The short answer
Most Costway washer noise is a loose object, a load or an installation rather than a failing component, and the stage of the cycle tells you which. On this class the usual cause is a machine out of level, walking under spin, with an unbalanced load thumping through the spin next to rule out.
What you actually observe
- It is noisy in one room and quiet in another — The floor and the surroundings changed, and nothing else did.
- A rumble or roar that rises with the drum speed — Anything that tracks speed is rotating, which narrows it sharply.
- NEAR MISS: the machine stops part way through rather than finishing noisily — That is a cycle fault and it has its own page.
The causes, most likely first on this brand
- A machine out of level, walking under spin — A washer that is not sitting on all four feet lifts and drops on every spin, and the bang it makes travels through the floor into the rest of the house. Ranked first on a Costway unit: a machine designed to be moved is the one most likely to be standing on an uneven floor right now.
- An unbalanced load thumping through the spin — A single heavy item, or a duvet that has gathered on one side, puts the drum out of balance and the machine bangs its way through every attempt to spin. Ranked second here: a small light drum goes out of balance on very little and there is no mass to absorb it.
- The machine touching a wall, a pipe or the joinery — Ranked third here: a portable machine is used wherever it fits, which usually means touching something.
- Coins, buttons or underwire loose in the drum or the pump — Ranked fourth here: last, though the drums on this class are shallow and objects are easily found.
Check in this order, and why this order
- Push each top corner in turn with the machine empty and see which way it rocks — A machine that rocks under a hand will rock far harder under a spin.
- Open the machine and look at how the load is sitting — One heavy item on its own is the classic version of this.
- Look for shiny rub marks where the machine meets anything around it — A rub mark is a contact point and it is visible without moving anything.
What an owner can safely check
- Level the machine on its feet and lock the lock-nuts, then check it again loaded — A spirit level front to back and side to side is the whole job.
Tools: spirit level, spannerAbout 25 min
- Redistribute the load by hand and add one or two smaller items to balance it — Wash a single heavy item with a couple of towels rather than on its own.
About 10 min
- STOP HERE if the next step needs a meter on live terminals or a panel off — That is where an owner check ends and a service call begins.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the machine or switch off its breaker before reaching into a drum, a pump housing or behind a panel: the drum and the impeller can both turn under power. Never defeat a lid or door interlock to watch the drum spin. A washer is heavy and awkward, so get help to move it rather than walking it on a corner.
When to call a technician
Call once the load, the level and the drum are all clean and the noise is a rumble that rises with the spin speed, because a bearing or a suspension rod means the machine largely dismantled. Call sooner if the drum has visible play or the machine moves violently enough to pull at its hoses. Bear in mind when you decide that parts for a value import are not stocked locally and a replacement unit can cost less than a part plus a labour call.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page covers the Costway washer as a class, not one family or model line. Bearing types, suspension hardware and drive arrangements all change from build to build and are deliberately not here. Where a family or model page exists for your machine, it is the more specific answer and the one to read first.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
