The short answer
The order that matters here is suspension springs, dampers and worn mounts first, the load, not the machine next and shipping bolts still fitted last. Age moves this ranking: on a machine that has outlived several kitchens, the parts that have been working longest come before the electronics, of which there is very little to fail. That ranking is the value of this page: the cheap causes are the common ones on Rca washers, and the costly one is what people reach for first.
What you observe
- Noise only on drain — A noise that begins exactly when the water starts to leave is in the pump, and usually is something in the pump.
- It bangs and moves during the spin — A loud, rhythmic banging that only happens at high speed is a load or support problem, not a worn part.
- The machine walks away from the wall — Movement on spin is a levelling and support problem first and a mechanical one second.
- NEAR MISS — it is quiet but leaves clothes soaking — That is a drain or spin fault rather than a noise fault; the drainage page covers it properly.
Causes, most likely first on Rca
- Suspension springs, dampers and worn mounts — The parts that hold a drum still are springs, dampers and rubber mounts, and all three age. A machine that has run for decades will bang on the spin simply because the damping that used to absorb the movement has gone hard or gone slack. First, and the rest of the order follows from it, and age puts this high: the damping on a long-serving machine is the part that has been working hardest for longest.
- The load, not the machine — Most spin noise is the load. Second here: no part has to be suspected until the load has been excluded, and excluding it takes one spin cycle.
- Levelling and the floor under the machine — Support is half of what keeps a spinning drum quiet. Third: an unsupported machine makes every other noise worse and hides which part is actually at fault.
- Shipping bolts still fitted — This is the noise of a machine that has never been unpacked properly. Bottom of the list, deliberately: it belongs high on a machine that is new or has recently been moved, and nowhere at all on one that was quiet last week.
Check in this order, and why
- First: Push the drum down and let it go — A drum that bounces several times instead of settling has lost its damping. It is first because it is the cheapest of the three to settle.
- Second: Spread the load and spin again — A quiet spin with the same clothes redistributed ends the investigation there.
- Third: Rock each corner by hand — Any corner that drops is a foot that is not carrying weight, and that alone will cause spin noise.
What an owner can safely check
- Redistribute the load and run a spin-only cycle — Spread everything evenly around the drum, close the door, and run a spin on its own.
About 15 min
- Level the machine and lock the feet — Adjust each foot until no corner rocks, then tighten the lock nuts up against the cabinet.
Tools: adjustable spannerAbout 20 min
- STOP HERE if the next step needs a meter on live terminals — That is the line between an owner check and a service call, and it is not worth crossing.
Before any panel comes off
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel, and treat every capacitor as still charged: a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Never defeat the lid or door interlock to make a machine run with the door open — it cuts the drive for a reason, and a turning drum does not stop for a hand.
When to call a technician
Call when the free checks are clean and the noise is still there, because what remains needs the machine on its back and the drum out. Call sooner if the noise is a hard metallic scrape, if the machine moves far enough to strain its hoses, or if anything smells hot after a cycle — a noise with a smell is a bearing or a motor, and those get worse quickly.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This is generalized information for Rca washers as a class, not for one family or one model. No family- or model-specific page for this brand and appliance is published here yet, so nothing narrower is linked; when one is, it becomes the more specific answer and this page will point to it. Deliberately absent: part numbers, wiring colours and the order the panels come off in — those belong with a named family.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
