In short
Most new washer noises are the load or the installation rather than the machine. On this machine the first suspect is unbalanced or overloaded drum.
What you observe
- Banging and walking during spin only — An unbalanced load, or a machine that is not level.
- A grinding that rises and falls with the drum — A bearing, and the one noise here that reliably worsens.
- A rattle or clatter at the start of drain — Something hard has reached the pump.
- NEAR MISS — noisy and also leaking — Deal with the leak first: water on the floor beside a powered machine comes before any noise.
Causes, most likely first on a Simplex washer
- Unbalanced or overloaded drum — One heavy item — a rug, a duvet, a towel bundle — rides to one side and the machine cannot balance it. Ranked first on a Simplex washer: it is free to correct, it explains banging that happens only on spin, and it causes most of these complaints.
- Something hard in the pump — The noise is confined to the drain phase, which identifies it precisely.
- Machine not level, or transit bolts still fitted — A machine that rocks hammers itself on every spin, and one on transit bolts cannot absorb anything.
- A coin, wire or underwiring between the drum and the tub — Small hard objects work out of pockets, past the drum holes, and clatter between the drum and the tub.
Check in this order, and why
- Note whether the noise happens only during spin — Spin-only banging is a balance problem until proved otherwise.
- Listen for the noise at the drain phase specifically — A rattle only at drain is the pump.
- Push the top corners and watch the machine spin — Any rock at all means the feet need adjusting.
What an owner can safely check
- Stop the cycle, redistribute the load evenly around the drum, and run a spin on its own — Wash large single items with something else to balance them, and never fill the drum to the door.
About 15 min
- Power off, open the filter, clear the housing and turn the impeller by hand — Use a glove: coins and glass both reach this point. A free-turning, quiet impeller points elsewhere.
Tools: glove, shallow tray, towelsAbout 25 min
- STOP HERE if the next step needs a panel off or a meter on live terminals — That is where the owner checks end and a service call begins, whatever the ranking says.
Before you open anything
Safety
Isolate the machine at the wall and shut both taps before any filter cap comes off; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is down. The filter holds several litres, so a tray and towels go down first. The door lock and the lid switch are safety devices and are never bypassed, and a door on a drum full of water is never forced. Drain the machine before you move it: it is far heavier full than empty.
When to call a technician
Call when the noise is a grinding that rises with drum speed, when the drum has play at the rear, or when the machine still bangs on a balanced load and a level floor. Stop using it if something hard is loose between the drum and the tub. Age is the deciding factor: if the machine is old enough that the control board is the suspect, price the board against a replacement machine before agreeing to the work.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page covers the Simplex washer as a class, not one family or model line. Where a family- or model-specific page exists for your unit it is linked above and it is the better answer — read it first. Deliberately not here: part numbers, wiring colours, panel removal order and torque figures, all of which differ between families under one nameplate.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
