The short answer
A Cixi Feilong twin-tub washer that has become noisy is most often the spin basket loaded unevenly, with a load that has gone to one side close behind. A twin tub is two machines in one shell - a wash tub with an impeller and a separate spin basket - and it drains by gravity through a hose you place yourself. Two of the four are owner work; the last one on the list is not, and knowing which is which saves the call-out.
What you observe
- A knock as the drum starts to turn — Something shifting before the load settles.
- Banging during the spin — Almost always the load rather than the machine.
- NEAR MISS - a noise and then the cycle stops — Then the machine has protected itself and the cycle page is the one to read.
Causes, most likely first on this brand
- The spin basket loaded unevenly — First on this cabinet: the basket is small and turns fast, and a load packed to one side of it produces a violent knock that stops the instant you redistribute it.
- A load that has gone to one side — Second, and close behind: a small tub turns everything into an imbalance problem: one towel or a wound-up sheet on one side of a light machine will walk it across a floor and bang against the cabinet on every rotation.
- A machine standing unevenly — Third: portables live on castors and on floors that are rarely flat, so a machine that rocks a millimetre at rest hammers the moment the spin gets up to speed.
- A drum or motor bearing — Last, and that is the whole point of the order: it is last because it is the only cause here that is a real repair, and because it announces itself differently - a rumble or a whine that rises with the spin speed and never changes when you redistribute the load.
Check in this order, and why
- Open the spin lid and even out the load in the basket — A small basket at speed is unforgiving of a load packed to one side.
- Stop the machine and redistribute the load by hand — The likeliest cause by a wide margin, and it is confirmed or cleared in a minute.
- Rock the machine at each corner — Second because it is nearly as common and equally free.
What an owner can safely check
- Stop it, open the lid and spread the load by hand — If the noise goes, you have found it - and you have found it in a minute.
About 10 min
- Rock each corner and adjust the feet until it sits solid — A machine that rocks at rest hammers at speed.
Tools: spirit levelAbout 20 min
- Run it with a light, even load and listen — It separates the machine's own noise from what you put in it.
About 30 min
- STOP HERE if the noise is grinding, metallic or rises with the spin — That is a bearing or something loose inside. Stop using it rather than finding out what it is at speed.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the machine before tipping it, opening any panel or reaching into the spin basket. A twin tub puts mains voltage beside standing water and a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Never reach into a spin basket that is still turning and never hold the spin lid interlock closed to watch it run - a basket at speed does not stop because your hand is in it.
When to call a technician
Call when the basket is loaded evenly, the machine stands solid and a mechanical noise remains. Stop using the spin side altogether if something is scraping inside the basket, because a basket at speed with a fault in it is the most dangerous part of this machine.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page covers twin-tub washers as a class rather than one model line. Basket sizes, spin speeds and mount designs differ by family, and where a family- or model-specific page exists for your unit it is linked below. Not here: spin speeds, capacities and part identifiers.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
