The short answer
Here is what the symptom means on a Black+Decker washer: most washer noise is load balance and levelling, and both are free to correct. Balance, levelling and a look for trapped objects cover most of it; a bearing is where it becomes a replacement decision.
What you actually see
- Banging during the spin only — Noise confined to the spin is nearly always load balance.
- The machine walks across the floor — A machine that moves is unbalanced, unlevel or standing on the wrong surface.
- A squeal that rises with drum speed — A rising squeal points at a belt or a bearing.
- The machine is louder on a hard floor than it was on carpet — Floor coupling changes the sound without changing the machine.
Causes, ranked for this washer
- Unbalanced load — Ranks first because a small drum is easy to unbalance with a single heavy item, and an unbalanced spin makes the loudest noise a washer can produce. This is the entry most often blamed correctly and diagnosed carelessly, so take the extra minute.
- Machine not level or on a soft floor — Second because it is the reason a machine that was quiet in one place is loud in another with nothing having changed inside it. Confirm it before moving on, because the entries below read differently once it is ruled out.
- Object trapped between drum and tub — Third because coins, underwires and buttons work through the drum holes and rattle against the outer tub, producing an intermittent metallic sound. Rule it in or out properly here; a maybe at this position costs an hour further down.
What to check, in order
- First — how the load is distributed — Note whether the noise happens only at spin. Noise confined to spin is a balance question until proved otherwise.
- Second — the feet and the floor — Push down on each corner in turn and adjust the foot under any corner that moves until all four carry load.
Checks an owner can do safely
- Step 1. Listen at the start of the spin — A squeal that rises with drum speed points at a belt; a roar present throughout every cycle points at a bearing.
Tools: noneAbout 10 min
- Step 2. Redistribute the load — Stop the cycle, open the machine, spread the load evenly by hand and run a spin again. A single heavy item on its own is the usual cause.
Tools: noneAbout 10 min
- Step 3. Check for transit bolts — Look at the back panel for bolt heads or blanking caps, especially if the machine is new or has been moved recently.
Tools: flashlightAbout 10 min
Before you open anything
Safety
Power off at the plug or breaker before anything is lifted. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Empty the cabinet first — the weight you are judging by eye is the empty weight, and a loaded one behaves differently.
When this becomes a service call
Where the owner side ends is easy to state. Call when the load is balanced, the machine is level, nothing is trapped and a grinding roar is still present through the whole cycle — that is a bearing and it is major work.
Sources
General guidance- The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) — OSHA 1910.147 and manufacturer service manuals, fetched
Nearest pages
What this page does not cover
One limitation worth stating up front: this page is written for the Black+Decker washer range rather than for your particular unit. It does not name families, model numbers or control revisions. Where a page exists that does, it is more precise than this one and it is linked under Related pages.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
