What Causes a Noisy Washing Machine Drain Pump?

There are a few reasons why your washing machine drain pump may be noisy, but the most common reason is that it is clogged.

Your drain pump may also be defective and may need replacing.

Clogs in a washing machine drain pump can be fixed fairly easily, depending on exactly where the clog is, but defective drain pumps are a bit trickier.

However, there are plenty of resources to aid you in replacing a washing machine drain pump. It’s also easy to find a professional to help if you feel that you don’t have the skills to replace it yourself.

We’ll explore replacing a washing machine drain pump further below.

But first, let’s take a look at clogs in the system and freeing them.

 

How to Tell If Your Washing Machine Drain Pump Clogged

A tell-tale sign of a clogged washing machine drain pump is that it is much noisier than usual. This is because the drain pump has to work harder to drain the water due to a blockage.

The blockage can be anywhere in the drain pipe, drain pump or even in the machine itself.

The easiest place to start is the drain hose, as this comes out of the back of the washing machine and can be removed with a couple of screws.

Before you remove it, lay a towel on the ground, as there will likely be some water inside the pipe.

Inspect it and see if you can see any kind of blockage. You may need a pipe and drain snake or coil to run through the pipe to ensure the whole blockage is removed.

If you locate a blockage in the drain pipe and remove it, put everything back together and give it a test.

If the washing machine is functioning as normal again, problem solved. If it isn’t, the pump itself may be blocked or faulty.

 

Removing a Drain Pump from a Washing Machine

Disconnecting a drain pump from a washing machine isn’t too difficult, but each model is a bit different.

So, sadly, we can’t go into specifics here, and we’d urge you to use resources online to help you remove the drain pump from your make and model of washing machine.

Generally speaking, though, removing the washing machine drain pump involves unbolting it from the machine and removing the belt connecting it to the drive motor.

After this, you can inspect the pump. If you notice any blockages in the pump, remove them, reinstall the pump and test it out.

If you don’t see any clogs in the pump (or in the drain pipe), the likely cause of the noise is that the pump is faulty.

Replacement drain pumps for washing machines are widely available, and most cost under £100.

To install a new drain pump, it is just a case of reversing the steps you did to remove the old one.

You can also hire a professional to replace the drain pump in your washing machine. We’ll get to rough pricing for this in a few moments.

 

Flushing Out a Washing Machine Drain Pump

If all of this unclogging business sounds a bit overwhelming to you, there is a simpler method you can try. You’ll need:

• A bucket of boiling water
• A pack of bicarbonate of soda
• 500 ml of white vinegar

Add all of the bicarbonate of soda and the vinegar to the boiling water and stir it. Then slowly pour the solution down the drain in the washing machine.

Wait for about 10 minutes, then pour clean water down the drain to check that the water runs through correctly.

This won’t fix all blockages in drain pumps, but if you catch the problem early, this can be enough to free the clog.

If this doesn’t work, you’ll likely need to remove the drain pipe and drain pump for further inspection.

 

Is It Worth Replacing a Washing Machine Drain Pump?

If you plan on doing the work yourself, replacing the drain pump on your washing machine is fairly cheap. Depending on your washing machine, you can expect to pay anywhere from £15 to £100 for the drain pump, and it will take a few hours to install.

If you’d prefer to hire a professional to replace your drain pump, you may be paying anywhere from £200 to £400.

So, depending on the age of your washing machine, this may not be worth it.

However, do check the warranty information of your washing machine and whether you purchased an extended warranty for it before you buy a new machine. You may find that this sort of repair is covered for free.

We hope this look at noisy drain pumps on washing machines has been helpful. For more info about washing machines, including the top-rated washing machines in the UK right now, please explore In The Wash further.