Why is My Dishwasher Making Loud Sounds?

Your Dishwasher is designed to make life easier. Not to mention the fact that they get better results than washing up by hand and 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 difficult to remember life without it. And most people would ideally avoid the piles of dishes that you would need to do if it breaks. If that happens, you will need to hire a dishwasher repair company to fix the appliance.

Do You Use a Rowdy Dishwasher?

It is completely normal to pick up a variety of separate noises while your machine is running. The water entering the machine, the motor working, the detergent compartment clicking open and the hum of the soft food grinder are all normal noises.

If you replace your machine these noises are likely to be inconsistent from your old dishwasher, moreover if you have installed a dishwasher for the first time they could not be the sounds you were expecting.

Dishwasher Sounds Include:

The Sound of Water Sloshing or Swishing

Water sloshing sounds are completely routine, they may seem rather loud if you are not used to having a dishwasher but they are nothing to worry about.

Water will regularly produce a hissing noise as it enters the machine as well as a sloshing or swishing sound as the spray arms rotate. The machine will also repeat this process multiple times during the cycle.

A Pounding Sound

A thumping noise could be the result of the sprayer bumping against something that is dangling from the racks or an oversized plate. It could also be the drain pipe thumping against the wall or cabinets.This is more likely if your machine has just been installed.

Although these aren’t noises a dishwasher is designed to make it is simple to sort out with a little adjustment.

Routine Humming and Buzzing Sounds

Humming sounds are regular for many machines. It is the sound of water emptying out of the dishwasher. The buzzing is due to the pump vibrating as it operates and is absolutely normal, it can also stop and start as the pump may not run continuously.

Humming can also be heard from the fan that cools the dishwasher motor while it is turning.

Many machines also have a food disposal grinder that may produce a buzzing sound intermittently while the dishwasher is on.

Beeping at the End of the Cycle

Beeping sounds when the cycles finishes are absolutely normal despite the fact they could be annoying, particularly if your dishwasher finishes running at night. You should be able to turn the beeping off on the control panel. .

Squealing Noise from a New Dishwasher

A new dishwasher could produce a squealing noise when it is first installed because there is no water in the machine. This may also cause a rattling sound and could also occur if your machine has been out of action for a period of time.

You can avoid this by putting water in the drum before turning it on for the first time or after you’ve not used it for a while.

Worrying Dishwasher Noises

It’s not uncommon to get a little uneasy if your machine starts making strange sounds, however there is usually no cause for concern.

On the other hand, if your dishwasher starts making louder than normal or unusual noises this may warrant further investigation, in particular when you’ve had the dishwasher for some time and therefore know how it usually sounds.

Don’t forget, always turn the power off to your machine before taking it apart.

Loud or Unusual Grinding Noises

Despite the fact that plenty of machines could make a grinding noise as part of their regular operation if your dishwasher suddenly develops a loud or unusual grinding sound this is generally not a good sign and needs further investigation.

The most likely 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 grinding against the blades. If you suspect this might be the problem you should stop the machine and check. If you find something, carefully remove it before re-starting the dishwasher.

The other possible reason is that there is insufficient water in the drum, if this is the case you should check the water inlet to try to find out why the dishwasher is empty.

Worrying Humming, Rattling or Buzzing Noises

While humming as well as buzzing noises may be perfectly routine they could also signal a fault. A faulty pump may make a irregular humming or even squealing noise, if this happens it will usually need to be replaced.

A faulty motor can also produce a rattling sound.

Rattling noises coming from a machine are usually caused by plates and cutlery knocking into one another. However, particularly noisy thumping can also be indicative of a plumbing problem.

If you run an empty cycle and the rattling sound persists this may be evidence of a damaged motor.

Beeping Before the Cycle is Over

Despite the fact that it is absolutely normal for a dishwasher to beep when it is finished, beeping during the cycle is usually your dishwasher telling you there is a fault. Many dishwashers will beep if they are interrupted before they are finished and the cycle is paused. Or you can need to have a look at the owners manual.

Knocking, Clunking and Banging Sounds

A rhythmical clunking is most likely due to the sprayer bashing something inside the dishwasher and thus can be quickly rectified by adjusting your dishes. Things 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 without obstruction routinely to prevent this from happening as it also means your dishes aren’t being cleaned effectively.

Banging, on the other hand, is usually an indication of a plumbing issue often referred to as water hammer. The banging sound is due to the water pressure in the pipes and often occurs when the dishwasher is demanding more water than the pipes feeding it can supply.

Water hammer could also result in rattling in the pipes.

Regrettably there isn’t much you can do to fix this without professional help therefore it’s best to call a plumber if you think this is the problem.

Fixing your Dishwasher

Broken pumps as well as motors are often responsible for sudden loud noises coming from your machine. Luckily these parts can be replaced so you shouldn’t need to replace your dishwasher. You may even be able to replace the part yourself or you could need to call a local engineer.