Many housewives notice that their washing machine is noisy during the spin cycle, but do not give it due attention. Why? It should buzz, there is nothing unusual, because the drum rotates at high speed. It is normal if the sound of the working equipment is not heard too loudly, without separate taps, rattles or clanks. But what to do when the car suddenly began to make a lot of noise? What could be the reason? Can I repair myself? This and more will be discussed in this article.
Manifestations of unnatural noise
A quiet measured noise of a moving drum and a running motor occurs during washing in any model of a centrifuge-type machine. For starters, pay attention to sound character, which may indicate a malfunction:
- the sound is unnatural, it grows with each wash;
- the washing machine is especially noisy during the spin cycle;
- a pronounced extraneous noise, similar to a clang, rattle or blow.
Of course, the first thing that an owner may think of when faced with such a common phenomenon in a washing machine is that it is just a sound due to the metal parts of the clothes themselves. But, when you wash bed linen or towels, and the noise gets louder, it's time to think about a malfunction.
Why is the sound of the washing machine heard the most during the spin cycle? The fact is that at this stage of operation, the centrifuge drum rotates the most and fastest.
This serves as a good test for all mechanisms. Accordingly, with an increase in the roar of the motor, noise during breakdowns will be better noticeable, since fast movement shakes all other parts, including the body.
Causes of the malfunction
Before you immediately take the equipment for repair or call the masters at home, you can carry out the initial diagnosis yourself. It is highly likely that you will determine the cause yourself, while saving some money that you would have to give to the adjusters.
The most common causes of noise:
- there is something extraneous between the body and the drum, a small object, a detail;
- rotating bearings are badly worn;
- bolts for transporting the tank dangle;
- the axis of rotation of the centrifuge is broken, or its fastening is loosened;
- problems with the counterweight: poorly fixed or must be replaced.
In addition to noise, signs of problems with equipment can also be:
- brown water coming out of the drain pipe or rust stains on the linen;
- puddles of water under the bottom of the apparatus;
- drum jamming.
All these phenomena point to wear of important parts: bearings, oil seal, shaft. The equipment will function normally only after a major overhaul.
How to fix the breakdown yourself, depending on the cause
You can try to determine the cause of the breakdown yourself, just remember the safety precautions. Before coming into contact with metal parts of the machine, unplug it from the socket.
Removing a foreign object
Even small coins, buttons, jewelry can fall into small drum holes. It is they who can beat on a rotating drum, making clicks. You can remove them by armed with something like tweezers. Only first you should remove the circular rubber gasket, loosen the heating coil so that it does not interfere with detecting a small detail. Carefully remove the item from the tank and return the heater to its original position.
Bad bearings
The bearings in the washing machine are under enormous load due to the huge speed of rotation of the centrifuge. Over time, even the highest quality ball or roller rings deteriorate. Bearing failure can be fixed manually, slightly pressing on the axis and rotating the drum alternately, then in one direction, then in the other direction. If a characteristic crack is noticeable at the same time, there is a problem with the bearings.
LG washing machines especially often buzz during spinning due to wear of rotational elements.
Signs of wear on the bearing-gland assembly can also be the appearance of rust on the laundry and seepage of water through the bottom of the apparatus. These phenomena indicate a loss of tightness of the assembly due to wear of parts. The replacement of this part is carried out by adjusters, in this case it is better to entrust the repair to professionals.
Unremoved transport bolts rattle
If you just bought or brought a washing machine from repair, and it makes a lot of noise during operation, the reason may be the most banal: you forgot to unscrew the bolts, fixing inside the tank. In normal mode, for better cushioning, it freely balances on the springs. In order to transport equipment from place to place, it is not recommended to leave the tank in free movement: it is tightly screwed on.
When installing, all fasteners of the inner tank should be removed, and then the characteristic noise will disappear.
Breakage of the rotation shaft
Like bearings, even the strongest metal axle can fail over time. Often its fastening breaks, for this it will be necessary to replace the fasteners or tighten the nuts, while ensuring the tightness of the shaft. A complete replacement of the rotation mechanism may be required, which is also better to entrust to the masters.
Counterweight failure
For balancing, the tank inside the apparatus rests on springs, and balances it with a counterweight. Such a system is designed to soften the sharp shocks of a spinning centrifuge in order to avoid hitting the machine body. Inside the apparatus, the counterweight is fixed with ordinary screws, which may well unwind over time. It is quite possible to eliminate such a breakdown, without having special knowledge on repairing household appliances: it is enough to simply tighten these screws more tightly.
In conclusion, I would like to add that good owners should always be attentive to home helpers, especially for expensive large-sized household appliances. As soon as you hear that the washing machine is buzzing or making a lot of noise, carefully inspect it for faults. Further operation of the device is fraught with more serious breakdowns, up to a complete failure. And so I want the automatic machine to serve for a long time.