Washing machine noise diagnosis

theholycow · 02-28-2012, 06:56 PM

So I had an average load on an average cycle. It was agitating normally then suddenly this sound started up:
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Does this mean impending doom? Is it an inexpensive DIY repair? Should I just ignore it?

GasSavers_Erik · 02-29-2012, 04:15 AM

Are you referring to the medium pitched whine? or to the lower pitched thump, thump....?

The best case scenario would be a frayed belt or a bad idler pulley bearing.

How did it sound on the spin cycle? Any oil underneath the center of the unit?

theholycow · 02-29-2012, 06:13 AM

I'm referring to the whine. The thump is normal. The spin cycle is fine, it's just the agitation cycle that made the noise which started halfway through that cycle.

I'll have to check for oil underneath.

**Jay2TheRescue** · 02-29-2012, 08:19 AM

This is what a friend of mine that's a Whirlpool repair man says...

Quote:

It is always hard to tell when listing to a recording or even over the phone, but I would guess that something is in the water pump. It may go away? I would just keep using the machine unless it brothers him a lot.

On that note, I have pulled stuff out of the water pump on various machines with relative ease. Usually you take the front panel off the machine, and the pump is right there.

theholycow · 02-29-2012, 08:44 AM

Interesting. I didn't realize that the water pump runs during agitation. Perhaps I should look at that.

**Jay2TheRescue** · 02-29-2012, 09:00 AM

On some models it does. I remember a former roommate once chewed me out because I "broke" the washer. It was making an objectionable noise after I had used it. When I took the front panel of the machine off, I found the noise was coming from the water pump. When I took it off, I pulled the underwire from a bra out of the pump.