Solved

Drum noise when turned by hand

STStevePlayford
Asked almost 3 years ago 8,448 views
0

Hi, my washing machine started making a loud noise while spinning this morning, in fact it wouldn't spin until it only had a half load. I've taken it out and disconnected the belt. It makes a scraping noise when you just turn the drum slowly. Is this bearings or possibly something else. I can't see anything obviously broken. Thanks.

20231018_112248.mp4

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.

Washing machine drum scraping/knocking likely due to failed drum spider

The problem
The washing machine made a loud noise on spin and would only spin with a half load. With the belt removed, the drum still made a scraping noise when turned slowly by hand, and it also knocked from the front at certain points in the rotation.
Likely cause
The strongest diagnosis in the discussion was a corroded and cracked drum spider at the rear of the drum. This was supported by knocking and scraping during rotation and the presence of small hard grey fragments inside the drum. Bearings were queried by the original poster but were not confirmed.
What fixed it
The accepted checks were to inspect the drum from the front for dents or damage, check for drum play by pulling at different points around the drum, and note whether the noise occurred at specific points in the rotation. A forum reply then advised that the machine was probably best replaced because of likely drum spider failure. No repair was confirmed.
Checks to try
  • Belt removed and drum turned by hand
  • Front drum inspected for visible damage
  • Checked for knocking while turning the drum from the front
  • Observed scraping at certain points of rotation
  • Found small hard grey bits inside the drum

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

Replacement recommendedGenerated 17 Aug 2026 · AI summaries can make mistakes — read the full thread below.
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6 Answers

Accepted Answer
0
WH
WhitegoodshelpVerified Engineer
Answered almost 3 years ago

Hello Steve. What does it look like from the front? Carefully examine the drum for dints and damage. Also, place 1 of the drum puddles at the 6 o'clock position and pull the drum towards you at that point. You are looking to see if there is any play that might indicate a broken drum spider that the back of the drum. Turn the drum of inches and repeat until you have gone all the way round.

You can also try slowly spinning the drum from the front by hand to see if there is any particular point that the knocking noise occurs. Is it random? Or is it only when it gets to a certain point?

Whitegoods Help — appliance repair expert and forum host.
0
ST
StevePlayford
Answered almost 3 years ago

Thank you for replying. Inside of the drum looks fine, but there are lots of small grey hard bits in there (picture). The drum does knock when you turn it from the front, but it also makes a scraping noise at certain parts of the rotation. Trying to attach a video but need to make it smaller.

0
ST
StevePlayford
Answered almost 3 years ago

The videos

20231018_122328.mp4

0
ST
StevePlayford
Answered almost 3 years ago

Video2

20231018_122705.mp4

1
WH
WhitegoodshelpVerified Engineer
Answered almost 3 years ago

To me, it sounds like the drum spider at the back of the drum has corroded away and has got a crack in it. This usually happens on older washing machines, or washing machines where not enough detergent has been used, or mostly only low temperature washes, over a long period. It's probably best to replace the machine.

Whitegoods Help — appliance repair expert and forum host.
0
ST
StevePlayford
Answered almost 3 years ago

Thanks

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