Why is My Dishwasher Making Loud Sounds?

Appliances like a dishwasher are designed to make life easier. On top of that they are more hygienic than hand washing and when you open the machine at the end of the cycle everything is dry and ready to use again.

If you are lucky enough to use a dishwasher the chances are it’s hard to contemplate the idea of not having one. Furthermore you would definitely rather not imagine the piles of dishes that you would be required to do if it develops a fault. If that happens, you’ll want to hire a dishwasher repair company to repair the appliance.

Is Your Dishwasher Too Loud?

It is absolutely routine to hear an assortment of separate sounds while your machine is running. The water running into the drum, the motor turning, the detergent compartment opening and closing and the noise of the grinder blades are all normal noises.

If you get a new machine these noises are likely to be unlike your old dishwasher, moreover if you have recently installed a dishwasher they might not be the sounds you were expecting.

Dishwasher Sounds Include:

A Water Sloshing or Swishing Noise

The sound of water gurgling and sloshing around is completely regular, they can seem rather intrusive to begin with although they are nothing to worry about.

Water can regularly produce a hissing sound as it comes through the water inlet valve and a sloshing or swishing noise as the spray arms rotate. The dishwasher will also drain and refill several times each time it runs.

A Thumping Noise

A thumping sound may happen because of the sprayer hitting into something that is dangling from the racks or an oversized plate. Alternatively, it may be the drain line bashing against the wall or cabinets.

Although these aren’t noises your machine should be making it is simple to sort out with a little rearrangement.

Normal Humming and Buzzing Sounds

Humming noises are normal for lots of models. This is the sound of water emptying out of the machine. The humming is due to the vibration caused by the drain pump and is absolutely normal, it may also stop and start as the pump may not run continuously.

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

Many machines also make use of a soft food grinder that may produce a humming sound intermittently while the dishwasher is on.

Beeping When the Cycle Has Finished

Beeping sounds at the end of the cycle are absolutely routine despite the fact they may be annoying, particularly if your machine finishes running at night. You should be able to switch this noise off on the dishwasher controls. Check your owners manual for details as models will all be slightly different.

Squealing Noise from a New Dishwasher

A new machine may produce a squealing sounds the first few times it is run because there is no water in the drum. This can also result in a rattling noise and could also occur if your dishwasher has been out of action for a while.

You could avoid this by adding about a quart of water to the dishwasher before running it for the first time or when you’ve been away.

Abnormal Dishwasher Noises

If you pickup unusual noises emanating from your dishwasher, being a little on edge is a very natural reaction though usually, it’s nothing to worry about.

However, if your dishwasher starts making louder than normal or unusual sounds this can require further investigation, in particular if you’ve had your dishwasher for some time and know how it usually sounds.

Don’t forget, if you are going to start taking your machine apart you should always turn off the power first.

Loud or Unusual Grinding Noises

Despite the fact that some dishwashers could produce a soft grinding noise as part of their normal cycle if your dishwasher suddenly develops a loud or unusual grinding noise this is often a sign of an issue and therefore needs further investigation.

The most common cause will be an item such as an olive stone or corn kernel has become stuck in either the waste disposal or the drain impeller, and is knocking into the blades. in this case you need to stop the machine and check. If you find anything, carefully remove it before re-starting the cycle.

An alternative possible reason is a lack of water in the machine, in which case, you can check the water inlet valve to try to determine why the machine isn’t filling with water.

Abnormal Humming, Rattling or Buzzing Noises

While humming as well as buzzing sounds may be perfectly routine they can also be a sign of a problem. A broken motor could produce a loud humming or even shrieking noise, if this happens it will usually need to be replaced.

A broken pump may also produce a rattling noise.

Rattling sounds coming from a dishwasher are usually a result of dishes or cutlery knocking against each other. Nevertheless, unusually loud rattling can also be a plumbing problem.

If you run an empty cycle and the rattling sound continues this may be evidence of 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 often your dishwasher indicating there is an error. Many machines will alert you if they are interrupted before they are finished so that the cycle is paused. Or you can have to have a look at the owners manual.

Knocking, Clunking and Banging Sounds

A rhythmic clunking is most likely the result of the sprayer hitting something inside the dishwasher and could be easily fixed by rearranging your dishes. Things descending from the shelves is often the problem.

It could be a good idea to check that the arm can rotate without obstruction regularly before starting your machine to prevent this from being an issue as it also means your dishes don’t get cleaned so well.

Banging, however, is more often a result 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 usually happens when the machine is demanding more water than the pipes feeding it are able to provide.

Water hammer could also result in banging in the pipes.

Unluckily there isn’t much you can do to resolve this yourself therefore it’s recommended to contact an engineer if you think this is an issue.

Fixing your Dishwasher

Faulty pumps as well as motors are often responsible for sudden loud noises emanating from your machine. The good news is these parts can be replaced so you shouldn’t need a whole new dishwasher. You may even manage replace the part on your own or you might wish to call a local repair person.