The short answer
On a BLACK+DECKER dishwasher, abnormal noise most often comes down to the load is hitting a spray arm. Loading leads on a compact machine because the arm clearance is small, so an item only slightly out of place is in the arm path. Most of what follows is an owner check; it becomes a service call when the noise is present with the machine empty and the filters clean.
What you are actually seeing
- The entries at the end belong to a different fault and send you elsewhere.
- A grinding or rattling during the wash phase.
- A rhythmic knocking as the spray arm turns.
- A high-pitched whine from the pump.
- If instead you see this: A click at intervals through the cycle — that is the dispenser and the programme stepping, and it is normal.
Ranked causes on a BLACK+DECKER dishwasher
- Loading leads on a compact machine because the arm clearance is small, so an item only slightly out of place is in the arm path. Settle one observable question before you use this ranking — countertop or portable versus built-in: a faucet quick-connect or an internal reservoir, draining into the sink or an on-board tank, means countertop or portable, while a plumbed and hard-wired unit is built-in. Look at where the water and the exhaust go. A countertop or portable unit connects to a faucet with a quick-connect adapter or fills from an internal reservoir, and it drains into the sink or into an on-board tank. A built-in unit is plumbed and hard-wired in place. On countertop or portable units, the hookup is made and broken every use, so hookup faults dominate and cost nothing to fix; on built-in units, the hookup is fixed, so a fault that appears after months of good service is far more likely to be inside the machine.
- The load is hitting a spray arm — Why: A pan handle, a long utensil or a tilted lid in the arm path knocks once per revolution, which is the classic rhythmic sound.
- Debris in the filter, sump or pump — Why: Glass chips, fruit stones, bones and bottle caps get into the sump and rattle against the impeller. This is the leading cause of a sudden new grinding noise and it costs nothing to check.
- The machine is not level or not fastened — Why: An unsecured machine vibrates against the cabinet and amplifies every normal sound. Machines are meant to be fastened to the worktop or the cabinet sides.
- A spray arm bearing or a loose arm — Why: An arm that has come loose from its mount, or whose bearing has worn, wobbles and drums against the rack.
What to check, and why in this order
- Free checks first, then the ones that need the machine opened.
- Establish when in the cycle the noise happens: fill, wash, drain or dry. That single observation splits the list in half.
- Then look for debris in the filter and sump, which is the most common cause of a sudden grinding.
- Then run the machine empty. A noise that disappears with an empty machine is the load, not the machine.
Checks you can safely do yourself
- Stop at the first step that would need a meter on live terminals.
- Stand by the machine through one cycle and note whether the noise is at fill, during the wash, at the drain, or during drying. — Number: 1 — Tools: pen and paper — Time: under two hours
- Remove the filter and search the sump by hand for glass chips, stones, caps and bones. — Number: 2 — Tools: gloves, torch — Time: under half an hour
- Run a short cycle with the machine completely empty. If the noise is gone, it was the load. — Number: 3 — Tools: none — Time: under an hour
Before you start
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Nothing below asks you to put a meter on live terminals, and nothing below asks you to defeat a door switch or an interlock — those exist to cut power to something that would otherwise hurt you. If the plug, the cord or the outlet is warm, discoloured or smells hot, stop there and have the circuit looked at before you use the dishwasher again.
When to stop and call a technician
The line is whether the next step needs live testing, sealed-system access or a part you cannot verify. Call for anything behind the cabinet skin, and any repair whose part cost approaches what the appliance is worth, or when:
the noise is present with the machine empty and the filters clean the pump hums during the drain with little or no water moving there is a grinding that persists after the sump has been searched
What this page does not cover
Common BLACK+DECKER Dishwasher Problems (black-decker-dishwasher-problems)
This page is generalized across the BLACK+DECKER dishwasher range: it is written for the brand and the fault, not for one family or one model number. It carries no model-specific code table, wiring detail or part number, and no measured failure rate, because no measured snapshot was available here. Where a family- or model-specific page exists beneath this one, the links below go down to it.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
