The short answer
A Costway FP Washer that has started banging, grinding or squealing is describing one of four things: an unbalanced load, an object in the drum or pump, worn suspension, or a failing tub bearing. The first two cost nothing and the last is the one that decides whether the machine is worth keeping.
What you see on the FP family
- Loud banging during the spin that settles when the load redistributes — An unbalanced load, which is the single most common washer noise and not a fault at all.
- The machine walks across the floor during the spin — Feet out of adjustment, a flexing floor, or transit bolts never removed on a machine that has been moved.
- A grinding or rattling noise at the drain step only — Something in the pump — a coin, a button, a scrap of underwire working against the impeller.
- A rumble that rises with spin speed and never settles — The tub bearing. It grows over months and it is the noise that decides the economics of the machine.
Causes, most likely first on the FP family
- Foreign objects in the drum, the pump or the tub gap — Ranked first on the FP family — A grinding noise confined to one step of the cycle is a foreign object on these models until the filter proves otherwise. Coins and buttons pass the drum and land in the pump or between the drum and the outer tub. They grind, rattle and eventually chip the impeller if they are left there.
- Suspension, dampers or transit bolts — Second — it is what banging becomes when the load is balanced and the machine is level. The tub hangs on springs and dampers that wear, so the assembly swings further than it should. A machine that has been moved and still has its transit bolts fitted behaves exactly the same way and is not damaged yet.
- Unbalanced load and levelling — Third — always near the top: it costs nothing to test and it explains most spin-step banging. A single heavy item, or a load that has migrated to one side, makes the tub orbit rather than spin. A machine standing on uneven feet turns that orbit into banging against the cabinet and the wall.
- Tub bearing or the drive belt — Fourth — and the most consequential: a bearing replacement on a machine of this class is usually weighed against replacement. A failing tub bearing rumbles and grows louder with spin speed, and it does not come and go with the load. A worn belt squeals during the wash action instead.
- Body: The order below follows the shared parts rather than the differences — the stems in the FP family carry the same running gear and diverge at the cabinet — which is why the top of this list is not where the brand-generic article puts it.
Check in this order, and why
- 1. Stop the machine and redistribute the load by hand — Spread it evenly around the drum and restart the spin. If the noise goes, it was balance and nothing is wrong.
- 2. Confirm transit bolts were removed if the machine has been moved — They are at the back and they are meant to come out before first use; left in, they make a machine bang alarmingly.
- 3. Check the machine is level and all feet are firm — Rock each corner. A machine on three feet converts ordinary spin forces into banging.
- Body: The stems in the FP family share their layout, so the order below holds across the table; where a stem differs it differs at the cabinet, not at the part you are reaching for.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel — a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Drain the tub before moving the machine, and keep hands clear of the drum until it has fully stopped. Do not run a spin with a panel removed to locate a noise.
Models in the FP family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| FP11187US-GR | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11187US-WH | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11188US-GR | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11188US-WH | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11212US-GR | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11212US-WH | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11213US-GR | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11213US-WH | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11214US-GR | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11214US-WH | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11215US-GR | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11215US-WH | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11216US-GR | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11216US-WH | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11217US-GR | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11217US-WH | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11218US-GR | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11219US-GR | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11219US-WH | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11220US-GR | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11220US-WH | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11221US-GR | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11221US-WH | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11222US-GR | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11222US-WH | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11223US-GR | costway:washer:fp |
| FP11223US-WH | costway:washer:fp |
When to call a technician
On the Costway FP washer family the owner line is the load, the feet, the transit bolts and the pump filter. Those four account for most noise complaints. Bearings, dampers and drive components are service work, and a grinding pump should not be run repeatedly while you decide.
Other FP washer pages
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
