Why does the washing machine hum when draining water?

Any washing machine makes noise during operation, even a new machine that is installed according to all the rules and has no manufacturing defects. A certain level of noise is acceptable according to the laws of physics. However, the machine can make completely incomprehensible and loud sounds that are not typical for normal operation. Noise, rattling, knocking, or humming may occur when drawing water, during washing, rinsing or spinning. But in this article we will try to answer in detail the specific question, why does the machine hum when draining water?

Causes of hum

There are several reasons why the washing machine hums and makes noise during operation. Most of them appear both during washing and during draining or spinning. What can cause a hum or noise when draining? Before the water begins to drain, the drain pump starts, so the main cause of the extraneous hum must be looked for in it. Experts say that humming and crackling may occur due to:

• clogged drain pump;
• breakdown of the drain pump;
• clogged drain hose and pipes;
• drain filter clogged.

Note! The hum, which some call a growl, in most cases occurs after rinsing before spinning, but it happens that the machine begins to hum after the wash cycle when draining the waste water.

We find and fix the problem

Finding and “cure” the cause of such a breakdown is not at all difficult. How to do this correctly and where is the best place to start? You should start with what is easiest to open, remove or unscrew. In our case, we need to start by inspecting the drain filter.

The drain filter in most washing machines is located in the lower right corner under the front panel of the case or behind a special door. The door opens easily, and you can use a flathead screwdriver to remove the panel. You need to insert it into the slot and carefully pry the panel so that the latches open. Next we proceed like this:

1. We take a thick rag and place it next to the machine so that the leaked water from the filter does not spread on the floor.
2. Carefully, counterclockwise, unscrew the lid.
3. We take out the filter and wash it under running water, possibly with detergent.
4. We inspect the filter hole for the presence of foreign objects by shining a flashlight, remove all debris, and wipe with a cloth.
5. We insert the filter into place and tighten it tightly, without excessive force, so as not to break the thread.
6. We start the machine in test mode and check if the hum is eliminated.

Important! If the filter is heavily soiled, it may not be possible to unscrew it; then you will have to remove it together with the pump from the inside.

If the filter turns out to be almost clean, proceed to checking the following components. Namely the drain hose and pump. To inspect them, you need to disassemble the washing machine. In different car models, you have to get to the pump in different ways:

• From the bottom of the machine, you can remove the drain pump in Whirlpool, Ariston, Samsung, Kandy, Ardo, Indesit, LG machines. In them, the bottom cover is missing or can be easily removed;
• the pump is removed from the front part in Bosch, Siemens and AEG machines;
• You can get to the pump from the back in Zanussi and Electrolux cars.

In general, the process is not difficult if you have detailed instructions. We offer such instructions with photographs in an article about cleaning the drain pump. If you understand how to clean the pump and can clear the impeller of debris yourself, then replacing the pump with a new one will not be difficult at all. Otherwise, only a master will help.

It remains to inspect the drain hose and pipes coming from the pump, because they too can become clogged or break. When the machine is disassembled and access to the pump is gained, you need to disconnect the clamp holding the pump and the drain hose. The second end of the drain hose is also disconnected from the branch sewer pipe. The hose removed from the machine must be washed and cleaned of settled debris and soap deposits.

To do this, you will need a special Kevlar cable with a ruff at the end. The diameter of the cable should not be more than 10mm. In addition, we choose a non-metal cable, since the pipe can be damaged. Now we do this:

1. take this cable and insert it into the drain hose,
2. stretch it forward and backward several times.
3. then rinse the hose under running water;
4. install the hose in place;
5. assembling the washing machine;
6. we start the machine in test mode, you can add cleaning agents for the machine, for example, citric acid or Frisch active.

If the hose is damaged, it must be replaced with a new one. Buy a hose similar to the old one, do not skimp on its quality.

Prevention measures

The following operating rules will help prevent the appearance of extraneous sounds, and therefore extend the life of individual components and the machine as a whole:

• It is necessary to regularly maintain the washing machine;
• use products to soften water hardness;
• clean the machine from scale;
• Clean the drain filter of the machine as often as possible;
• Check the pockets of your clothes before putting them in the drum, because they may contain small objects that subsequently clog the filter and pump.

So, it is quite possible to eliminate the reasons that cause hum, crackling or noise in the washing machine when draining. We hope it has become clear to you why the machine may hum when draining water. In addition to the steps we described, watch a video on how to replace the drain pump.

15 reader comments

1. 11/19/2016 at 18:56

   Vitamin:

   Thank you!

   Answer
2. 07/15/2017 at 20:59

   Galina:

   Thank you

   Answer
3. 07/23/2017 at 17:14

   Igor:

   Thank you, the drain filter was clogged! Now let's descale it some more.

   Answer
4. 09/03/2017 at 02:40

   Eugene:

   Well done!

   Answer
5. 10/25/2017 at 11:11 pm

   Sergey:

   Thank you for your free advice

   Answer
6. 11/13/2017 at 02:08

   Larisa:

   SMA Electrolux. The water drains, but at some point it stops. And you can hear the pump making noise... that's all. Error EF0. I checked the drain filter, washed it, the impeller rotates, but jerkily. When plugged into the network, the SMA hums and makes a sound as if it is clinging to something. What to do? I would be grateful for your advice.

   Answer
7. 01/13/2018 at 19:50

   Svetlana:

   Thank you, very useful information, everything is clearly written.

   Answer
8. 06/16/2018 at 17:42

   Stepan:

   Thanks for the info! Everything has been sorted out!

   Answer
9. 06/17/2018 at 10:47

   Alexander:

   Thank you!

   Answer
10. 11/26/2018 at 02:08

    Eugene:

    When washing, the drain pump makes a lot of noise. I disassembled the filter, took out a bag, small change and all sorts of garbage. I put everything back together, but the pump is still noisy. What could it be?

    Answer
11. 06/29/2019 at 23:44

    Sergey:

    Thank you! We will try. Everything was explained very well.

    Answer
12. 07/09/2019 at 00:30

    Kiril:

    Thank you it was helpful.

    Answer
13. 06/22/2020 at 15:52

    Anonymous:

    Vyacheslav. Thanks, I washed everything. It's okay now.

    Answer
14. 08/20/2020 at 21:17

    Anonymous:

    Thanks author, I'll try it

    Answer
15. 04/06/2021 at 20:37

    Alexander:

    There is a slight noise when draining the water, although I have already replaced the drain pump in the Atlant 50u82.

    Answer