The short answer
Start with something loose in the pump: on a Cixi Hengma portable impeller washer it accounts for more of these than anything else, and a load that has gone to one side is the next thing to rule out. This is a single-tub portable driven by an impeller plate in the base rather than an agitator post, so it washes by moving water rather than by dragging the load through it. Work the list in the order it is given and you will either fix it or know what to tell the technician.
What you observe
- A rattle only while it empties — Timing is the clue: the pump runs then and only then.
- A scraping sound from the base — Something under the tub or in the pump path.
- NEAR MISS - noise with water on the floor — Deal with the water first; the leak page for this machine covers it.
Causes, most likely first on this brand
- Something loose in the pump — The likeliest cause on this brand: a coin or a button trapped against the impeller produces a hard rattle exactly during the drain step and silence the rest of the cycle, which is the pattern that identifies it.
- A load that has gone to one side — Next most likely: 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 on the list: 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 — Least likely, and the only one that is not your work: 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
- Note whether the noise happens only while it drains — Timing identifies the pump without opening anything.
- 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
- Open the pump filter and turn the impeller by hand — A coin against the impeller rattles only during the drain step, which is how you recognise it.
Tools: shallow tray, towelsAbout 25 min
- 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
- 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 opening any panel, before reaching into a pump filter and before tipping it to look underneath. This is an appliance that puts mains voltage within inches of standing water, and a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Never defeat the lid or door interlock with tape, a magnet or a screwdriver: it exists to stop a tub turning while your hands are in it.
When to call a technician
Call when the pump is clear and turns freely, the load is even, the machine sits solid and a noise remains. A rattle that survives all four of those is inside the cabinet, and on a machine of this size that is a service call rather than an investigation.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page covers portable impeller washers as a class rather than one model line. Pump positions, impeller designs and mounts 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.
