Shhh! Did you hear that? Is that noise normal? You’re no doubt used to your appliances making noises; fridges hum and oven fans whirr. These everyday sounds tend to blend into the background. So if your appliance is extra loud you’ll usually be able to recognise that something’s afoot! Read on as we reveal some common causes of noisy appliances and how to fix them.

Washing Machine

First up, the humble washing machine, which can be noisy at the best of times. The whoosh of water filling the drum and the rumble of the drum as it spins are of course perfectly normal sounds. Even if the machine is spinning unusually loudly there could be an easy fix. Try pushing on it when it’s turned off. If it wobbles it could be uneven feet or an uneven surface to blame for the noise. Adjust the positioning of the machine or the feet themselves if they’re adjustable (and if one of the feet has broken off just replace it). Making sure your machine doesn’t wobble should make it quieter straight away.

Unbalanced loads of washing can also make your washing machine spin more loudly. If your load has just one heavy towel, jumper or pair of jeans in it the weight of the washing will most likely be uneven around the drum. They may seem harmless, but uneven loads are best avoided. The drum shakes more as it spins an uneven load, which can result in excessive wear and tear to the inner workings of the machine, causing parts like the bearings to fail. The golden rule to help your washing machine balance the load? Wash heavy items together in the same wash.

Frost Free Fridge Freezer

eSpares Tip: This repair gives you a great excuse for finishing that ice cream left in the freezer. Oh and make sure to keep the door closed in future!

Tumble Dryer

We’re not fans of droning dryers. And it’s most likely either the condenser or cooling fan causing a droning noise in your machine. Don’t despair! If the fan has been warped in the heat of the dryer it will need to be replaced, but fixing it is really just a case of unscrewing the machine and fitting the new fan.

Watch Josh explain how and demonstrate where else to check to get to the bottom of unwelcome tumble dryer sounds:

Fan Oven

If your oven fan is making excessive noises the usual cause is worn fan motor bearings. These will need replacing. A fan that isn’t working properly doesn’t just mean unevenly cooked dinners (and burnt lasagne is bad enough!) it can also cause other parts of the oven, like the element, to overheat and fail. Replace it sooner rather than later or you’ll find yourself replacing a whole lot more than just a fan!

As you’ve probably gathered from reading this article, unusual sounds can often be an indicator of a faulty appliance. Don’t just learn to live with the annoyance! It’s worth investigating as soon as you start to hear strange noises coming from your machine, as ignoring its cry for help could cause further damage and cost more money. So keep an ear to the ground for scratching, scraping, droning or whirring noises out of the ordinary!

Tags: appliance advice, appliance noise, household appliance repairs