Diagnosing Noisy Toploader Washing Machine

Appliance Repairs in Port Elizabeth

The reason for this post is to help you identify possible causes and solutions for a noisy Toploader washing machine. There are a couple of things that can causes a Toploader Washing Machine to become noisy and the noise mostly appears during a Spin-cycle. Everyday things like a bra-wire, coins or hair clips get stuck between the inner and outer drums of your Toploader washing machine will make a racket when washing machine goes into the spin-cycle.
Anatomy  of Toploader Washing machine undercarriage
There are two areas where the noise normally comes from in a toploader washing machine and that is from the drain pump or the inner washing machine drum. Actually there are more things could cause a noise (stabilizers) but they are so far and wide that I'm not even going to discuss them today. If they should ever come up you just drop me a line and we can chat about it.

Drain Pump 

You should hear a noise every time when the machine goes over into a drain cycle. All you have to do is open your drain filter hatch and remove all debary that is lodge inside the filter house-ing.

if the noise persists even after you have cleaned the filter, it means that the pump-pulsator is damaged and the drain pump needs to be replaced.

Noisy during Spin cycle

There are a couple of things that could causes the Washing machine to become noisy during the Spin-cycle.

  • Inner wash drum has detached from outer wash drum
  • Inner drum assembly (spider) has crack
  • Gearbox is busy failing
  • Center bearing is rusted and dry
  • Foreign object is lodge between inner and outer drum
Do the following exercise

Run the washing machine on the Spin cycle without anything in it 
  • If the noise are gone it means the inner drum spider assembly is cracked and needs to be replaced
  • If the noise are still there without a load in the washing machine it could be two things
  1. There is a foreign object logged in between the outer and inner drums. This is a easy fix and all you need is a set of "braai-tongs" and some pointer from me.
  2. Center seal has collapsed and water has leaked through the gearbox - onto the bearings. Tilled the washing machine about 45 degree backwards and let it lean against a wall. Get down on your knee and while you down there you can do two things;-  humble yourself, have some gratitude and be grateful for the luxuries of owning a washing machine. Secondly look for rust and water leaks.
When a toploader washing machine has rust markings in the centre it means that it is leaking from the centre seals. 
Speed Queen washing machines has a mechanical seal that can be replaced. 

Samsung and LG toploader washing machines normally springs a leak through the gearbox and seals are not available in South Africa which means you have to replace the whole gearbox assembly.
Whirlpool washing machines never leaks, actually I have had it once or twice that the agitator shaft seal would go and water leaks straight into gearbox

Defy toploader has the durability of the speed queen and whirlpools but are in the economical price range of the samsung's and Lg's, they hardly ever develop centre water-leaks. 

Lastly look for water streaks around around the edges on the outer casing of the washing machine because sometime this will tell you its not that serious and it is only a water hose that has perish.

Thank you for stopping and I hope you have found some value, should you need more - leave a comment below.

Cheers!
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