The short answer
An Amana NFW that has become loud is usually carrying something it should not. The model matrix on this page lists two model numbers under this family badge. Coins and clothing hardware reaching the pump account for more of these calls than every mechanical failure put together, and clearing them costs nothing.
What the owner reports
- Rattling or clicking only while the machine drains — Noise confined to the drain stage puts the object in the pump or the filter, not in the drive.
- A deep growl or roar that builds with spin speed — A tub bearing that has lost its grease gets louder as the drum speeds up and quieter as it slows.
- A squeal or chirp during agitation or tumble — A belt that has hardened or a drive pulley out of line, depending on how the models in the table are driven.
- A metallic scrape on every drum revolution — A scrape at exactly the drum rate is a trapped object, and it will keep cutting until it is removed.
- NEAR MISS — the noise comes with water on the floor — A leak alongside a noise usually means the pump or its housing, and the leak is the more urgent page.
Causes, most likely first on the NFW line
- Tub bearing or drum support wear — Ranked first on the NFW line when the noise is a roar that tracks spin speed, because this family is a tight one — two model numbers under one badge and the bearing is the part that accumulates every hour the machine has ever run.
- Object in the pump or trapped between drum and outer tub — Second: a scrape at the drum rate or a rattle at drain, and it is the cause that is free to fix once located.
- Suspension, damping and levelling — Third — the cause that explains movement rather than sound.
- Drive belt, pulley or coupling — Last: squeals and chirps at the tumble rate, and the least likely of the four on a machine that still washes normally.
Check in this order, and why
- Run an empty spin and listen through the whole speed range — A roar that rises with speed and disappears at low speed is a bearing and nothing else.
- With the power off, turn the drum by hand and push it up and down — Roughness or movement confirms in seconds what the spin test suggested.
- Open the pump filter and look between the drum and the tub — A trapped object imitates a bearing well enough to be worth excluding before a quote.
- Check levelling and run a balanced load — Last, because it addresses movement rather than sound, and it is the least likely explanation for a roar.
Before any panel comes off
Safety
Isolate the machine at its breaker or unplug it before opening the filter or a panel — a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Wear a glove in the pump housing: whatever jammed the impeller is usually sharp. Never reach into a drum that is still coasting.
Models in the NFW family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| NFW5800D*+ | amana:washer:nfw |
| NFW5800H** | amana:washer:nfw |
Where owner work stops
Book a technician once the pump filter is clear and the machine is level and the noise remains, and stop immediately if the motor hums without the drum turning. On the NFW line the practical line is the drum: what is in front of it is owner work and what supports it is not.
Other faults 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.
