Why is My Dishwasher Making Loud Sounds? | Santa Monica Appliance Repair

Your Dishwasher is there to be seen and not heard. On top of that they are more hygienic than washing up by hand and when you open the machine at the end of the cycle all the dishes is dry and ready to put away.

If you own a dishwasher the chances are it’s hard to imagine the idea of not having one. Furthermore you would ideally avoid the mountain of dishes that you would need to do if it breaks down. If that happens, you will need to call a dishwasher repair company to fix the kitchen appliance.

Do You Have a Noisy Dishwasher?

It is perfectly normal for a dishwasher to make a number of separate sounds during a cycle. The water running into the drum, the motor running, the detergent drawer clicking open as well as the hum of the grinder blades are all regular sounds.

If you replace your dishwasher these noises could be unlike your old dishwasher, and if you have recently installed a dishwasher they may not be the noises you were expecting.

Dishwasher Sounds Include:

A Water Sloshing or Swishing Noise

Hearing water gurgling and sloshing about is perfectly routine, these noises can sound rather loud if you are not used to having a dishwasher though they are nothing to worry about.

Water will in many cases make a hissing sound as it enters the machine and a sloshing or swishing sound as the spray arms rotate. The machine will also drain and refill multiple times during the cycle.

A Thumping Sound

A thumping noise may be de to the spray arm hitting against an object that is dangling from the racks or an oversized dish. Alternatively, it could be the drain pipe bashing against the wall or cabinets.This is more likely if your machine has recently been installed.

Although this isn’t a noise your machine should be making it is simple to fix with a little rearrangement.

Routine Humming and Buzzing Sounds

Humming sounds are routine for many machines. This is the noise the water makes emptying out of the dishwasher. The buzzing is due to the drain pump vibrating as it operates and is perfectly regular, it can also stop and start as the pump helps push food debris and water out of the machine.

Buzzing could also be heard as a result of the fan that cools the pump motor while it is turning.

A lot of dishwashers also have a soft food grinder that can make a buzzing noise intermittently during the cycle.

Beeping When the Cycle Finishes

Beeping sounds at the end of the cycle are perfectly normal although they can be irritating, particularly if your dishwasher completes running in the middle of the night. You should be able to switch the beeping off using the dishwasher controls. Check your owners manual for instructions as models will vary.

Squealing Sound from a New Dishwasher

A new dishwasher can produce a squealing sounds the first few times it is run because there is no water in the drum. This may also cause a rattling sound , this may also happen if your machine has been out of action for a period of time.

You may stop this from happening by putting water in the machine before turning it on for the first time or after you’ve not used it for a while.

Irregular Dishwasher Noises

If you pickup unusual noises coming from your machine, getting a little nervous is a very normal reaction but usually, it’s nothing to worry about.

However, if your machine starts making louder than normal or unusual sounds this could call for further investigation, in particular when you’ve had the machine for some time and know how it usually sounds.

Remember, always turn the power off to your machine before taking it apart.

A Loud or Unusual Grinding Noise

Despite the fact that plenty of dishwashers can make a soft grinding noise as part of their normal cycle if your machine suddenly starts making a louder than normal or unusual grinding noise this is often a sign of an issue and needs further investigation.

Most of the time the cause will be that something has got lodged in either the waste disposal or the drain impeller, and is knocking against the blades. in this case you need to stop the machine and have a look. If you find anything, remove it carefully before re-starting the cycle.

The other potential reason is a lack of water in the machine, if this is the case you should have a look at the water inlet to try to find out the reason the machine doesn’t have enough water.

Irregular Humming, Rattling or Buzzing Noises

While humming as well as buzzing noises can be perfectly normal they can also signal a fault. A broken motor could make a high pitched humming or even squealing noise, if this happens it will usually need to be replaced.

A faulty motor could also produce a rattling noise.

Rattling noises coming from a machine are often caused by plates and cutlery bashing into one another. Nevertheless, particularly loud thumping may also be indicative of a water problem.

To check, run an empty cycle and if the rattling sound is still there this may indicate a faulty motor.

Beeping Mid-Cycle

Despite the fact that it is perfectly regular for a machine to beep at the end of the cycle, beeping during the cycle is often your machine telling you there is a fault. Many dishwashers will alert you if they are interrupted before they are finished so that the cycle is paused. Or you could have to have a look at the owners manual.

Knocking, Clunking and Banging Noises

A regular clunking is usually due to the arm bashing something inside the machine and therefore can be easily fixed by rearranging your dishes. Things dangling from the racks is the most likely cause of this.

It may be a good idea to check that the arm can spin without obstruction each time you use your machine to prevent this from being an issue as it also means your dishes don’t get cleaned so well.

Banging, however, is usually a sign of a household plumbing problem often referred to as water hammer. The banging sound is related to the water pressure in the pipes and therefore often happens when the valves are opening and closing.

Water hammer can also result in banging in the plumbing.

Unluckily there isn’t much you are able to do to fix this without professional help and so it’s easiest to contact a plumber if you think this is an issue.

Fixing your Dishwasher

Damaged pumps as well as motors are often responsible for strange loud sounds coming from your machine. The good news is these parts can be replaced so you shouldn’t need to replace your machine. You could even manage replace the part on your own or you might need to call a local repair person.