The short answer
Washer noise divides by when it happens. A noise only during spin is imbalance, suspension or bearings; a noise only during drain is the pump; and a noise that changes when you move the machine by hand is stance or something loose inside. Spin the empty drum by hand with the power off. Grinding or roughness you can feel through the drum is a bearing, while a rattle you only hear under power is usually debris or the pump. On a Staber washer the cause that ranks first is coin, wire or underwire trapped in the outer tub or pump.
What you observe
- A rumble or roar that rises with spin speed — A bearing, and it will get worse rather than better.
- The machine walking across the floor during spin — Stance, or transit bolts still fitted on a new machine.
- A loud metallic clatter on every spin — Something hard is loose in the outer tub or the pump.
- NEAR MISS — a noise only while water is leaving — That is the drain pump, and it belongs with the drainage checks.
Causes, most likely first on a Staber washer
- Coin, wire or underwire trapped in the outer tub or pump — Small hard objects work through the drum perforations into the outer tub, where they clatter loudly on every spin and eventually score the drum. It ranks first on a Staber washer because a full-size cabinet has enough margin to hide a fault for weeks, so by the time it shows, the cheap cause has usually been running a long time.
- Suspension rods or shock absorbers worn — The dampers that control drum movement lose their grip and the drum knocks against the cabinet at the start and end of every spin. Second on this platform: it produces a bang at the transitions rather than a continuous noise, which distinguishes it from a bearing.
- Drum or tub bearing worn — A rumble or roar that rises with spin speed, and roughness you can feel turning the drum by hand, means the bearing behind the drum is going. Last, and the reason to work down the list rather than guess: it builds gradually over months, so it is the cause with the longest warning and the highest repair cost.
Check in this order, and why
- Note whether the noise started suddenly rather than gradually — A sudden metallic rattle is debris, not wear.
- Push the empty drum down by hand and let go — A drum that bounces rather than settling has tired dampers.
- Turn the empty drum slowly by hand and feel for grinding or roughness — Roughness you can feel is a bearing, and it is the expensive answer.
What an owner can safely check
- Open the pump filter and check what comes out, then check pockets on the last loads — Put a towel and a shallow tray down first — water comes with it.
Tools: shallow tray, towelAbout 20 min
- Remove any transit bolts and level the machine until no corner rocks — Transit bolts must come out before the first wash, always.
Tools: spirit level, spannerAbout 25 min
- STOP at the point where the next check means live terminals or a panel removed — Everything past that line is a technician's work, however likely the cause above it looks.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the machine or switch off its breaker before opening a pump filter or reaching into the drum, and shut the water supply off before moving it. Have a tray and towels ready: the filter chamber holds water even when the drum looks empty.
When to call a technician
Call when you can feel roughness turning the drum by hand, or when the noise is a rumble that rises with spin speed — both mean the bearing, and that is not an owner repair. On a mechanically controlled machine the repair is usually a discrete part rather than a board, which makes it worth quoting properly instead of writing the machine off.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
What this page covers is the washer class as Staber builds it, not an individual family or model line. If a page exists for your particular family or model, it is linked above and it is the better answer — go there first when your model is named. Left out on purpose: part numbers, connector colours, disassembly order and torque values, because every one of those varies by family.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
