Zanussi - problem with drum

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

Zanussi washing machine banged on spin, left clothes wet and shed white plastic

The problem

During a normal wash, the machine made a very loud banging noise as the spin speed increased. At the end of the cycle the clothes were still soaking wet, there were thin white plastic fragments on the laundry, and the drum had increased resistance and a grinding feel when turned by hand. The door seal was later found to feel loose at the top, and the top of the drum could be pushed and felt loose.

Likely cause

The strongest suggestions in the discussion were either a foreign metal object inside the machine, such as a coin, or damage to the drum or drum bearings. A loose or displaced door seal and a badly unbalanced load were also suggested as possible contributing factors. The exact fault was not confirmed.

What fixed it

Professional inspection was advised because the cause could not be accurately confirmed from the symptoms alone. Suggested engineer checks were to tip the machine and listen for anything moving inside, inspect the sump hose, and examine the drum, bearings and door seal condition.

Checks to try

• Drum turned by hand and found to have more resistance and grinding
• Door seal/rubber lining checked by hand and found to feel loose at the top
• Suggested check for items sliding about by tipping the machine
• Suggested check inside the sump hose