Why is My Dishwasher Making Loud Sounds? | Santa Barbara Appliance Repair

Your Dishwasher is there to be seen and not heard. Plus they get better results than hand washing and at the end of the cycle all the dishes is dried up and ready to use again.

If you are lucky enough to have a dishwasher the likelihood is it’s unpleasant to remember the idea of not having one. Furthermore you would ideally avoid the piles of washing up you would need to do if it develops a fault. In this case, you will want to call a dishwasher repair company to repair the kitchen appliance.

Is Your Dishwasher Too Loud?

It is perfectly regular for a dishwasher to make a number of different sounds while running. The water filling the machine, the motor spinning, the detergent compartment clicking open and the noise of the grinder blades are all regular sounds.

If you replace your dishwasher these noises may be different from your old dishwasher, and if you have installed a machine for the first time they may not be the sounds you expected.

Dishwasher Sounds Include:

Water Sound

Hearing water gurgling and sloshing around is absolutely normal, these noises may appear rather noisy if you are not used to having a dishwasher but they are nothing to worry about.

Water can in many cases make a hissing sound as it enters the machine and a sloshing or swishing noise as the spray arms disperse the water around the drum. The dishwasher will also drain and refill several times each time it runs.

A Thumping Sound

A thumping sound can happen because of the sprayer bumping into something that is hanging down or an oversized dish. Alternatively, it could be the drain line thumping into the wall or cabinets.

Despite the fact that this isn’t a noise a dishwasher is designed to make it is easy to fix with a little adjustment.

Regular Humming and Buzzing Noises

Humming sounds are regular for many machines. This is the sound of water emptying out of the dishwasher. The buzzing is a result of the vibration caused by the drain pump and is completely routine, it may also pause as the pump may not run continuously.

Humming can also be heard as a result of the fan that cools the dishwasher motor while it is spinning.

Plenty of dishwashers also have a soft food grinder that may make a humming noise while the dishwasher is on.

Beeping When the Cycle Has Finished

Beeping sounds at the end of the cycle are perfectly routine despite the fact they could be annoying, particularly if your dishwasher finishes its cycle in the middle of the night. You should be able to switch the beeping off on the control panel. Check your instructions for details as models will vary.

Squealing from a New Dishwasher

A new machine can produce a squealing noise the first few times it is run due to there not being any water in the drum. This can also cause a rattling noise , this may also happen if your dishwasher has been out of action for a while.

You can stop this from happening by adding about a quart of water to the machine before running it for the first time or when you’ve been away.

Abnormal Dishwasher Noises

If you notice unusual sounds emanating from your dishwasher, getting a little uneasy is a very natural reaction but usually, it’s there’s no cause for concern.

However, if there are loud or unusual noises coming from your machine this may warrant further investigation, in particular when you’ve had your machine for a while and know how it usually sounds.

Just remember, if you are going to start taking your machine apart you should always turn off the power first.

Loud or Unusual Grinding Noises

Although some machines may produce a grinding noise as part of their routine cycle if your dishwasher unexpectedly starts making a loud or unusual grinding noise this is generally not a good sign and needs further investigation.

Most of the time the reason will be an item such as an olive stone or corn kernel has got lodged in either the waste disposal or the drain impeller, and therefore is knocking against the blades. in this case you should pause the cycle and check. If you find something, carefully remove it before re-starting the cycle.

The other possible cause is that there is insufficient water in the machine, in which case, you should have a look at the water inlet valve to try to find out why the dishwasher isn’t filling with water.

Irregular Humming, Rattling or Buzzing Sounds

While humming and buzzing sounds could be perfectly regular they could also indicate a fault. A faulty pump may produce a loud humming or even shrieking sound, if this happens it will often need to be replaced.

A damaged pump could also produce a rattling noise.

Rattling noises emanating from a dishwasher are usually a result of plates or cutlery knocking against each other. However, particularly noisy banging could also be indicative of a plumbing problem.

If you run an empty cycle and the rattling sound persists this can indicate a damaged pump.

Beeping Mid-Cycle

Despite the fact that it is completely routine for a dishwasher to beep at the end of the cycle, beeping half way through the cycle is commonly your dishwasher letting you know there is an error. Many machines will alert you if they are opened mid-cycle so that the cycle is paused. Or you may need to have a look at the owners manual.

Knocking, Clunking and Banging Noises

A rhythmical clunking is more often than not the result of the sprayer hitting something inside the machine and therefore could be easily sorted by rearranging your dishes. Items descending from the racks is the most likely cause of this.

It may be a good idea to check that the arm is able to rotate freely regularly before starting your machine to stop this from being an issue as it also means your dishes don’t get cleaned so well.

Banging, however, is more often a sign of a household plumbing issue often referred to as water hammer. The banging noise is due to the water pressure in the pipes and therefore often happens when the valves are opening and closing.

Water hammer could also result in banging in the plumbing.

Unluckily there isn’t much you are able to do to fix this yourself and so it’s recommended to call a plumber if you imagine this is an issue.

Fixing your Dishwasher

Damaged pumps as well as motors are often responsible for strange loud noises coming from your dishwasher. Luckily these parts can be replaced so you shouldn’t need a whole new machine. You may even manage to the repair yourself or you may need to call a local engineer.