The short answer
Dishwasher noise is nearly always something the machine is hitting or something it is trying to pump, and both are checked with the door open in a few minutes. This is commercial-duty food-service equipment installed in a kitchen or a bar rather than a home, and its duty cycle is one no domestic machine sees, so most of what goes wrong is water quality, chemical supply and maintenance rather than component failure. That is why "hard debris in the sump or pump" heads the ranking on this page, while "pump or motor bearing failing" sits at the bottom of it. The most likely answer is something you can check and often correct yourself, so work down this list before booking anyone.
What you are actually seeing
- A grinding or rattling during the wash
- A knocking that repeats as the spray arm turns
- A high-pitched whine from the pump
- A humming without water movement
- Not this fault: the noise comes with water left in the base — Means: a drain fault — See: brama-dishwasher-drainage-failure
- Not this fault: the machine is quiet but leaks — Means: a leak — See: brama-dishwasher-water-leak
Likely causes, most likely first
- Hard debris in the sump or pump — Why here: glass, a fruit stone or a bone fragment in the impeller grinds every time the pump runs — Confirmed by: a grinding that tracks the pump exactly, often starting after a particular load
- Filter or spray arm not correctly refitted — Why here: ranks here because it usually follows a clean, so the timing gives it away — Confirmed by: the noise started right after the filter or an arm was last removed
- Spray arm striking an item in the load — Why here: first because it is the most common noise complaint by a wide margin and it is free to correct — Confirmed by: the knock repeats rhythmically and stops when the load is rearranged
- Machine not level or not secured to the counter — Why here: an unsecured machine rocks and drums against the cabinetry and the sound is blamed on the pump — Confirmed by: the noise changes when a hand is put on the front of the machine
- Pump or motor bearing failing — Why here: last: a genuine failure, but it must not be assumed while a piece of glass in the sump explains the same sound — Confirmed by: a whine or grind that survives a fully cleared sump and an empty machine
Check in this order
- Run the machine empty and listen — Because: it separates load noise from machine noise in one cycle and needs no tools
- Spin both spray arms by hand and check their clearance to the racks — Because: a striking arm is the most likely answer
- Clear the filter and feel in the sump for hard debris — Because: a fragment in the pump is common and reachable
- Check the machine is level and its brackets are tight — Because: drumming against cabinetry is the most common false alarm
Owner checks, in order
- Run a short cycle with the machine completely empty and note whether the noise is still present — Tools: none — Time: roughly half an hour
- Load the machine normally, then spin each spray arm by hand through a full turn and watch for anything it touches — Tools: none — Time: a few minutes
- Remove the filter and scrap screen and feel carefully through the sump for glass or hard fragments — Tools: gloves, a torch — Time: roughly half an hour
- Refit the filter and both arms and confirm each locks positively into place — Tools: none — Time: a few minutes
- Check the machine is level and the counter brackets are tight, then re-run and listen — Tools: a spirit level, a screwdriver — Time: roughly half an hour
- Stop condition: Stop before any test that would put a meter on live terminals.
Safety 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. Shut the water supply off at the isolation valve before touching a hose or a fitting. Water and a live cabinet are the two hazards here and they sit next to each other. A wash cycle heats the water well above what is safe to touch. Let the machine stand after a cycle before reaching into the tub.
When to call a technician
a grinding persists with an empty machine and a cleared sump the pump whines and moves no water the noise arrives together with poor draining
serviced under contract by a food-service engineer, against a daily and weekly routine the operator manual defines
Nearest pages
What this page does not cover
This page is generalized across every dishwasher sold under the Brama name; it does not cover a specific family, model or serial range, and it carries no part number for your unit. Where a page exists for a narrower scope than this one it is linked below, and it takes precedence over anything written here.
Links down: - [Common BRAMA Dishwasher Problems](/blog/brama-dishwasher-problems) - [BRAMA Dishwasher: Will Not Start or No Power](/blog/brama-dishwasher-wont-start) - [BRAMA Dishwasher: Not Heating](/blog/brama-dishwasher-heating-failure) - [BRAMA Dishwasher: Will Not Drain](/blog/brama-dishwasher-drainage-failure) - [BRAMA Dishwasher: Water Leak](/blog/brama-dishwasher-water-leak) - [BRAMA Dishwasher: Door, Latch or Seal Fault](/blog/brama-dishwasher-door-seal)
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.
