Help & Advice Decoding the Issue: How to Diagnose a Loose Washing Machine Drum

The value of washing machines in modern households cannot be underestimated. These trusty helpers ensure that our clothes get squeaky clean in a minimal amount of time with minimal effort. What’s more is that modern washers are often highly energy efficient, meaning a lower burden on our budgets.

But what happens when your washing machine starts malfunctioning? In particular, when you hear it making a loud or unexplainable grinding noise that you simply can’t put your finger on the cause? The answer could be quite simple: it could simply be that your washing machine drum is loose.

In such cases, you’ll need to explore the potential causes to determine why your washing machine drum is loose or banging. In this article, we take a look at the ways in which you can identify a loose drum problem as well as potential causes and solutions. Let’s dive in!

How to identify a loose drum problem

If your washer has a loose drum, the chances are that you are hearing loud banging or grinding noises. You may also see some error codes on your washer’s display screen.

Alternatively, you may feel that your washing machine is malfunctioning or that it has stopped working altogether.

In order to carry out some DIY diagnostic steps to determine the cause of your washing machine’s drum noise, the biggest culprit is usually the drum bearings.

However, there are numerous other challenges that could be the cause of the problem and we explore these in more detail below:

The most common causes of a loose drum

Some of the most common causes of a loose washing machine drum include the following:

• Faulty bearings: These are often the biggest culprit. The quickest way you can diagnose this issue is to switch off your washing machine at its power source and then spin the drum gently by hand. If you hear a grinding noise during this operation, the chances are high that it’s your bearings that need attention. Curious about the next steps? Discover more about whether it’s worth replacing the bearings on your washing machine in our dedicated article.
• Trapped items: Another frequently encountered problem is trapped items in the drum. These can be clothes, shoelaces, small clothes, etc. Once again, it’s advisable to turn off the washing machine’s power at the source and inspect the drum for any items trapped between the drum and the washer walls.
• Direct damage to the drum itself, such as perforations: Sometimes, inspecting the drum itself requires attention. That’s because there could be perforations in the drum walls, meaning that there’s a scratching sound emitted or the perforations could be so large as to prevent a proper water flow thus leading your drum and washer to malfunction.
• Cracked or loose drum paddle: This is another potential problem that may require attention. Often, this will result in your clothes coming out of the washer torn or ripped. The simple solution once this issue is diagnosed is to simply have the paddle replaced.
• Loose weights: Most washing machines have weights attached to the drum to help even out unbalanced weight and washing loads. If they come loose, this will result in loud banging noises and they will need to be put back in place and tightened to prevent further damage.
• Unbalanced loads: Another simpler cause that’s easy to address that’s a potential sign of a loose washing machine drum is if you place unbalanced loads in your washer. Simply make sure to observe what the maximum weight of clothes you can put in your washer through your owner’s manual and then ensure you never exceed that weight amount.
• An unlevel washing machine platform: It’s also possible that you’re experiencing problems with your washer’s drum because your washing machine itself is not level on the ground or is not level on the platform that it’s standing on. Simply use a spirit level to see if your washing machine is level before taking any further action. A small change as evening out the platform can help keep issues to a minimum.
• Other possible causes: Getting to the more mechanical side of things, if none of the above fixes address the issue, you could be looking at problems with a torn drum seal, a broken drum spider, damaged shock absorbers or even damaged suspension rings. In such cases, you’ll most likely need professional assistance so that you’re assured of the quality of the engineer’s workmanship.

Trust our engineers for swift solutions

If you are struggling and you want to know how to fix a loose drum on a washing machine, you’re in good hands. That’s because the team at Domex can help with professional and highly reliable washing machine repairs that accurately diagnose the fault in question followed by thorough troubleshooting and repair work.

Even if you’re faced with a broken washing machine drum, which can be quite a serious issue to resolve, our engineers have you covered. With us, you don’t have to worry about waiting for spare parts because we bring those with us.

In addition, you can always avail of our 12-month guarantee on faults repaired and/or spare parts fitted. When in doubt, get in touch with us and take advantage of professional engineers with solid training to their name.