Are you wondering why your LG washing machine making noise when spinning? If your washing machine is making an unusual noise like knocking or scratching in your drum and you don’t know where is the problem comes from?
May the problem come from stuck items in the drum or the pump or you didn’t level your washing machine in a good way there are many causes we’re going to check below so please follow the causes and solution.
In this article, we’ll show you the top 10 reasons and fix why LG washing machine making noise when spinning.
Top 12 Reasons Why LG Washing Machine Making Noise When Spinning
Cause1. Stuck objects
the most common cause for noise is in a front load washer is usually a foreign object that has gotten caught between the inner and outer basket on your washer.
items like small baby socks or clothing, coins, nails and screws bra wires, bank cards, plastic toys those types of things can fit into that space between the two tubs, and eventually cause a noise.
these items are either small enough or shaped properly that they typically will get in the area between the door bellows and the inner basket.
once in that area, they can get trapped between the two tubs the inner basket and the outer tub or they may make their way down into the pump area where they can get caught in either the trap or filter or they may work their way directly into the pump itself.
Solution: Remove the stuck objects.
based on the type of sound that they make will dictate where you go looking to find those items.
1. if you’re getting a scraping sound when you rotate the drum slowly it has more of a metallic sound, might suspect that you’ve either got a coin jammed in there somewhere a small finish nail, or a bra wire something metallic that has gotten between these two tubs.
- look in the area between the bellows and that inner basket to see if you can find something.
- look through all of the perforations just take a flashlight and look carefully through those or feel gentle with your hands to see if you could feel anything protruding through those holes.
if there is something in that inner basket that is poking out through one of those perforations used.
when removing that so that you don’t damage the outer tub typically a pair of needlenose pliers will allow us to pull that up through that opening.
2. when rotating the drum and you get a clicking sound it seems quite rhythmic again you would first inspect
those perforations but it’s not a scraping sound that you would expect or something that is being dragged across the Oder drum.
If it sounds like something may be inside of one of the drum baffles sometimes that gap at the bottom is large enough that perhaps a coin or a pin or something like that.
Typically the baffles are attached to the inner basket with spring clips that are a part of the actual inner basket itself.
Some models will have a retaining screw:
- rotate the baffle to the top.
- remove the top of the washer and the inlet fill hose there to access that screw or do it from the bottom through the sump area.
If your model has not had a retaining screw:
- pull back on that baffle
you may damage the baffle and need to replace it is the only condition there are the plastic tabs on the bottom of it
may snap off due to the age of the baffle itself.
You may find coins under the baffle if you find them remove them they may cause the noise.
3. if you’re getting more of a scuffing sound, you might suspect that you’ve got an article of clothing between the inner basket and the outer basket again.
the first place you’ll look is in the door bellows area in that gap between the inner basket and where the bellows mounts to the outer tub.
4. if you’re getting a loud noise coming from the bottom of your washer where the pump area is, you might suspect you’ve got something caught in that pump.
check to see if there’s something caught in that pump area noise from the pump sounds like there is something caught in there.
- Remove the front panel and access to the drain pump and the filter.
- Remove the trap and filter.
- Check if there is something stuck on to remove it and clean the filter with water.
Cause2. Level of your washing machine.
make sure the machine is level.
If your machine rocks:
- adjust the feet from underneath.
Most manufacturers have adjustable feet at the bottom.
Cause3. Tub bearings
The most common reason your washer would be making noise is due to bad tub bearing.
the tub bearings are mounted on the outer tub and support the driveshaft that passes through it, they allow the shaft to rotate as the washer goes through the cycles.
there are two different styles of bearings:
- a sleeve style bearing found only in top-load washers.
- a roller style bearing found in all front load washers.
some top-loaders on top load washers the bearing is located at the bottom of the outer tub and on front loaders the bearings are mounted on the rear of the outer tub.
all bearings can fail due to age or if the tub seal is leaking and water is getting into them it can shorten their lives.
if the bearings are starting to fail you’ll get a squeaking noise and then as they continue to fail the noise will get worse, usually, the noise is loudest during the spin cycle.
to check if a roller style bearing has failed:
1. turn the inner tub manually and listen for any noise or feel if the bearings aren’t turning smoothly.
Solution:
for a sleeve style bearing: the only way to figure out if it’s bad is if it’s making noise so you’ll have to determine if the noise is coming from the bottom center of the tub, otherwise you’ll have to take the washer apart to access it.
If your bearing has failed you’ll need to replace it and it’s also recommended that you change to the tub seal at the same time.
Cause4. Suspension parts
suspension parts all work together to keep the washer in balance, the style of washing machine you have will determine the type of suspension parts in the washer.
the most common are shock-absorbers, snubber rings, or pads suspension rods and straps.
if you have an older top loader, they usually have snubber pads or rings that the assembly rides on they also
have Springs that hold the assembly to the bottom of the washer.
if you have a newer top loader they usually have suspension rods and support the tub, in addition, some have suspension straps that go between the tub and the washer cabinet.
front loaders use two suspension Springs on top and shock absorbers on the bottom.
if any of the parts are failing you may hear noise coming from the affected part where something’s completely failed the washer may go out of balance and bang around during cycles.
Solution:
usually when a part fails it needs to be replaced but if it’s just a spring that’s squeaking because it’s
dry you can simply add some grease to the contact point.
Cause5. Spider support arm
the spider support arm it’s what holds the inner tube in place.
the spider support arm usually has three arms that attach to the inner tub and a shaft that goes out to the drive pulley or motor as the pulley or motor turns it spins the arm in the tub to agitate the clothes.
To check that your spider support arm is bad:
the first signs are that the washer is going out of balance during the spin cycle.
if you spin the inner tub by hand you might hear a clicking or rumbling noise as it goes around that
could be because parts of the spider support arm are broken and moving around inside
pay attention to the gap between the inner and outer tubs as you spin them they should always stay the same distance apart.
if you notice it’s wobbling as you turn it one of the arms could be broken.
make sure to check inside the door seal at the bottom if you see any damage to the outer tub it could be a sign that the spider arm is broken and the inner tub is bouncing around.
if you determine that the spider support arm is damaged you’ll need to replace it.
Cause6. Coupler
The coupler’s what connects the motor to the transmission on older direct-drive top-load washers.
the coupler is made up of three pieces usually two plastic and one rubber that work together so the motor can spin the transmission.
one side of the coupler is mounted on the transmission and another is mounted on the motor the rubber, the rubber part goes in between to absorb shocks and vibrations.
If the coupler has failed you might hear the motor running but the washer won’t agitate or spin, you’ll also hear a loud noise coming from that area as the broken coupler pieces grind together,
which may also leave pieces of rubber or plastic on the ground underneath the washer, if that’s the case you’ll have to replace it.
Cause7. Drive belt
the drive belt connects the motor pulley to the drive pulley so the inner tub can agitate and spin.
there are two different types of drive belts beat belts and multi-groove belts no matter what style you have if it starts to fail and break apart it may make noise as it goes through the pulleys.
In front loaders they’re usually located at the back and on top-loaders they’re usually located on the bottom.
visually inspect the belt and if it’s damaged you’ll have to replace it to replace the drive belt.
Cause8. Drive pulley.
the drive pulley it’s opposite of the motor pulley and drives the washer, most Drive pulleys are made of metal but some are made of plastic.
the drive belt goes around it and connects it to the motor pulley, if the drive pulley is bent or damaged or if the mounting hole is rounded out it could be wobbling as it rotates and making noise.
In front load washers the drive pulley is usually mounted on the spider arm at the back of the machine, and on top loaders, it’s bumped on the transmission at the bottom.
- check the pulley for any signs of damage and replace it if needed.
Cause9. Clutch
the clutch gradually gets the washer tub up to full speed during the spin cycle
clutches can come in a variety of different designs but they all work the same inside they have a brake pad-like material that grips and drives the washer if that material wears out the clutch may not work properly and you’ll get a loud metal-on-metal noise.
The clutch is usually found at the bottom of the machine if you’re hearing loud noises from it it’s likely failed and you’ll have to replace it.
Cause10. Drain pump
the drain pump it’s used to remove the water from the tub during the drain and spin cycles.
depending upon your style you may have a pump that simply has an inlet and an outlet others are more complex and have a motor attached to them.
in general, drain pumps are mounted on the bottom of the washer but sometimes can be mounted on the motor itself.
If the pump making noise the first thing you want to do is check that there isn’t something inside of it that’s hitting the impeller as it turns.
if there’s nothing inside it could be that the impeller or the bearings are damaged sometimes you can turn the pump and feel if it’s binding up which is an indication that the bearings have failed.
to check the impeller you need to look at it and see if any of the blades are damaged.
if you have the style with a motor and that’s where the sounds are coming from it’s likely that the motor bearings have failed in any of those cases you’ll need to replace the drain pump.
Cause11. Drive motor
the drive motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy, to drive the washer there are many types of motors but they all work the same.
they all have a housing inside the housing as a rotor and a stator with a bearing at each end, the rotor spins inside the stator to drive the washer this doesn’t include the newer direct drive motors that have a flat rotor and stator.
if the motors making noise it’s usually because the bearings have gone bad, in most cases, you can’t buy individual motor parts so you have to replace the whole thing.
Read also:
- How To Use GE Washing Machine?
- How to use whirlpool washing machine front load?
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- How to replace washing machine belt?
- Why water in washing machine drum when not in use?
Cause12. Water inlet valve
the water inlet valve controls hot and cold water that enters the tub, water inlet valves have solenoids that open and close to let water flow into the washer.
if the washer is making noise during a fill cycle the valve could be going bad this could be caused by a damaged coil jam plunger or a clog in the valve like the motor parts aren’t sold separately.
if any part of the valve is failed you’ll need to replace the whole thing.
