Your usual laundry process involves adding soap, softener and perhaps your “smell good” pellets into the appropriate places in the washer, closing the lid and hitting ‘start’ before moving onto the next chore on your list. Most of us know the everyday sounds of our house, so if, while dragging your sweeper out of the closet, you hear loud, constant noise in the vicinity of the laundry room you’re probably going to do one of two things. You’re either going to do your best to ignore it until you become immune to the noise and keep on with other chores, or you’re going to go investigate. We would like to gently suggest taking the investigative route.
Let’s chat about what might be going on with that washer. There are actually a couple of things that could be going on that could impair your washer and if nothing else, become extremely annoying to the ear.
One of the most common causes of washer noise is… the out of balance laundry load. You will notice a loud banging noise. It is loud and it is obvious. Immediately charge into battle and pause the cycle so you can simply shift the load around more evenly inside. More often than not, this will resolve the problem. It’s a heavy machine but can really get to moving when the laundry is lumped to one side of the drum, so if left to it’s own private disco, this can result in damage to your machine and even to the surrounding area. If shifting the clothes around does not resolve the issue, call a technician out to shut that party down.
Another common cause of washer noises you’re hearing could very likely be due to some loose change or foreign objects being tossed around in the drum while your clothing is being cleaned. The good news is this is also usually an easy fix. So, first and foremost, check the drum of your washer while you’re switching loads and/or during a spin cycle. However, you do not necessarily want to roll your sleeve up and dip your arm, elbow deep into soapy water while the unit is running. Note: If there IS loose change, immediately charge an investigative or chore interrupt fee for the amount in hand and put it in YOUR pocket. (Note: paper money is a silent, more profitable laundry surprise.) All household fees should be based on the amount fished out of the appliance. It’s kind of an unspoken rule. If it’s a foreign object (which is, unfortunately, not as profitable), simply remove it and continue about your business.
If you don’t see any change or foreign objects floating around in the drum and it’s still making noises, you may have a more complex issue. After the washing machine has finished it’s cycle, check to see if you have a clean out/coin catch (which doesn’t always “catch”). If you do, check it to see if anything has gotten caught in it. Don’t know if you have one? Check your Use and Care Guide to see if your specific model has one, and peruse the cleaning instructions for a minute. If you don’t see any loose change or obvious objects in that compartment, or if you don’t have a coin catch, you most likely have something stuck in your drain pump.
This is where it can become more of a sophisticated issue. Unless you happen to be a certified laundry technician, we highly recommend calling one to come out to take over investigative duties. If indeed you do have loose change or foreign objects in your drain pump, or even your drain hose, you’ll want to have a certified technician take care of this for you.
Once the objects have been removed from your washer, whether from the tub, coin catcher, drain pump or drain hose, you can get back to your regular cleaning program free of the annoying clanking of loose objects. Unless you chose the “determined to ignore and become immune to the noise” option…. in which case, we’ll be seeing you soon!
As always, we here at Guinco, are here to help. If you’re unsure of what’s causing that noise in your washer, feel free to give us a call or submit an online form, and we will be happy to answer any questions that you may have. Thank you for letting our family help yours!
TIP: Always make sure you’re checking for loose change and objects in pockets prior to washing. The noise can be annoying, but it could also be damaging your clothing and/or washer. Especially when you accidentally wash AND dry chapstick. This can ruin an entire load of clothes. We unfortunately know this for a fact!
