Automatic washing machines have become firmly established in the life of every family, facilitating the work of the hostess and saving her time. It is enough to load dirty laundry, set the necessary washing program, turn on the unit, and you can do other things for some time, and the home assistant will do all the work on her own.
But sooner or later, any household appliances begin to malfunction. Therefore, do not panic if you hear a knock in the washing machine during the spin cycle. Causes, possible breakdowns and troubleshooting can be identified and corrected by any device owner. Moreover, delaying the solution to this problem is not recommended, otherwise repair and restoration work will cost much more.
The main causes of the malfunction
A knock in the washing machine during the spin cycle is a conditional concept, more often it is expressed by a rattle, creaking or rumbling inside the unit. Therefore, when extraneous noise appears during the operation of any mechanism, each owner of the unit has a certain anxiety, alertness and desire to find out the nature of their origin.
In the washing machine, a strong knock during the spin cycle may occur due to:
- improper installation of the unit in the room;
- uneven loading of laundry into the drum of the machine;
- unbalanced counterweight;
- line filter damage;
- the bursting spring of the washing machine tank;
- shock absorber malfunctions;
- worn bearings;
- pulley failure.
Be sure to note when there was a knock in the washing machine during the spin cycle - this will allow for more accurate diagnosis of the cause of the malfunction.
First of all, it is necessary to interrupt the operating cycle of the unit by disconnecting the washing machine from the electrical network, and subsequently from the water supply. Next, you need to remove the laundry from the drum and drain the water. Such actions will prevent further destruction of the defective part.
Incorrect installation
If the knock in the washing machine during the spin cycle appeared immediately after its purchase, then in 99% of cases the owner did not comply with the manufacturer's requirements for the proper preparation and installation of the unit before starting work.
First of all, not all transportation bolts were dismantled. Their purpose is to protect all components of the automatic washing machine from shock during transportation and transportation by blocking shock absorbers and drum springs. Therefore, if there is vibration at high speeds during the spin cycle and noise during washing (even after the first inclusion), it is strictly necessary to unscrew the required number of locks according to the instructions.
Particular attention must be paid to the correct installation of the unit, otherwise the knock of the drum of the washing machine during the squeezing on the walls of the tank can lead not only to unpleasant noise and bouncing, but also damage to these main components. Even the use of anti-vibration mat will not always help get rid of this trouble.
To resolve this problem, you must:
- Set the machine on a hard surface, after checking it horizontally using the building level.
- But not all floors in the rooms are perfectly flat, so you need to adjust the installation level by the height of the legs of the unit.
- Be sure to securely lock the nuts of the legs, as as a result of many years of operation, the settings may be lost.
When the floor surface is far from ideal, you will have to adjust the installation level using special silicone pads.
Incorrect loading of linen
In the early models of automatic washing machines there was no system for uniform distribution of linen. Therefore, the appearance of a knock in the washing machine during the spin cycle often occurred when the rules for loading it were not followed. The linen was knocked together and hit on one side of the tank. Such situations arise when:
- only small linen is loaded in the drum;
- the drum is filled only with large linen;
- permissible load exceeded;
- low drum loading.
It is not difficult to fix such a problem, just put the unit on pause and lay the laundry evenly. In order to avoid a recurrence of the imbalance, it is better to strictly observe the loading rule (wash small items mixed with large items). Despite the fact that modern manufacturers have installed an electronic styling control system on new models, a knock in the Samsung washing machine can still occur during the spin cycle if the operating rules are neglected.
It is also necessary to carefully inspect all pockets of things before loading laundry: random coins, small objects can lead not only to extraneous noise, but also damage the tank and drum, falling into the gap between them.
The counterweight mount is loose
Such a breakdown is quite common in any models, which leads to the appearance of a knock in the Indesit washing machine during the spin cycle.
The counterweight (load stone) is designed to weight and balance the unit tank. Therefore, if the load securing is weakened, then it begins to perform a completely opposite function, further loosening the tank of the machine. It is for this reason that there is a knock in the washing machine during the spin cycle. At the same time, a heavy stone can hit the tank, which can lead to its rapid breakdown and, consequently, to a major repair of the unit.
Typically, two counterweights are installed in a machine, one at the top and the other at the bottom of the tank. Their fastening is carried out using bolts that are unscrewed during operation. You can fix the problem by tightening the loose screws.
If you notice that the counterweight has split, then you must urgently replace it with a new device.
Damage to the spring and shock absorber
If any of these nodes fails, the drum of the machine may bend to one side. And since the tank is warping, a characteristic knock arises.
To determine which element is broken, you have to disassemble the unit. If one spring breaks, it will be enough to replace only the faulty unit. But if one shock absorber breaks, then both devices must be replaced, since when replacing one failed shock absorber, the load will be distributed unevenly. This, as a result, will quickly lead to the breakdown of the second element.
Line filter malfunction
An equally popular malfunction is the unscrewed or broken off power filter, which is designed to dampen the pulses of the electrical network. It is located on the back of the washing machine.
When the filter flies off the mount, it sways on the wires between the housing and the tank, which leads to a characteristic unpleasant knock. Also, such a breakdown can lead to a short circuit, and these are already more complex problems in the operation of the unit.
To eliminate this malfunction, the filter must be securely fastened.
Bearing and pulley wear
This malfunction can occur mainly with prolonged use of the washing machine. You can make sure that the bearings flew by the characteristic creak and intermittent rotation of the drum, when swinging it by hand in different directions.
If the bearings just flew, then you have to change them all at once, along with the seals. This is a complex nature of the work, therefore it is better to entrust it to a specialist of a service repair center.
A knock can also occur when the pulley fails or its fastening is loosened. The problematic element must be tightened well and filled with sealant for reliability.
Remember that if extraneous noise has been detected, you must urgently proceed to diagnose the malfunction and eliminate the causes that caused it. Procrastination can lead to more serious damage to the washing machine.