6 min read
Washing machines are good at telling you what is wrong, if you know how to read the symptoms. Here are the faults we attend most often and what each one usually means.
Loud banging or grinding during spin
Almost always drum bearings, sometimes worn shock absorbers. The noise gets louder over weeks. It is worth acting early: running a machine on failing bearings can damage the drum and outer tub, which is the difference between a moderate repair and a machine not worth fixing.
The door will not open
Modern machines keep the door locked while water remains in the drum, so a drainage fault often presents as a stuck door. If the drum is empty and the door still will not release, the interlock itself has usually failed.
Water on the floor
Look at where the water appears. At the front it is generally the door seal or detergent drawer; at the rear it is hoses or connections; underneath the middle it is the pump housing or tub. Photographing the wet area before mopping up genuinely helps the diagnosis.
The cycle never finishes
A machine stuck part-way through usually cannot satisfy a condition — it is not filling to the expected level, not heating to temperature, or not draining. The control board waits indefinitely rather than moving on. Note the stage it stops at, as that narrows it down quickly.
Clothes still dirty or soaking wet
Poor cleaning points to water temperature, detergent dosing or a blocked drawer. Clothes that come out soaking indicate the spin cycle is not completing — often an unbalanced load, worn brushes or a suspension problem.