Washing machine louder than usual.

dekaspace1

Got this machine about 18 months ago at old property, its a good quality one and the drum is a "directdrive" I think its called.

After moving I noticed the first time I used it, it was ok until it went onto the spin where it is very loud, not quite banging and crashing but loud enough to sound like its off angled a little.

I assumed it was as I didn't yet have flooring down just floorboards, but just got floor covering down and its still banging about.

I know some basics like machines have weights and such to balance. but can't say for certain what the issue is.

Can I get some advice thanks.

Ebe_Scrooge

dekaspace1 said:

After moving I noticed the first time I used it, it was ok until it went onto the spin where it is very loud, not quite banging and crashing but loud enough to sound like its off angled a little

Have you left the transit bolts in?  A new machine will have transit bolts to stop the drum from wobbling around, these need to be removed before you use it.  If you subsequently move it (as in move house, not just shuffling it a few feet), you're supposed to re-fit the transit bolts to protect it during the move, then remove them again before you use it.  Did you (or the removal men, or whoever) put the transit bolts in for the move, then forget to remove them?

Other than that, is it something as simple as an unbalanced load (like if you've got a really thick blanket or something in there)?  Although that would only happen on the odd load, presumably you've used it several times since you moved.

You could remove the top and just check that the concrete weights are still bolted securely onto the drum.  They're unlikely to have come loose, but there's nothing lost by having a quick look, it's easy enough to do.  Just unplug it from the mains first, to be on the safe side.

The other thing you could check is to make sure all the suspension struts are still secure.  Not always quite so easy to check, and it varies by model, but it's not too difficult if you're fairly OK with DIY mechanical stuff.

Oh, and probably the most obvious thing to check first - is the machine standing on a firm and level floor?  What is the flooring?  Is it possible that the machine is sliding around a little bit on a tiled floor, for instance?

dekaspace1

That's what I was thinking, I didn't attach the transit bolts when I moved washing machine to new place (I did remove them when I first got it)

But overall the noise does seem to be only when the drum is over a certain speed the rest of time the machine is near silent.

I was also thinking maybe not a flat surface, I will just have to pull machine out and check, I just have vinyl flooring over screwed in floorboards.

Ebe_Scrooge

dekaspace1 said:

I was also thinking maybe not a flat surface, I will just have to pull machine out and check, I just have vinyl flooring over screwed in floorboards.

Ah, right - in that case, that could well be the issue.  The floorboards could well be uneven, and vinyl flooring won't do anything in the way of providing a firm surface.  Essentially you've got a big heavy machine supported on four quite small legs - so it could well be that one of the legs is actually not resting on anything solid (it's kind of hovering over a low spot in the floorboard, if you see what I mean).

Simplest solution is to just cut a piece of plywood to size, put that on the floor and sit the machine on top of that.  If the machine is under a kitchen worktop then you may find this makes it too high to fit underneath, depends how much clearance you've got to play with.  But that would be my guess as to the most likely cause of the issue.

<Edit> Actually, thinking about it - if you moved it without the transit bolts in place, I guess there's a chance the suspension struts could have been damaged.  Unlikely, to be honest, and hopefully that's not the case!  But the first and simplest thing is to get it onto a solid level surface, see if that cures the problem.  Does it have adjustable feet that might allow you to make sure all four are on a solid surface?  Some machines do, some don't.

dekaspace1

I will have to check about the adjustable feet, its a modern machine so maybe it will,

There's also a small chance it could be a bit off angled as a kickplate came off the base unit when putting the machine in.

macman

If you moved it minus transit bolts then it's possible the drum has been damaged, as it would not have been locked into position.

shiraz99

dekaspace1 said:

I will have to check about the adjustable feet, its a modern machine so maybe it will,

There's also a small chance it could be a bit off angled as a kickplate came off the base unit when putting the machine in.

Pretty much all machines have adjustable feet to allow you to level it. You might find it handy to get hold of a spirit level and check the level of the floor it's sitting on, especially if you can't level it in situe. My kitchen floor is so uneven that when I level the machine when it's pulled out it's completely out again when it's pushed into place, the way I get round it is to lay some 2 pence pieces on the floor where the machine will sit and add to them until I've got a level, then adjust the machine's feet accordingly.

Apodemus

I guess checking the level is the easiest thing to do, but I'd want to have a good look at the suspension system and its connection to the drum or the weight(s).  It may be possible that a strut has simply become unhooked at one end.

getmore4less

Level, then review.

dekaspace1

So I looked last night, haven't moved it yet but the gap between the top of the machine and the sideboard isn't straight, so it's very likely its not level, not sure if thats because of adjustable feet but will check as not working tomorrow.

Bigphil1474

We had all on getting our LG washing machine to sit still on fastest spin - i think that was a direct drive one. The main problem was that our suspended floor is a bit wobbly to say the least. Fortunately, I bodged the counter above the washing machine some years before, so it could be removed completely for fitting a washing machine in, so was easier to adjust. Easier being a relative term.
However, even dead flat by spirit level didn't sort it completely. We ended up buying some self adhesive patches with a rough surface that you stick under where the feet go. That improved things although didn't totally resolve it. When we replaced the washer we got one with a smaller load capacity and used the same patches. Still not 100% but we don't have to shout when the machine is spinning.