The short answer
A new noise from an AEG WHP washer is nearly always a foreign object or a worn bearing, and which cycle it appears in tells you which. A washing machine makes different noises at fill, at wash and at spin, and the one that matters is the one that is new. Note the cycle stage it belongs to before anything else: that single observation separates a coin in the pump from a drum bearing. The table below lists one model for this family, so there is no second configuration to rule out before you begin.
When in the cycle the sound appears
- Grinding or rattling only once the spin gets up to speed — The highest drum speed, where anything loose or worn shows itself first.
- A heavy knock, with the machine shifting on the floor — Balance rather than breakage, and the movement across the floor is the same message.
- A light metallic tinkle during the drain — Something small has passed the filter and is loose in the pump chamber.
- A rumble present at wash speed as well as spin speed — Independent of drum speed, which is the pattern a bearing gives and a loose object does not.
- NEAR MISS — a loud hum with the drum standing still — That is a jam or a drive fault; the cycle and start pages for this family cover it.
What is making it, most likely first on the WHP line
- Load distribution and the feet under the machine — One heavy item, or a cabinet standing on an uneven floor, converts ordinary spin vibration into a bang against the casing, and there is no part to buy. On the WHP family this holds without qualification, because the family covers one configuration rather than a spread of them.
- Drum bearings past their life — This fault grows over months instead of appearing, and the tell is that it is present at every drum speed rather than only at spin — which is why the stage question comes first.
- The drive belt glazed or slipping — A belt squeals as the drum accelerates and then quietens, a pattern nothing else on this list produces, so it is identifiable by ear alone.
- Shock absorbers and suspension worn out — Worn dampers let the drum travel much further than it should, so the machine strikes its own casing at the end of every spin and is loudest as the speed peaks.
The order to work through on these models
- Redistribute the load and check all four feet sit firm — Free: rerun a spin with the load spread and see whether the noise survives it.
- Turn the drum by hand with the power off and feel for roughness — Decides whether this is a cheap repair or an expensive one before any money is spent.
- Listen for a squeal confined to the moment the spin speeds up — Audible without removing anything.
Models in the WHP family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| WHP120 | aeg:washer:whp |
Isolate it first
Safety
Isolate the machine at its breaker, or draw the plug, before any panel is disturbed — a motor capacitor can hold stored charge well after the drum has come to rest. Shut both taps and let the drum empty through the pump filter before anything is unfastened, with cloths already down. Never reach for a plug while standing in water. The lid or door switch stays exactly as the factory wired it: it halts the drum whenever the machine is opened, and it is the one item on a washer nobody should work around. Anyone who feels a tingle from the cabinet or the taps should stop and leave the machine isolated.
When to call a technician
Call a technician once the pump filter is clear, the load is balanced and the machine is level, because everything remaining needs the cabinet opened. Call without delay if the drum can be rocked in and out at the front by hand, if there is rust-coloured water at the back of the drum, or if the noise is a metallic grinding under load — those are bearing symptoms, and running a machine on failed bearings damages the drum and the shaft as well.
Other problems covered for this family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
