Solved

Washing machine sounds like old fashioned kettle - why?

JOJon123
Asked about 8 years ago 3,807 views
0

I have a CDA CI925 which has caused nothing but problems since day 1. Up until now it has been under warranty however it is now 2 years old and so is out of warranty. I’m just trying to establish whether the latest issue is even worth trying to fix, or whether I cut my losses and get a new machine.

the machine has started to make a noise that sounds like a old kettle on the stove that is whistling. This is the best way to deprive it. It happens towards the start of the cycle but is happening irrespective of whether the drum is moving or not so can’t be bearings or anything. It also doesn’t seem to be related to water entering the machine.

ive searched the forums and common faults but can find no clues to what is causing this. It’s not very loud, but is clearly noticeable. It only seems to last the first 15 minutes of the run before it stops.

At the moment it seems to still be washing ok but I am not holding my breath. It only had a new motor fitted last month as that broke when still in warranty. The engineer says it should last more than this as I live on my own and only use once a week or so.

does anyone have any ideas?

Solution Summary

AI-generated from this discussion

This thread was marked as solved. Here's a summary of the problem and the fix, generated from the discussion below.

CDA CI925 making a kettle-like whistling noise early in the wash

The problem
A CDA CI925 washing machine developed a noticeable whistling or kettle-like noise near the start of the cycle. The noise lasted for about the first 15 minutes and could occur whether the drum was moving or not. The machine was still washing normally at the time of the report.
Likely cause
The accepted diagnosis was 'kettling' caused by heavy limescale on the heating element, making it sound like a kettle as the water heats. This was described as a probable explanation rather than a confirmed strip-down finding.
What fixed it
The accepted advice was to treat the noise as likely kettling from a scaled heating element and check for limescale-related issues. No confirmed repair or part replacement was documented in the discussion.
Checks to try
  • Noise occurred towards the start of the cycle
  • Noise was present regardless of drum movement
  • Noise did not seem related to water entering the machine
  • Noise stopped after roughly 15 minutes
  • Motor had been replaced the previous month under warranty
Parts or tools mentioned
  • heating element

Safety: Further diagnosis should be carried out by a suitably qualified appliance engineer.

Cause identifiedGenerated 5 Aug 2026 · AI summaries can make mistakes — read the full thread below.
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1 Answer

Accepted Answer
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WH
WhitegoodshelpVerified Engineer
Answered about 8 years ago

Hello Jon. It sounds like a poor quality washing machine. The fault you describe sounds like what's known in the trade as kettling. If the heating element is caked in heavy limescale then it can sound like a kettle when it is heating up the water due to heat being focused in localised areas. Heavy limescale is usually caused when not enough detergent has been used. Have a good look at my articles on the subject here for more information - Limescale in washing machines

Whitegoods Help — appliance repair expert and forum host.

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