The short answer
On the Criterion MAV washer the first question about noise is when it started. A machine that has been noisy since it was installed or moved is almost never broken: transit hardware left in place, feet that were never levelled, or a floor that flexes will each produce a bang that sounds terminal. A machine that has grown noisy over months is a different conversation, and that is where the drive and the bearings come in.
What you observe
- Loud banging from the first wash after an installation or a move — Transit hardware still fitted, or feet never levelled.
- The machine walks across the floor on the spin — Levelling, floor flex, or a load gathered on one side.
- A thump that follows drum speed, load after load — Balance or suspension.
- A rumble or squeal that has grown over months — Bearings or the drive: the wear group.
- NEAR MISS — a knock in the pipes while filling — Water hammer in the house plumbing, not the machine.
Causes, most likely first on this family
- Transit bracing still in place — First on this family whenever the noise dates from an installation or a move, and it is the one cause that produces a violent noise on a perfectly healthy machine.
- Levelling and feet — Second. All four feet must carry weight; a machine that rocks diagonally bangs on every spin regardless of load.
- Load distribution — Third, and the cause that varies from wash to wash rather than affecting every one.
- Floor flex or a plinth — Fourth: the machine is fine and the structure is amplifying it.
- Bearings, suspension or drive — Last, the wear group, and the only one that needs a technician. It grows steadily instead of varying.
Check in this order, and why
- Ask when the noise started — Installation or move against gradual onset splits the list in half before any work.
- Check the back of the machine for transit hardware — Visible from behind, and the first thing to rule out on a recently moved machine.
- Rock the machine diagonally with the drum empty — Any movement means a foot is not carrying weight.
- Run an empty spin and listen for a rising rumble — Left until last: it is the test that points inside the cabinet.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the washer or switch off its breaker before removing any panel; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off, and the motor and its control restart on their own when power returns. Shut the hot and cold taps before opening anything behind the machine, never defeat the lid or door interlock to watch a cycle run, and get a second person before walking a loaded machine out.
Models in the MAV family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| MAV44C-A2808PS/01FM-US | criterion:washer:mav |
When to call a technician
Removing transit hardware, levelling and redistributing loads are owner work. Call a technician for a rumble or squeal that rises with drum speed on an empty machine, for a drum that now moves far more by hand than it used to, and for any noise arriving with water where it should not be. Call at once if the machine trips a breaker during a spin.
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Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
