing to look out for is direct damage to the drum itself. If you find that any items of your laundry are coming out of the washing machine ripped or torn, this can be because trapped items have damaged the perforations in the tub. When this happens, the perforations can lift up and catch the fabric, resulting in damage to your clothes. You can test this by carefully rubbing a soft cloth or an old pair of tights all the way around the inside of the drum, feeling for where the fabric is catching as you do so.

As shown in the picture below, one of the perforations is damaged and has become a little jagged. Fortunately, damaged perforations can often be fixed. You can simply use a crosshead screwdriver or a wooden spatula to very gently press down onto a damaged perforation to even out the edge. You can then check that the perforation is no longer catching by once again rubbing a cloth or some old tights gently over it and seeing if it catches.

Your laundry could also come out torn because of a cracked or loose drum paddle, as clothes will also catch onto a faulty paddle in the same way they could catch onto a damaged perforation. This issue can also be fixed fairly easily by simply replacing the faulty drum paddle, as shown in our drum paddle replacement guide.

🎥 Watch the video below for a demonstration of this repair and be sure to acquire a replacement washing machine drum paddle:

Another cause of noise in your washing machine is loose weights. Inside your washing machine, there are weights that are attached to the drum to help control any excessive movement while the drum is spinning. If these weights become loose, they will produce a loud thumping sound in your washing machine and will therefore need tightening back up again.

To access the weights, unscrew the top panel of your machine and place it aside. You will be able to see the counterweight on top of the drum inside the machine, and you can check if it's loose by feeling the washers that hold it down. If the washers are loose, the counterweight will be loose as well.

You will be also able to tell by shaking the weight with your hand. If there is a lot of excessive noise, it is definitely loose.

One of the ways the washers and the counterweights can become loose is due to unbalanced loads. This is when you wash a load of laundry, and there is an imbalance in the weight. An example of this is washing a load of lighter items such as underwear, but then also washing a heavier pair of jeans with them. This means the weight isn't spread around evenly inside the drum, which will cause it to shake excessively and gradually loosen the counterweights. You can prevent this by simply washing multiple heavy items together and lighter items together for better weight distribution.

The drum is also held in place by springs at the top and dampers underneath. These also help to control the drum’s movement. When they become faulty, you will hear thumping and banging from your appliance. If you are wondering how to reduce the noise of a washing machine, we have a washing machine damper replacement guide.

🎥 Watch the video below to learn how to identify and replace this part. You can get a replacement washing machine damper on the eSpares website!

Finally, you should also make sure that excessive washing machine noise isn't caused by the machine itself rocking. If this is the case, the fix is easy. Simply check that the washing machine's feet are level, and if they aren't, adjust them by screwing or unscrewing them until the washing machine is level again. 

We hope that this guide has helped you figure out how to reduce the noise of a washing machine and get your appliance back in working order. If you are having any other issues and need help trying to figure out what’s wrong, we have a washing machine diagnosis playlist on our YouTube channel.

Remember – the key to the longevity of your appliance is appropriate care and maintenance. So, make sure to look through washing machine spare parts, accessories, and cleaning products range over on eSpares!