The short answer
A washer that has become loud is usually telling you about balance or about bearings, and the two sound completely different: balance is a heavy rhythmic knock at spin, bearings are a rumble that rises with speed. On a Criterion a coin, wire or grit between drum and tub comes first, because a value-tier build puts the cheap wearing parts — filters, hoses, seals, screens — in the path of everything the machine does, so they are where the fault usually is. Levelling, transit bolts and foreign objects are owner work; bearings, the drive and the suspension are not.
What the machine is doing
- Heavy banging during the spin only — Out-of-balance load or suspension, and it is worse with a single heavy item.
- A rumble or roar that rises with spin speed — The classic drum bearing signature; it grows over months.
- Metallic rattle or grinding at all speeds — Something loose in the drum or in the pump housing.
- NEAR MISS — A rhythmic clicking while filling — That is the inlet valve, and it is normal on most machines.
The causes and their order
- A coin, wire or grit between drum and tub — Top of the list on this brand: a value-tier build puts the cheap wearing parts — filters, hoses, seals, screens — in the path of everything the machine does, so they are where the fault usually is. Objects work through the drum holes and rattle in the gap; an underwire is the classic and it sounds like grinding metal.
- A single heavy item balling up at spin — Second most likely: A duvet or a bath sheet on its own cannot balance, and the machine will bang, slow, redistribute and try again.
- A cabinet that is not level or is standing on a soft floor — Third most likely: Spin forces are enormous, and a machine that rocks converts them into movement and noise; a suspended timber floor amplifies the result.
- Transit bolts still fitted, or removed but with the spacers left in — Fourth and the least likely here: A machine run with transit bolts in place has no suspension at all; it is loud, it walks, and it damages itself quickly. A store-brand unit is usually carried home and set up by the owner rather than by a delivery crew, and setup errors survive for years.
Working order
- Turn the drum slowly by hand and listen — A scrape or a click at one point of the rotation locates it without anything being opened. It leads because a value-tier build puts the cheap wearing parts — filters, hoses, seals, screens — in the path of everything the machine does, so they are where the fault usually is, so proving or clearing it immediately narrows everything below.
- Run a mixed load and compare — If a normal load spins quietly, nothing is broken and the loading habit is the fault.
- Push each top corner in turn and watch the feet — Any rock at all is a fault.
Hands-on checks
- Check the drum, the seal fold and the filter for loose objects — Most foreign objects end up in the trap eventually; finding one there explains the noise.
Tools: torchAbout 20 min
- Redistribute the load by hand and restart the spin — Add one or two other items so the heavy piece cannot ball up on its own.
About 5 min
- Stop here if the next move needs a meter on live terminals — That is where an owner check ends and a service call begins.
Safety first
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Close the taps before any hose comes off, and never bypass a door or lid switch to run the machine open.
When to call a technician
Call when the machine is level, the transit bolts are out, the drum is clear and a balanced load still produces a rumble at spin — drum bearings and the suspension need the cabinet stripped.
Nearby pages
What is deliberately not here
This is the family-agnostic page for Criterion washers. No family- or model-specific page exists beneath it yet; when one is published it will be linked here and it will outrank this page for a named model. Deliberately not here: wiring colours, resistance values, torque figures and part numbers, which differ between families.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
