New Hisense washing machine sometimes bangs on spins

Hi Andy,

Thanks for the reply!

The four transit bolts were removed, this was confirmed when Currys visited again to double check installation a couple weeks ago. You mentioned it seems to be shaking a lot, I assumed that was normal but maybe could be indicating a problem?

My main reason for getting a 10kg was due to space constraints I needed a washer dryer, so this also gives me a larger dry capacity. The added benefit is that I do a load of washing once a week or so.

I have no idea what I would be doing to get those panels off, and given it's under warranty, only a few weeks old, I would be worried I'd make it worse or cause something else!

It's good to know that there might be something wrong as this happens with all kinds of loads, I understand the possibility of underloading it but I do try to ensure it has a decent amount in it. The videos where there's the noise it had a quilt cover, sheet, pillow cases, two pillow protector and a proctor sheet. Which I feel like is an adequate size load.

I also had a similar issue today. The was had a large bath towel and two smaller towels, both loosely placed in to try and give it a better chance of balancing. With that load it was hit and miss, would be giving the noise then as the spin got faster it went, then came back again when it slowed down and started again. This load would have been probably around 5kg, which I assumed would have been okay?

I've been having this issue since the machine was installed, with various different loads. Practically every wash caused it, my phone is full of videos!

I have emailed the videos to Hisense, will be giving them a call when they're open after all the holidays to try and get someone to look at it.

Thanks again!

Hi. 5Kg is only half the drum capacity, so the drum would be quite under loaded. With cottons you need almost twice as much unless they are a very large size. This is the problem with 10Kg drums.

I read that the average official wash load people in the UK do is about 4.5Kg.

Having said that, under-loading shouldn’t really make that weird noise, unless the noise is something innocuous that’s just made worse with an unbalanced load.

To work out if the drum is unbalanced you need to see the revolving drum, which is what you should try to film (unless you can’t see through the door).

An unbalanced load would usually have flashes of an empty part of the drum each revolution, or you would see a small section with very few clothes compared to the rest of the drum.

Each revolution would see a flash of the section of the drum that was empty or not as full as the rest of it. As the drum revolves it would swing from side to side.

Then, when it kicks into the proper spin you would get it thumping around unevenly with a thump on each revolution. After reaching full spin, unless it’s really bad, things should settle a bit and the thumping stops but the machine might shake and be noisier than usual. Then when spin has finished you usually get more thumping as the drum speed winds down.

If you don’t observe this, it may be that the cause of your problem is something else. When the engineer came to check it, did he test it with a load of laundry inside or not? If not, that’s pretty useless.

I will take that into account for future, I had no idea you could under load a machine! Unfortunately, I can't replace it with a smaller drum unless it's faulty, since it's been used 😔.

With the load that is shown in my videos, I do remember it looking like there wasn't any gaps, it is a little difficult to see as it's a tinted window, but I don't remember seeing the shiny drum as it spins.

When the thumping is occurring it usually doesn't settle and will be spinning at 1000 or 1400 with the loud thumping, if this happens I just stop the machine and deal with wetter washing.

I haven't yet had an engineer out, when Currys looked to check the installation they just made sure it was level, and the transport bolts were out, they did put it on a spin with some items in it and noticed the noise but they just said "bearings" and said I needed to contact the manufacture. I then spoke to Hisense customer service afterwards and they ruled out bearings as I can move the drum with my hand and there's no noise. They then blamed it on lack of space and that it was vibrating against something. Unfortunately, at the time I had no way to prove otherwise as the noise didn't occur when I pulled it out, but that is no longer the case and I did manage to have it happen with no obstructions around it.

I'm hoping to get a Hisense engineer out to investigate it and will make sure to have a load of washing ready for them to try it out. Given it is sometimes not always happening though, you might be right with it being underloaded. I will just have to start ensuring there's more in it than I think is enough.

Worse case if it is deemed no fault, then it's an expensive learning experience that a bigger drum isn't better 😅

I would say that would be an underloaded drum even on a 5Kg washing machine.

I once reviewed an 8Kg drum washing machine and our lass put the following amount of washing inside

😲Blimey! I would have assumed that would be too much! I have vastly over estimated the size I needed!

Well, looks like this is going to be an expensive learning experience then!

Thanks for your time with this, I will try and remember to update if I get anything from Hisense or not.

I’ve had another listen to your videos, and the noise it is making is something that definitely needs looking at!

It’s not normal, and sounds like something serious will result from ignoring it.

A badly loaded drum may exacerbate it but, that’s not the noise of an unbalanced load so there must be something wrong to be causing that noise. Please let us know how you get on.

You should be ok with the washing machine once it’s properly fixed. Just try to wash a lot of stuff at a time to reduce the amount of wash loads the washing machine does. That’s how you make a large capacity drum washing machine more economical to run and last longer.

Thank you Andy, that is reassuring that at least there must be something not quite right.

I'll be sure to try and remember to update you!

Thanks again!

it could be something as simple as the pipe that comes from sump to water level switch has come unclipped from the outer drum and bashing on the side of the washing machine cabinet. I have had that happen on one of our older Hotpoint washing machines and it makes a right racket when spinning . If it is that its not dangerous / serious. - The small diameter black rubber pipe leading to the water level switch would actually be on that right hand side when looking face on to the washing machine and somewhere near to the bottom is some kind of white plastic air chamber I think it is , and if that was banging at the edge of the cabinet inside when its spinning that's another sound it could make like that .

Other than that a faulty shock absorber on that side of the drum which should be easy for them to replace under warranty , inside your home - that noise would change as the spin revolves faster and as the drum shakes more as the drum is spinning faster the banging noise would get louder and faster sounding like that.

What else could it be - well you have 2 very large springs at the top of the tub either side , if the one on the right has become loose and banging on the outer inside of the cabinet that would make that noise too and cause the machine to shake as it spins as would a faulty shock absorber on that side or not bolted properly at the bottom of the machine.

Hope you get it sorted OK.

Hi both, as an update have finally gotten Hisense to arrange an engineer. They are coming out on Tuesday to look at it, have provided them with the videos and the suggestions from both of you in the hope it helps identify the issue.

Customer service still adamant it is space related, even though my video has it in the middle of the kitchen 😅 and it's a standard with washing machine

I will report back next week with hopefully good news!

Thanks again both of you for your time looking at the videos 😀

Thanks for the update. Anyone can see from the videos that something is catching and knocking, which shouldn’t be, and also that it’s not the cabinet catching on anything due to being badly positioned.

Having had another listen I think Andy may be right, it sounds like something tapping on the inside of the cabinet. Something like the wiring harness or a metal clip etc.

It’s definitely unacceptable and needs fixing.

yes, its not the space its in condition because you pulled it out. I cannot blame their CS suggesting that because I have seen how some people have wedged their washing machines into a space under the worktop with no space even though the instructions say to leave a space around the machine. - thats why its best they send someone out in person , there will be loads of times where they cannot diagnose things over the phone and this is one such instance where they need a physical engineer in front of the machine.

Good luck with it and hope you get on OK . Hopefully just a quick job after he removes lid can see what it is and go directly to the fault and that you are not waiting for parts or replacement machine too long and that he can fix the problem directly on the spot.

I remember some Indesit washing machines that made a similarly horrible noise. They were 1600 rpm and way too flimsy in build quality to cope with it.

There was a hose that was held by a clip (too tightly) and on full spin the clip and hose moved around at pace and constantly tapped on the casing. Shoddy.

Interesting. My mum had a whirlpool I think a few months ago that made a very similar noise. They just put up with it for a few years and replaced it, no idea why!

Maybe it's a relatively common thing.

I would usually give them the benefit of dought as working in software diagnosis without seeing anything is mostly impossible. In this instance though they have seen the same videos I linked above so would have seen it pulled out.

yep, that's all it takes some times and you think "wow listen to the racket it makes" and sounds a lot more serious than it is.

Wow. If they’ve seen the videos and think there’s nowt wrong that’s not a good sign. Unfortunately a lot of brands of washing machine are just not built well enough to cope with fast spin speeds. Crude suspension, everything crammed in too small a place, poor insulation and cabinet thickness …

I suppose a bra strap or wire has been ruled out stuck between the inner and outer drum of the washing machine? - they make a hell of a scrape sound especially when machine is spinning.

What is Hisense now? - is it a Curry's own brand like their Logik washing machines is it?

It’s way too noisy and heavy a sound for that to me. The bra wires usually cause a light thin metallic tapping sound.

I don’t know a lot about them but I think they are a massive Chinese brand. My impression is they are budget quality.

Nothing has been in it that would have a wire in it that I can think of. No bras or anything.

As far as I know its a independent brand.

By the way. To rule out the feet or wheels tapping due to being on an uneven floor, does the noise stop when you put pressure on the top of the machine and hold it steady?

As a non expert and average consumer. It seems decent quality on the outside. Of course internally it could be another story!

No it doesn't. There is a vibration from the wooden floor, since I'm upstairs in a flat. But that isn't the same noise and on the rare occasion that I had a wash without the banging it was just an expected vibration from the wooden floor, which is totally fine.

Average quality might be more accurate. Probably similar in quality to all its price competitors. Sadly most washing machines are essentially the same quality. Very little difference. They all compete on price and features, very few deliberately make a better quality appliance.

Update on this:

Had a couple engineers arrive today, moment they put it on spin and it sped up the noise could be heard.

They pulled the top and front off. All the parts look okay. However there was a few useless plastic clips, one of which was rubbling against the rubber seal so would have worn over time, and also one of the pipes was clipped to the side rather than around the drum.

They removed some of the useless clips, clipped the little pipe as it should be. And so far has been normal sounding.

They were both complaining about the build quality though so probably not the best.

They suspect what happened was on the first wash the drum movements pulled the pipe out of the clip, as it wasn't clipped to the drum, and so that pipe was likely then tapping against the case while it was spinning.

There was also some pressure thing that they said used to be screwed in but on this machine is clipped, badly, so they've zipped tied to tighten it up and stop it wobbling about too.

Thanks both again, but does look to have been a pipe or other part tapping. There was no visual wear of stuff rubbing and they were not seeing the drum hit the sides either.

Was interesting seeing inside the machine though 😁

Nice one. Thanks for the update. I said that it sounded like a clip holding cables or a hose tapping on the cabinet 😁

Andy called it too 😁

Glad they sorted it for you @terbe - hope you have many years of maintenance free washing now with it ☺️